ChatGPT not working today?

Check [live OpenAI status](/status) first — it updates every 60 seconds from OpenAI's official feed. If you see red or yellow indicators next to ChatGPT components, you're experiencing a genuine outage. If everything sho

ChatGPT not working today?

Check live OpenAI status first — it updates every 60 seconds from OpenAI's official feed. If you see red or yellow indicators next to ChatGPT components, you're experiencing a genuine outage. If everything shows green, the problem's on your end.

How to check if OpenAI is actually down

Start with this site's live OpenAI status monitor. It pulls real-time data from status.openai.com every minute and breaks down each service: ChatGPT web, iOS app, Android app, API endpoints, and Sora. Green means operational, yellow means degraded performance, red means full outage. You'll see exactly which component is affected and when the issue started.

Head to status.openai.com directly for OpenAI's official incident reports. When something breaks, they post specifics: "Elevated error rates on GPT-4 model" or "Login authentication experiencing delays." They include timestamps and update status as engineers work. If you don't see an active incident, OpenAI's systems are running normally.

Check Twitter/X for "#ChatGPTDown" or search "ChatGPT not working" within the past hour. Thousands of users report problems simultaneously during real outages. If you see recent widespread complaints, it's not just you. If search results are hours or days old, you're dealing with a local issue.

Is it OpenAI or is it you

Open an incognito window (Ctrl+Shift+N in Chrome, Cmd+Shift+N on Mac). Navigate to chatgpt.com and try logging in. If ChatGPT works perfectly in incognito mode, your regular browser has corrupted cache or problematic extensions. If it still fails, move to the next step.

Clear your browser cache specifically for chatgpt.com. In Chrome: click the padlock icon left of the URL, select "Site settings," scroll down and click "Clear data." In Firefox: right-click the chatgpt.com tab, select "Forget About This Site." In Safari: go to Settings > Privacy > Manage Website Data, find chatgpt.com, click Remove. Log in again fresh.

Disable all browser extensions temporarily. Extensions like ad blockers, VPNs, and privacy tools frequently interfere with ChatGPT's JavaScript. Click your browser's extension icon (puzzle piece in Chrome), toggle each one off, refresh chatgpt.com. If ChatGPT suddenly works, re-enable extensions one by one to identify the culprit.

Try a different network. If you're on corporate WiFi or a VPN, your organisation might block OpenAI domains. Switch to mobile data or a different WiFi network. If ChatGPT works on mobile data but not your main connection, your network administrator has restricted access. Use a mobile hotspot or contact your IT department.

Test the mobile app versus desktop browser. Download the official ChatGPT app for iOS or Android. If the app works but the website doesn't, you've got a browser-specific problem. If neither works, reference ChatGPT not working — troubleshooting for deeper diagnostic steps.

What to do during an outage

Don't refresh repeatedly. Hammering chatgpt.com with page reloads won't fix OpenAI's servers — it makes recovery slower for everyone. Check the live status monitor once, then wait. Most outages resolve within 15-45 minutes.

For API users: implement exponential backoff immediately. After a failed request, wait 1 second, then 2, then 4, then 8 before retrying. Set a maximum retry budget — stop after 5 attempts. Queue requests locally instead of dropping them. Read OpenAI API error 429 and other API errors for specific retry code examples.

Monitor status.openai.com for updates. OpenAI posts incident timelines: "Investigating," "Identified," "Monitoring," "Resolved." Each status change includes engineer commentary. You'll know whether to wait 10 minutes or 2 hours.

Don't delete your account, cancel your subscription, or contact support demanding refunds. These actions won't restore service faster — they'll create extra problems you'll need to fix later. OpenAI doesn't compensate individual users for outages under their terms of service. If you need to reach OpenAI anyway, follow How to contact OpenAI support.

Questions people actually ask

Q: Is ChatGPT down right now?

A: Check the live status monitor on this page — it updates every 60 seconds. Green means operational. If you see anything else, ChatGPT has confirmed issues.

Q: Why does ChatGPT work for others but not me?

A: You're hitting cached data, browser extensions, VPN blocks, or account-specific rate limits. Follow the isolation steps above in incognito mode with extensions disabled.

Q: How long do ChatGPT outages typically last?

A: Most resolve in 15-45 minutes. Major incidents affecting multiple services have lasted 2-4 hours. Status.openai.com posts time estimates during active incidents.

Q: Will OpenAI refund my ChatGPT Plus subscription for downtime?

A: No. OpenAI's terms don't guarantee uptime or provide refunds for temporary outages. Enterprise customers have separate SLAs.

What to remember

  • Check live OpenAI status first — it updates every 60 seconds with official data
  • Test in incognito mode with all extensions disabled before assuming outage
  • Clear cache and cookies specifically for chatgpt.com, not your entire browser
  • Switch networks to rule out corporate or VPN blocks
  • Never spam refresh during outages — implement retry logic with exponential backoff
  • Most issues resolve within 45 minutes without user intervention

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

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