ChatGPT Classic retires January 30, 2027: what moves to the new app and what to back up

Updated November 5, 2026 · 4-minute read

The ChatGPT Classic desktop app retires on January 30, 2027, and your chat history moves with your account to the new ChatGPT app, so the only thing to do before then is sign in to the new app and, if you want a safety copy, request a data export first.

Disclosure: ConvoShelf is our product. The retirement date comes from the in-app banner as reported by 9to5Mac and The Verge on November 2, 2026. Everything else about ChatGPT comes from the OpenAI Help Center pages listed under Sources, which we read on November 5, 2026.

What's retiring

Earlier this year OpenAI released a new ChatGPT desktop app that puts Chat, Work and Codex in one window, and renamed the older app ChatGPT Classic. On November 2, Classic users started seeing this banner, quoted by 9to5Mac:

"This app will retire on January 30, 2027. Get the latest features in the new ChatGPT app. Your full chat history comes with you, so you can pick up where you left off."

Until that date, OpenAI's help page says you can keep using Classic, and it still gets model updates, bug fixes and security patches. New agent features may only arrive in the new app. Clicking the banner opens the ChatGPT download page.

What moves to the new app

Your chats. They live in your ChatGPT account, not in the Classic app. Sign in to the new app with the same account and they're there.
Your projects. OpenAI says existing projects appear under Projects.
Where to look. Select ChatGPT from the menu, then Chat from the toggle. Chat and Work chats appear together in Recents, where you can sort, filter and pin them.
Codex stays apart. Codex is a separate view in the same app, and OpenAI says its history remains separate from ChatGPT history.

The new app may install alongside Classic, so you can keep both until you've checked that your chats arrived.

Back up first (optional, but cheap)

Nothing says you'll lose chats, but an export gives you a copy you control. From chatgpt.com or the app:

Open your profile menu and select Settings.
Select Data controls.
Under Export data, select Export, then Confirm export.

OpenAI says the export can take up to 7 days to arrive by email or text, and the download link expires 24 hours after you receive it, so download it when it lands. The ZIP holds your chat history and other account data. Self-service export isn't available in ChatGPT Business, Enterprise or ChatGPT for Healthcare workspaces; ask your workspace owner there. An export can't bring back chats you already deleted.

Find an old chat after switching

Open Search in the sidebar and type a word or phrase from the chat. On the web, Cmd+K on Mac or Ctrl+K on Windows opens it.
OpenAI says an older chat that's gone from the sidebar isn't necessarily deleted. Search for it.
Archived chats are searchable and also listed in Settings under Data controls. Locked chats don't appear in regular search; they're under Projects > Locked chats.
If nothing shows up, check that you're signed in to the right account and workspace. Deleted chats can't be recovered through search.

If you use more than one account, see how to switch ChatGPT accounts and move chats.

Where ConvoShelf fits

ConvoShelf doesn't run inside either desktop app. It's a Chrome extension for chatgpt.com, claude.ai, gemini.google.com and grok.com in desktop Chrome, and it keeps its own copy of chats you open there, in your browser on this computer. We checked the code of version 1.0.3, the version the Chrome Web Store lists, on November 5, 2026.

When you open a ChatGPT chat at chatgpt.com, ConvoShelf saves its text locally, so you can put it in folders, tag it and search it alongside your Claude, Gemini and Grok chats.
That copy has no account and no ConvoShelf server behind it, so it doesn't depend on which ChatGPT app you use.
The free plan exports the open chat as Markdown or PDF. Pro, $4.99 once, adds JSON export and exports of a folder or every saved chat.
It only has chats you've opened in Chrome. It doesn't import OpenAI's export ZIP and doesn't replace it.

To organize what you keep, see how to organize ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini and Grok chats into folders and how to search all your ChatGPT and Claude chats in one place.

Add ConvoShelf to Chrome Free · no account

FAQ

When does ChatGPT Classic stop working?

A banner in the app says it will retire on January 30, 2027, according to 9to5Mac and The Verge. OpenAI's help page says you can keep using Classic until then and that it still gets model updates, bug fixes and security patches.

Will I lose my chats when I switch from ChatGPT Classic?

No. The retirement banner says your full chat history comes with you. Your chats are stored in your ChatGPT account, so they appear in the new app once you sign in with the same account.

Where are my old chats in the new ChatGPT app?

Select ChatGPT from the menu, then Chat. Chat and Work chats appear together in Recents, and your projects appear under Projects. Codex history stays separate from ChatGPT history.

Should I export my ChatGPT data before switching?

It isn't required, since history moves with your account, but an export is a cheap safety copy. Go to Settings, Data controls, Export data. OpenAI says the export can take up to 7 days and the download link expires 24 hours after you receive it.

Can I find a chat that no longer shows in the sidebar?

Usually. OpenAI says an older chat missing from the sidebar isn't necessarily deleted. Open Search from the sidebar (Cmd+K on Mac on the web) and type a word from the chat. Archived chats show up in search too; deleted chats don't.