OpenAI splits ChatGPT desktop into Chat and Work modes

OpenAI split ChatGPT's desktop app into separate Chat and Work views on July 18, per its release notes. The redesign rolled out to every plan on macOS and Windows.

Work conversations now sync to the cloud across every client and come with native Projects support. Employees used to draw that boundary themselves, based on how they used a Projects folder. Now admins get a cleaner line for what counts as company data versus a personal chat.

The redesign also unifies Recents into one list spanning both modes. No more digging through two separate histories to find a work thread.

The release notes don't say whether existing conversations sort into Chat or Work automatically. They also don't say if admins can force employees onto Work mode on managed installs.

A compliance boundary shipped as a redesign

OpenAI packaged a compliance boundary as a design update. It'll matter more to whoever manages a company's ChatGPT seats than to someone chatting on their own account.