ChatGPT-4o is back – here’s how to use the older OpenAI model instead of GPT-5

If you’ve been on social media in the last week, you’ll most probably have seen the outpouring of criticism towards the brand-new GPT-5 AI model.

The new upgrade to ChatGPT was revealed by Sam Altman and co on Thursday last week, and since then, the backlash online has been hard to ignore.

Many users have found OpenAI’s latest LLM (Large Language Model) to be far less efficient than its predecessor, and for many, the loss of 4o’s memories and personality was too much to handle.

Luckily, OpenAI heard the GPT-5 criticism and decided to bring back GPT-4o, albeit only for Plus subscribers who pay $20/£20 a month.

While ChatGPT Plus subscribers can access 4o again, the AI model is hidden in settings, almost as if OpenAI doesn’t want you to find it.

That said, it’s an easy setting to adjust, and in just a few simple steps, you can bring your ChatGPT-4o chats back to life. Here’s how.

How to re-enable 4o in ChatGPT

ChatGPT 4o on Plus account — (Image credit: Future)

Enabling ChatGPT-4o is incredibly simple, but you need to know where to look in order to find the setting. Here’s how to re-enable ChatGPT-4o legacy model:

Open ChatGPT.com on a web browser
Click your username in the bottom left corner
Select Settings
Toggle on Show legacy models
Select ChatGPT-4o from the model selection dropdown

Now you’ve re-enabled ChatGPT-4o you’re able to continue your chats with the AI model right where you left them. Unfortunately, this option is only available for ChatGPT Plus subscribers, so if you want to use 4o again, you’ll need to consider paying for OpenAI’s chatbot.

At the time of writing, OpenAI hasn’t confirmed whether or not some of the other legacy models that were discontinued last week will return. However, by enabling 4o in your web browser, you’ll have access to all legacy models OpenAI chooses to reinstate across all your devices, including the ChatGPT app on iPhone and Mac.