ChatGPT New APP Chat Section is Horrible and is the worst gpt feature I've seen so far.

What version of the Codex App are you using (From “About Codex” dialog)?

Powered by Codex & OWL Version 26.707.51957 Released Jul 12, 2026

What subscription do you have?

Pro x5

What platform is your computer?

Mac OS 26.5.2

What issue are you seeing?

In the new unified ChatGPT desktop app for macOS, the regular Chat experience does not match the full ChatGPT experience available on the web.

Although Chat, Codex, and ChatGPT Work are presented as major parts of the same application, regular Chat does not receive the same level of space, prominence, or functionality. Codex and Work have large, dedicated workspaces, while Chat feels more like a secondary side panel embedded inside an application designed primarily around the other modes.

This is noticeably different from both the ChatGPT web interface and ChatGPT Classic for macOS, where the conversation is the main content of the application.

I want the regular Chat section in the new macOS app to provide the same complete experience as the web version, including the same layout, conversation space, navigation, and message interaction features.

One clear example is the “Ask ChatGPT” action available on the web. In the web interface, I can select a sentence or paragraph inside an assistant response and use “Ask ChatGPT” to ask a follow-up question about that exact passage.

This action is missing from both the new unified macOS app and ChatGPT Classic. When I select text in an assistant response, I only receive the standard macOS text-selection actions. There is no ChatGPT-specific option for attaching the selected passage as context for the next question.

The problem is therefore broader than one missing button. The native macOS Chat experience currently feels like a reduced or simplified version of web ChatGPT.

For users like me, regular ChatGPT is the primary reason for using the application. I use it for long conversations, technical explanations, research, document analysis, writing, comparisons, and multi-step discussions. These workflows need a large, readable, fully featured conversation workspace.

Because the desktop Chat experience is more constrained and lacks features available on the web, I still have to use the web version. This defeats much of the purpose of having a native desktop application.

What steps can reproduce the bug?

1. Open the new unified ChatGPT desktop application on macOS.

1. Select the regular Chat section.

1. Open an existing conversation containing several long responses, or start a new conversation and request a detailed multi-paragraph answer.

1. Observe the size and visual hierarchy of the Chat interface.

1. Compare it with the Codex and ChatGPT Work areas in the same application.

1. Observe that Codex and Work are presented as large, dedicated workspaces, while regular Chat feels more like a narrower secondary panel.

1. Open ChatGPT in the web interface.

1. Compare the web Chat layout with the Chat section of the macOS application.

1. Observe that the web interface provides a more complete, conversation-focused workspace with greater prominence and more complete interaction behavior.

1. In the web interface, select a sentence or paragraph inside an assistant response.

1. Observe that an “Ask ChatGPT” action appears, allowing the selected passage to be used as context for a follow-up question.

1. Return to the new macOS application.

1. Select a sentence or paragraph inside an assistant response.

1. Observe that no “Ask ChatGPT” action or equivalent ChatGPT-specific option appears.

1. Repeat the same test in ChatGPT Classic for macOS.

1. Observe that the action is also missing there.

1. Compare the overall native Chat experience with the web version and observe that the macOS app does not provide the same layout, prominence, or complete set of message interactions.

What is the expected behavior?

The regular Chat section should provide the same complete ChatGPT experience as the web interface.

When I select Chat in the unified macOS app, the application should switch to a full, dedicated ChatGPT workspace rather than displaying Chat as a secondary or side-panel-style interface.

Chat, Codex, and ChatGPT Work should be treated as three equal top-level workspaces:

1. Chat should open a complete conversation-focused ChatGPT interface.
2. Codex should open its dedicated coding workspace.
3. Work should open its dedicated agentic work environment.

The Chat workspace should use the main application window and provide:

• A large, dedicated conversation area
• Comfortable reading space for long responses
• Full use of the available window size
• Clear access to conversation history
• Clear access to projects, files, custom GPTs, and other supported ChatGPT features
• Collapsible or resizable secondary panels
• A layout comparable to the ChatGPT web interface
• The same message-level interactions available on the web

This should include the “Ask ChatGPT” action.

When I select text inside an assistant response, an “Ask ChatGPT” action should appear. Clicking it should automatically attach or quote the selected sentence or paragraph as context for the next message.

For example, after selecting part of a long response, I should be able to click “Ask ChatGPT” and write:

“Can you explain this part in more detail?”

ChatGPT should understand that the question refers specifically to the selected passage, without requiring me to manually copy, paste, quote, and identify it.

The expected result is full functional and visual parity between the regular Chat workspace in the macOS application and the ChatGPT web interface.

Additional information

This request is not asking for Codex or ChatGPT Work to be reduced or removed. Both should retain their dedicated interfaces.

The request is for regular ChatGPT to receive the same first-class treatment.

The current application creates the impression that it is primarily a Codex and Work application with a smaller Chat panel attached to it. That does not match how many users use ChatGPT.

For me, regular Chat is the main product. I use it for:

• Long-form conversations
• Technical explanations
• Research
• Studying
• Document and file analysis
• Writing and editing
• Comparing ideas
• Multi-step reasoning
• Reviewing detailed assistant responses

These activities require a large and readable conversation workspace. They also benefit from efficient message-level interactions such as selecting text and using “Ask ChatGPT.”

The current workaround for the missing “Ask ChatGPT” action is inefficient:

1. Select the relevant text.
2. Copy it.
3. Click the message composer.
4. Paste the text.
5. Add quotation formatting.
6. Explain which part of the response I am referring to.
7. Write the actual follow-up question.

The web interface reduces this workflow to a single action.

The missing action is also a useful example of the broader problem: regular Chat in the macOS application does not yet provide the complete web ChatGPT experience.

A possible implementation would be:

• Keep Chat, Codex, and Work as top-level navigation options.
• Give each option its own full-window workspace.
• When Chat is selected, show the full web-equivalent ChatGPT layout.
• Allow navigation and contextual panels to be collapsed or resized.
• Add a focus mode in which the conversation occupies most of the window.
• Preserve the user’s preferred layout between sessions.
• Bring message actions, including “Ask ChatGPT,” to parity with the web interface.
• Continue adding web ChatGPT features to the native Chat workspace instead of maintaining a reduced desktop version.

The unified application should expand ChatGPT’s capabilities without making the original Chat experience smaller or less functional.

Environment:

• Operating system: macOS
• Application: New unified ChatGPT desktop app
• Comparison interface: ChatGPT web
• Also affected: ChatGPT Classic for macOS
• Mac model: [ENTER YOUR MAC MODEL]
• Processor: [APPLE SILICON OR INTEL]
• macOS version: [ENTER YOUR MACOS VERSION]
• ChatGPT app version: [ENTER YOUR APP VERSION]
• Subscription: [ENTER YOUR CHATGPT PLAN]

I can provide screenshots comparing the same conversation in the web interface, ChatGPT Classic, and the new unified macOS app.