ChatGPT Not Working? Live Status, Fixes and Troubleshooting

ChatGPT not working right now? Check live ChatGPT status, response times, and a complete troubleshooting guide to fix common ChatGPT issues in minutes.

ChatGPT Not Working? Start Here

If ChatGPT is not responding, the first question is always: is it a ChatGPT problem, or a problem on your end? The live status card above answers that in real time by combining OpenAI’s own status feed with independent server checks.

If the Live Status Shows Operational

When our monitor reports operational but you still can’t use ChatGPT, the issue is almost always client-side. Work through this list in order:

  1. Hard-refresh the page (Cmd+Shift+R on Mac, Ctrl+F5 on Windows).
  2. Clear cookies and site data for chatgpt.com and chat.openai.com.
  3. Try an incognito/private window to rule out browser extensions interfering with requests.
  4. Disable VPN or proxy — OpenAI blocks traffic from some datacenter IP ranges.
  5. Switch networks — try mobile data, or a different Wi-Fi network, to isolate ISP-side issues.
  6. Check DNS — temporarily set DNS to 1.1.1.1 or 8.8.8.8 if your resolver is slow or blocked.
  7. Try a different browser — Chrome, Firefox, Safari, Edge. If one works, the other has corrupted state.
  8. Check your account — log out, clear session cookies, log back in. Account-level issues (billing, region restrictions, suspensions) present identically to outages.

If the Live Status Shows Degraded or Partial

If our monitor confirms the problem, you don’t need to troubleshoot — the issue is on OpenAI’s side. Partial outages typically resolve within 30 to 90 minutes. Degraded performance (slow responses, increased timeouts) often lasts longer, especially during US peak-usage hours (weekday afternoons Eastern Time).

If the Live Status Shows Down

During a major outage, there is nothing you can do except wait or use an alternative. ChatGPT does not have a user-facing status control — recovery depends on OpenAI’s engineers. While you wait, you can:

  • Try Claude (claude.ai), Gemini (gemini.google.com), or DeepSeek as temporary alternatives.
  • Keep this page open — our monitor auto-refreshes every 30 seconds and will flip to operational the moment connectivity returns.
  • Check the official OpenAI status page for incident updates from the engineering team.

Most Common Causes of ChatGPT Problems

  • Browser state — stale cookies, cache, or a corrupted service worker.
  • VPN / proxy blocking — OpenAI blocks many datacenter IP ranges.
  • Rate limiting — heavy usage triggers temporary HTTP 429 responses.
  • Regional restrictions — some countries are geo-blocked entirely.
  • Account issues — expired payment, suspension, or unverified email.
  • Actual OpenAI outage — rare, but happens; always check the live status first.

Recent ChatGPT Outages

Browse the full ChatGPT outage archive →

Frequently Asked Questions

Why is ChatGPT not working for me when the status says operational?

Operational means our monitor and OpenAI both report ChatGPT is running normally. When you still can’t use it, the issue is client-side: browser state, VPN, DNS, ISP, or account-level. Work through the troubleshooting checklist above.

How long do ChatGPT outages usually last?

Most ChatGPT outages resolve within 30 to 90 minutes. Degraded performance (slow responses) can last several hours, especially during peak US hours. Major multi-hour outages are rare but do happen.

Is my VPN the problem?

Often, yes. OpenAI blocks traffic from many commercial VPN and datacenter IP ranges. If ChatGPT loads without your VPN but not with it, that’s your answer.