ChatGPT not responding to prompts

You type a question, hit send, and nothing happens. Or the cursor blinks forever, then times out. When ChatGPT stops responding to prompts, you need to know within 30 seconds whether it's a system-wide outage or somethin

ChatGPT not responding to prompts

You type a question, hit send, and nothing happens. Or the cursor blinks forever, then times out. When ChatGPT stops responding to prompts, you need to know within 30 seconds whether it's a system-wide outage or something on your end — and what to do next.

How to check if OpenAI is actually down

Start with this site's live OpenAI status monitor. It pulls data from OpenAI's official status feed every 60 seconds and shows real-time status for ChatGPT, the API, and other services. If ChatGPT shows "Major Outage" or "Partial Outage", the problem isn't you.

Check status.openai.com directly for component-level details. OpenAI breaks down status by ChatGPT web, ChatGPT mobile, API services, and individual features like voice mode or image generation. You might see "Operational" for most components but "Degraded Performance" for chat completions — that's your culprit.

Third-party sites like Downdetector track user reports in real time. If thousands of people report ChatGPT issues in the last 10 minutes, it's a system-wide problem. When it's just you, reports stay flat.

Is it OpenAI or is it you

Run through these steps before assuming ChatGPT is broken everywhere.

  • Open an incognito window. In Chrome, press Ctrl+Shift+N (Windows) or Cmd+Shift+N (Mac). Go to chatgpt.com and try the same prompt. If it works, you've got a cache or extension problem.
  • Clear your browser data for chatgpt.com. In Chrome, click the lock icon left of the address bar, then "Site settings", then "Clear data". In Firefox, go to Preferences > Privacy & Security > Cookies and Site Data > Manage Data, search for "chatgpt.com", and remove all entries. Restart your browser and try again.
  • Disable all extensions. Go to chrome://extensions (Chrome) or about:addons (Firefox). Toggle off every extension, especially VPNs, ad blockers, and privacy tools. Test ChatGPT. Re-enable extensions one by one to find the culprit.
  • Check your network. If you're on a corporate VPN or public Wi-Fi, try your phone's hotspot. Some networks block WebSocket connections ChatGPT needs for real-time streaming. If prompts work on mobile data but not your main network, your firewall or DNS is interfering.
  • Test the mobile app vs browser. Download the official ChatGPT app (iOS or Android) and try the same prompt. If the app works but the browser doesn't, you've isolated the problem to browser configuration. If neither works, it's likely your network or an OpenAI issue.
  • Try a different device entirely. Borrow a laptop, use a library computer, test on a friend's phone. If ChatGPT responds fine on a different device using different internet, the problem is definitely local to your setup.

For deeper troubleshooting when ChatGPT shows errors instead of silence, see ChatGPT not working — troubleshooting. That guide covers specific error codes, login loops, and subscription issues.

What to do during an outage

When you've confirmed it's a system-wide outage, here's your move.

  • Check the live OpenAI status monitor every few minutes. Outages typically resolve within 15-45 minutes for partial issues, 1-3 hours for major incidents. The status feed updates as OpenAI engineers post progress.
  • Don't delete your account or cancel your subscription. ChatGPT Plus and Team users stay subscribed during outages — you won't get charged extra, and you won't lose chat history. Deleting your account to "fix" a temporary outage creates permanent problems.
  • Don't spam OpenAI support. During outages, support queues explode with duplicate tickets. OpenAI already knows about system-wide problems. Save support contact for account-specific issues after service restores. See how to contact OpenAI support for when you actually need it.
  • If you're using the API, implement exponential backoff. When the API returns 503 errors or timeouts, wait 1 second, then 2, then 4, then 8 before retrying. Don't hammer the endpoint — you'll just get rate-limited on top of the outage. Check the API 429 error guide for retry logic examples.
  • Queue your prompts locally. Write your questions in a text file while you wait. When service restores, you can paste them in quickly instead of trying to remember what you needed.

Questions people actually ask

Q: Is ChatGPT down right now?

A: Check the live OpenAI status monitor on this page — it updates every 60 seconds. If all components show green "Operational", ChatGPT isn't down globally.

Q: Why does ChatGPT stop responding mid-answer?

A: Usually a network timeout or server overload. Refresh the page, start a new chat, and try a shorter prompt. If it keeps happening, check the status monitor for "Degraded Performance" notices.

Q: How long do ChatGPT outages last?

A: Most partial outages resolve in 15-45 minutes. Major incidents occasionally take 2-3 hours. Check status.openai.com for incident updates with estimated recovery times.

Q: Will I lose my conversation history during an outage?

A: No. Your chat history stays intact. Don't delete conversations or your account trying to fix an outage — you'll lose data for no reason.

What to remember

  • Use the live status monitor first — updates every 60 seconds from OpenAI's official feed
  • Test in incognito mode before assuming ChatGPT is down everywhere
  • Clear chatgpt.com site data and disable extensions if incognito works
  • Never delete your account or cancel subscriptions during temporary outages
  • For API users, implement exponential backoff and stop retrying immediately when servers return 503

---

*openai-support.com is an independent resource, not affiliated with OpenAI Inc.*

Related help