ChatGPT brings unlimited text chats to free users

OpenAI has announced a significant expansion for its platform, confirming that all users—including those on the Free and Go tiers—will now enjoy unlimited access to text-based conversations. This milestone arrives as the service celebrates a massive surge in popularity, having recently surpassed the 1 billion weekly active users threshold.

The Arrival of GPT-5.6 Luna

Powering this expanded experience is the new GPT-5.6 Luna model. This iteration will serve as the default engine for Free and Go subscribers, effectively succeeding the previous GPT-5.5 version.

To assist with more intricate tasks, OpenAI is introducing a dedicated “Think” button. This feature allows users to toggle higher reasoning capabilities when tackling complex queries. It is important to note, however, that specific usage caps will remain in place for other modalities, including file uploads, image generation, voice interactions, and image analysis.

Upgrades for Plus and Pro Subscribers

The update also brings substantial improvements for premium users. Those on Plus and Pro plans are gaining access to an enhanced version of the GPT-5.6 Sol model. Designed for efficiency, this model excels at rapid tasks such as web research, planning, decision-making, and creative writing, providing responses that are notably more robust and concise.

"Compared to GPT-5.5-Instant, internal evaluations show that factual errors were 62% less common for GPT-5.6 Luna and 68% less common for GPT-5.6 Sol."

Key Features for Premium Users:

• Thinking Slider: A new control mechanism that allows users to calibrate the depth of the model's reasoning process based on the complexity of the request.
• Optimized Performance: A specialized version of GPT-5.6 Sol tailored for high-speed, high-accuracy output.

Rollout Schedule

The updated GPT-5.6 Sol model is available to Plus and Pro members starting today. For Free and Go users, the transition begins this week, with the rollout of unlimited text messaging and the new "Think" functionality expected to reach all accounts by next week. These updates reflect OpenAI's ongoing commitment to balancing high-level reasoning with broader accessibility across its global user base.