Opening an older conversation from Command-K search displays it in a small side window instead of the main chat view

What version of the app are you using?

ChatGPT Desktop 26.727.51351 (build 6119)

What subscription do you have?

ChatGPT Pro

What platform is your computer?

macOS 26.6 (build 25G72), Apple Silicon

What issue are you seeing?

Selecting a conversation from the app-wide search opened with Command-K can open the conversation in a small side window instead of loading it as a regular conversation in the main app window.

This occurs particularly with older conversations. The small window resembles the companion-window interface from the previous ChatGPT macOS app, even though the conversation was selected from the new app's normal Command-K search interface.

A search result should navigate to the selected conversation in the main ChatGPT window. It should not invoke a separate legacy-style conversation window.

Steps to reproduce

1. Open the new ChatGPT desktop app on macOS.
2. Press Command-K to open the app-wide search.
3. Search for an older conversation.
4. Select the conversation from the search results.
5. Observe that the conversation opens in a small side window rather than in the regular main chat view.

Expected behavior

Selecting any conversation from Command-K search should open that conversation in the main ChatGPT window using the current desktop interface.

Conversation age should not affect how the result is opened.

Actual behavior

Some Command-K search results, especially older conversations, open in a small legacy-style side window instead of the main chat view.

Frequency

Reproducible particularly when opening older conversations, although it may not affect every search result.

Impact

• The conversation opens in an unexpected and constrained interface.
• The behaviour is inconsistent with selecting conversations from the normal chat list.
• It makes searching for and resuming older conversations unnecessarily difficult.

Additional information

• The affected conversation remains available; this is a navigation and presentation problem rather than apparent data loss.
• The window resembles the companion-window behaviour provided by the previous ChatGPT macOS application.
• The result is selected from the new desktop app's Command-K search, not from a shortcut intended to open a companion window.
• No screenshots are included because the search results and conversations contain private information.