Before you start
What changed on the desktop
| Starting point | What happens | What to check |
|---|---|---|
| Existing Codex app | A normal update becomes the unified ChatGPT app | Codex projects and conversations remain |
| Previous ChatGPT app | The migration prompt installs the new app | The old client may remain as ChatGPT Classic |
| First installation | Install from OpenAI’s download page | Chat, Work, and Codex appear after sign-in |
Chat and Work share Recents. Codex keeps its repository- and task-oriented flow. ChatGPT Classic still receives model and security updates, but newer agent features may remain exclusive to the unified app.
Install the official build
Use OpenAI’s download page linked in the sources, not a search advertisement or third-party installer.
macOS
The unified app requires macOS 14 or later and supports Apple silicon from M1 onward plus supported Intel Macs.
- Download the macOS version.
- Move ChatGPT into Applications if prompted.
- Sign in with the account and workspace you use.
- Confirm the top-left switch includes ChatGPT and Codex.
- Inside ChatGPT, switch between Chat and Work.
OpenAI does not plan a version for macOS 13 or earlier.
Windows
The download page opens Microsoft Store. The official command-line route is winget install --id 9PLM9XGG6VKS -s msstore.
If only ChatGPT Classic appears, or the mode switch is missing, verify that the new unified app is running.
Step-by-step
Follow this sequence after the official unified app is installed:
- Sign in with the intended account and workspace.
- Choose Chat for an answer, Work for a reviewable artifact, or Codex for a software-project change.
- State the goal, context, required result, and boundary before starting the task.
- Add a visible completion condition for Work or Codex.
- Review the answer, artifact, diff, tests, and workspace boundary that apply to the selected mode.
Pick the mode by the deliverable
| Mode | Use it for | Review |
|---|---|---|
| Chat | Questions, search, explanations, quick comparisons, short drafts | Read and refine the answer |
| Work | Research, multi-file analysis, reports, documents, sheets, slides, and Sites | Inspect the finished artifact and its sources |
| Codex | Code changes, bugs, commands, tests, and repository work | Inspect the diff, tests, and repository state |
Work can use approved files, connected apps, and a browser. Codex adds a development-specific interface for repositories and terminals. Availability and local-file access still depend on plan and workspace policy.
A good prompt needs four boundaries
Long prompts are optional. Clear boundaries are not.
| Part | Example |
|---|---|
| Goal | Compare Product A and B for my use |
| Context | Budget, source files, audience, and constraints |
| Result | A compact table, document, spreadsheet, or tested code change |
| Boundary | Preserve named files; stop before publishing, sending, or deploying |
Add Done when for Work and Codex so the task has a visible finish line.
For Chat, ask for the answer and comparison rule. For Work, name the artifact and review point. For Codex, add the code location, reproduction steps, protected interfaces, and verification commands.
Check the result
The setup is complete when the official app opens, the intended Chat, Work, or Codex mode is available, and the output matches the requested deliverable and boundaries.
If the result is different
If Work or Codex is missing
- Confirm the running app is not ChatGPT Classic.
- Update and reopen the unified app.
- Check the signed-in account and workspace.
- Verify plan access to Work and Codex Local.
- In a managed workspace, ask whether those modes are enabled.
- If cloud features work but local tools do not, check local permissions and policy rollout.
The short rule: Chat for an answer, Work for a reviewable artifact, Codex for a change inside a software project.
Telling a broken install from a working one
Most reports here are not faults
The symptoms that bring people to this problem — a renamed app, a changed icon, a second ChatGPT entry in the launcher, a missing mode switch — are mostly the migration working as designed. Deciding which of those is expected saves an uninstall that will not help.
| What you see | Most likely explanation | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| Codex became “ChatGPT” with a new icon | The unified app replaced the Codex client | Nothing; confirm Codex is present in the mode switch |
| Two ChatGPT entries exist | ChatGPT Classic remains beside the unified app | Pin the unified app; keep or remove Classic deliberately |
| No mode switch appears | Classic is the app that opened | Check which of the two you launched before troubleshooting |
| Codex projects appear missing | Signed in to a different account or workspace | Check the account and workspace, not the installation |
| A feature named in coverage is absent | Plan, workspace policy, or staged availability | Confirm entitlement before reinstalling |
The fourth row accounts for a large share of “my work disappeared” reports. The unified app makes the account and workspace switch easy to perform without noticing, and content that belongs to another workspace is invisible rather than deleted.
Check identity before reinstalling
Reinstalling is the reflex and rarely the fix, because it does not change the account you are signed in to and it does not grant a plan you do not have. Work through the cheaper checks first.
- Confirm which app is running. Classic and the unified app can both be installed and pinned. The mode switch is the reliable tell.
- Confirm the account and workspace. A personal account and a work account show different history, projects, and features.
- Confirm the plan and any workspace policy. Administrators can restrict features in a managed workspace, which looks identical to a missing feature.
- Confirm the app version. An installation that has not updated will not have features announced after its build.
- Only then reinstall, using the official download page rather than a search result.
If a reinstall does become necessary, note the account and workspace you were using first. Signing back in to the wrong one afterwards reproduces the original symptom and makes the reinstall look like it caused the problem.
Deciding whether to keep ChatGPT Classic
Classic continues to receive model and security updates, so keeping it is not a security risk. The trade-off is different: newer agent features may be exclusive to the unified app, so a workflow that stays on Classic will quietly diverge from documentation and coverage written against the current client. Keep Classic if something specific depends on it, and write down what that something is. Otherwise removing it eliminates the most common source of confusion in this whole migration, which is launching the wrong one.
Limits and evidence
Sources were reviewed on July 25, 2026. The steps cover the documented setup or problem in the stated environment. If the product version, device, router, or network differs, verify that condition before applying a fix.
Sources
- ChatGPT release notes: unified app launch, interface changes, and Voice updates. Checked July 25, 2026.
- Moving to the new ChatGPT desktop app: Codex migration and ChatGPT Classic. Checked July 25, 2026.
- ChatGPT Work and Codex: mode roles, local and cloud boundaries, and workspace conditions. Checked July 25, 2026.
- Download ChatGPT: official macOS and Windows installers. Checked July 25, 2026.
- ChatGPT for macOS requirements: supported macOS versions and hardware. Checked July 25, 2026.
- ChatGPT for Windows: Microsoft Store and
wingetinstallation. Checked July 25, 2026. - Prompting guide: goal, context, output, and boundary patterns. Checked July 25, 2026.
- Get started with Work: artifacts, review boundaries, and local versus cloud work. Checked July 25, 2026.
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