ChatGPT in 2026: modes, models and plans

1. Find the mode switcher

free, go: Free and Go get a limited version of Work in the desktop app only. Web and mobile Work need Plus or above.

ChatGPT now has Chat for quick help and Work, an agent for longer jobs that end in a finished document, spreadsheet, deck or Site. Codex is for software and most professionals can ignore it. Find the switcher now so you know where it lives.

1. On the web or mobile, select Work at the top of the screen, then switch back to Chat On mobile it is a dropdown.
2. In the desktop app, select ChatGPT from the menu, then choose Chat or Work from the toggle Codex is a separate view in the same menu.

2. Open the model menu and the Thinking slider

free, go: Free and Go don't get the Medium to Pro levels. Use the Think option for harder questions instead.

Since September 2026, Plus and Pro no longer switch from Instant to deeper thinking on their own. If an answer matters, you set the effort before you press send.

1. Open the model menu in the message box and select GPT-6 If GPT-6 is missing it may not have reached your account yet.
2. Move the Thinking slider between Instant, Medium and High Extra High and Pro appear on Pro, Business and Enterprise.
3. Leave it on Medium for your next piece of analysis

3. Map your week to the right tool

This prompt gives you a personal cheat sheet. Run it on Medium so ChatGPT reasons about each task rather than guessing.

You are an experienced operations coach who helps UK professionals use ChatGPT well.

About me: I'm a {{role}} at a {{business_type}} in the UK. My most time-consuming weekly tasks are: {{weekly_tasks}}.

Task: for each of my tasks, recommend the best way to use ChatGPT. Choose one of: Chat (quick drafting or questions), Work (a multi-step job ending in a finished file), deep research (a cited report from many sources), or "not a good fit".

Constraints:
- Be realistic. If a task needs human judgement or confidential data I shouldn't share, say so.
- Use British English.
- Don't invent features. If something depends on my plan, write "check your plan".

Output: a table with columns Task, Best tool, Why (one sentence), First prompt to try (one sentence I can copy). Then 3 bullet points on where I'll save the most time.

• Your role, for example: operations manager
• Type of business, for example: 40-person logistics firm
• Your 4 to 6 biggest weekly tasks, for example: supplier emails, the Monday ops report, chasing late invoices, writing job adverts, competitor checks

Where to paste: A new Chat conversation with the Thinking slider on Medium (Think on Free or Go)

What you should get: A table with one row per task, a clear tool choice and a starter prompt you could paste straight in. Check that confidential tasks are flagged and that nothing claims a feature your plan doesn't have.

Follow-ups

• Turn the starter prompt for my biggest task into a full prompt with a role, context, constraints and an output format.
• Which two of these could become a scheduled task that runs every week? Write the task instructions for each.

4. Feel the difference between Instant and High

Run the same decision prompt twice: once on Instant, once on High. You will see when the extra wait is worth it.

You are a commercially minded finance business partner at a UK company.

Decision: {{decision}}
What I know so far: {{facts}}

Task: help me decide.

Constraints:
- Separate facts I gave you from assumptions you are making, and label each assumption.
- Use £ and UK terms (VAT, HMRC) where relevant.
- If a number is missing, show the calculation with a placeholder rather than inventing it.

Output:
1. A one-line recommendation.
2. A short table of options with cost, risk and effort.
3. The 3 questions I should answer before committing.

• The decision you face, for example: whether to lease or buy two new delivery vans
• What you already know, for example: budget £60,000, vans used 5 days a week, current vans are 7 years old

Where to paste: A new chat. Send it once on Instant, then again in a second chat on High

What you should get: The High answer should spot more assumptions, show its working and ask sharper questions. Check every figure against what you supplied; anything not from you should be labelled as an assumption.

Follow-ups

• Redo the table assuming a 3-year horizon and show the total cost of each option.
• Write a 120-word summary of the recommendation for my managing director.

5. Check your plan's limits

Plans change often, so confirm what yours includes before you promise anything to your team.

1. Open chatgpt.com/pricing and find your plan Prices are not shown for every plan, so check in your account.
2. Confirm whether you have Work on web, deep research and scheduled tasks
3. Note whether ads may appear on your plan OpenAI says ads may appear on Free and Go only.

Quick check

1. You need a careful analysis on Plus. What should you do before sending?

   • Nothing, ChatGPT steps up automatically
   • Type "think harder" at the end
   • Set the Thinking slider to Medium or High (correct)
   • Switch to Codex

   Automatic switching from Instant was retired for Plus and Pro, so you choose the effort yourself.

2. Which mode should you use to turn research into a finished spreadsheet and deck?

   • Chat
   • Work (correct)
   • Codex
   • Temporary chat

   Work is the agent for multi-step jobs that end in finished deliverables.

3. On which plans may ads appear?

   • All plans
   • Free and Go (correct)
   • Plus and Pro
   • Business only

   OpenAI's ads article says ads may appear on Free and Go, not on paid tiers above that.