Sam Altman has good news for ChatGPT users: Announces GPT-4o’s return; here’s how to switch back

OpenAI is reinstating access to GPT-4o for paying ChatGPT customers following widespread complaints about the company’s new GPT-5 model. CEO Sam Altman acknowledged user frustration during a Reddit AMA, saying the team “heard” feedback and will allow Plus users to switch back to GPT-4o while OpenAI monitors usage to determine how long support will continue.What triggered the reversal

GPT-5 failed to impress

The pushback began after GPT-5 replaced legacy models without warning for many users who had built workflows around GPT-4o. Early adopters described GPT-5 as less capable and “colder” in tone. Altman said a misconfigured real-time router—designed to select the best model for each task—made GPT-5 responses seem worse than expected. He added GPT-5 quality should “seem smarter starting today,” and promised clearer indicators showing which model is responding.Who gets GPT-4o back—and who doesn’t

GPT-4o is coming back, but not for all

OpenAI says Plus, Pro, Team, and Enterprise customers can re-enable GPT-4o by turning on a “Show legacy models” option in settings, after which it appears in the model picker. The company is positioning this as a transition pathway, with long-term availability tied to demand. Free-tier users currently have no access to legacy models, leaving them on GPT-5 by default.

The abrupt removal of GPT-4o highlighted how sensitive users are to model consistency and tone, especially for creative work, coding assistance, and established automations. The router issue amplified perceptions that GPT-5 underperformed, raising questions about communication around major model changes and transparency in model selection.What’s next from OpenAI

Altman said OpenAI will keep listening to feedback, stabilize GPT-5 performance, and make model attribution more transparent in the app. The company indicated it may also consider bringing back other legacy variants, such as GPT-4.1, if Plus user demand is significant. For now, organizations and paid users can opt back into GPT-4o, while OpenAI evaluates usage patterns and refines GPT-5’s routing and response quality.