• Several older ChatGPT models to be retired
• Starting February 13, 2026

OpenAI announced that it will discontinue support for several older ChatGPT models, including GPT‑4o, GPT‑4.1, GPT‑4.1 Mini, and o4‑Mini, following its earlier retirement of GPT‑5 (Instant and Thinking), effective February 13, 2026.

The company emphasized that this change will not affect the current API interface, noting that most users have already moved to GPT‑5.2, while fewer than 0.1% still use GPT‑4o on a daily basis.

OpenAI explained that GPT‑4o had briefly been reactivated after its initial retirement when GPT‑5 launched, in response to requests from some Plus and Pro users who needed extra time to transition their core workflows, such as creative idea generation, and preferred its warmer conversational style.

The company added that user feedback played a direct role in developing GPT‑5.1 and GPT‑5.2, bringing improvements to model personality, enhanced creative support, and more options for customizing conversation style, including control over emotional tone and enthusiasm in responses.

OpenAI stated that the decision to retire GPT‑4o followed the rollout of these enhancements, aiming to give users more control and customization over their ChatGPT experience, not just the capabilities of the models themselves.

The company affirmed its ongoing commitment to improving models based on user input, including refining personality, boosting creativity, reducing unnecessary refusals, and moderating overly strict or preachy responses.

Additionally, OpenAI is developing a version tailored for users over 18 with appropriate safety measures, and has launched an age-estimation feature for most minor users.

The company acknowledged that losing access to GPT‑4o may disappoint some users, but stressed that the retirement decision was carefully considered to allow focus on enhancing the models most widely used today.