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OpenAI Updates ChatGPT With Controls to Adjust GPT 5 Thinking Duration

OpenAI Updates ChatGPT With Controls to Adjust GPT-5 Thinking Duration

The new feature is available to the ChatGPT Plus, Pro, and Business users.

Written by Akash Dutta, Edited by Ketan Pratap | Updated: 18 September 2025 13:15 IST

OpenAI Updates ChatGPT With Controls to Adjust GPT-5 Thinking Duration

Photo Credit: Unsplash/Levart_Photographer

The GPT-5 with Thinking toggle will only be available on ChatGPT’s website view

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Highlights

Whenever users select GPT-5 Thinking, a new timer toggle will appear
The four options in the toggle are Light, Standard, Extended, and Heavy
ChatGPT Plus and Business users have access to Standard and Extended

OpenAI is fixing a frustrating issue for many ChatGPT users with a new update. Ever since the release of GPT-5 and its advanced reasoning-focused counterpart GPT-5 Thinking, many users have complained that the chatbot takes an unusually long time to answer simple queries. So far, users had to rely on the auto-switcher, which dictated when the artificial intelligence (AI) chatbot would switch to reasoning mode and when it would answer queries instantly. With this update, users will now have more control over the time ChatGPT takes to think before responding.

ChatGPT Gets a Thinking Duration Control

In a post on X (formerly known as Twitter), the official handle of OpenAI announced the new feature on Wednesday. The company highlighted that the update was being added after multiple users provided feedback over the lack of control on how long ChatGPT thinks before it responds.

We've heard your feedback that GPT-5 Thinking can sometimes take longer than you'd like. Now Plus, Pro, and Business users can set the pace to match the moment.

Select GPT-5 with Thinking in ChatGPT on web to toggle thinking time in the message composer.

- Plus, Pro, Business… pic.twitter.com/esiks4jy8k
— OpenAI (@OpenAI) September 17, 2025

OpenAI is solving this problem by adding a new toggle for GPT-5 Thinking. Whenever users switch to that model, a new option will appear underneath the prompt bar dubbed Thinking. It comes with four options, Light, Standard, Extended, and Heavy, with the first one generating responses the quickest and the last one taking the longest time.

However, there are some caveats with the feature. Currently, it is not available to users on the free tier or on the ChatGPT Go subscription tier since they do not have access to the GPT-5 Thinking model. The Plus and Business users have access to Standard and Extended modes, and only Pro has access to Light and Heavy, along with the other two. Also, the feature is currently only available on the website, not on the desktop or mobile apps.

Lately, OpenAI has been trying to fix issues with its chatbot. Earlier this week, the company CEO, Sam Altman, announced that the personalisation page of ChatGPT was being updated to bring all the different settings within the same interface. The new page shows options for personality configuration, custom instructions, and memories. It should be available globally by the end of the week.

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Further reading: OpenAI, ChatGPT, GPT 5, AI, Artificial Intelligence, ChatGPT Features, Chatbots

Akash Dutta Email Akash Dutta

Akash Dutta is a Chief Sub Editor at Gadgets 360. He is particularly interested in the social impact of technological developments and loves reading about emerging fields such as AI, metaverse, and fediverse. In his free time, he can be seen supporting his favourite football club - Chelsea, watching movies and anime, and sharing passionate opinions on food. More