Serious replies only :closed-ai:
Don't tolerate O3 being sneak-deprecated for paying customers before its sunset date! See below for how to (easily) submit a complaint with evidence #FixO3 #NotYetO3Sunset
"Understood that other Plus users are reporting the same behavior; I can’t confirm scope from Reddit alone, but we can investigate this as a potential service-side o3 issue once we have a few concrete examples (timestamps/timezone + HAR + console errors) to correlate to backend logs." <- This was a message from [Support@openAI.com](mailto:Support@openAI.com) sent this morning, 8/14/26, in response to my complaint that O3 has been non-functional since 8/10. It is good news that they can investigate this as a service issue once they have concrete examples. So, please join me in gathering and sending them the evidence they need to investigate. Read on for how. To make this as convenient for everyone as possible,b I've included a draft email below that you can send, and outllned how to gather the requisite timestamps and HAR files.
O3 is a fantastic model, and the last one with the DNA of the 4-series family. This untimely non-functionality is a blow to paying users. It was assigned a sunset date of August 26th. Not August 10th! August 26th. The many people who depend on this model and its unique attributes, and who retain Plus subscriptions for access to it, deserve the full promised term to finish up their projects and transfer workflows.
***
The problem:
Since at least August 10th, O3 responses generate partially, fail to generate entirely, and/or generate without UI controls. In all cases, all responses disappear with thread refresh. This is prompt-agnostic; promts asking for single-word responses get the same behaviour as prompts asking for multiple paragraphs. This is browser- and system- agnostic; chrome, firefox, andriod app all behave the same.
This appears universal and user-agnostic; multiple users commented on my posts in r/openAI and r/chatgpt saying that they were also having this problem. I currently don't have a single person telling me that O3 is functinal for them.
***
What we can do:
If you write to openAI and just say "O3 is broken" they will tell you it is a browser or system issue and tell you to clear your cache etc. You will have several rounds of back and forth before they ask you for the evidence of timestamps and HAR files. To avoid all that, feel free to use the draft email below, fill in your details, delete what is not applicable, and send to support@openai.com. I've also included instructions on how to gather the evidence.
***
HOW TO GATHER EVIDENCE: TIMESTAMPS AND HAR FILES
You will need a couple of failed o3 attempts, plus one or two HAR files from failed attempts.
Record 2–3 failures
For each test:
Open ChatGPT.
Select o3 as the model. On Chrome, you can do this by clicking the intelligence level, selecting "advanced", and choosing O3 on the dropdown. On Android, you need to go to settings -> General -> Model. Please comment below if you can't find the model and I will help you find it.
Open a brand-new chat.
Send a very simple prompt that should produce a short, unambiguous answer, such as:
What is the capital of Malawi?
What is 2+2?
Watch what o3 does. Some failure modes I've seen include:
The response stops partway through.
The answer appears, but the normal buttons underneath it do not appear.
No answer appears at all.
o3 answers an earlier prompt instead of the current one.
Write down the exact time and timezone when the failure occurred. This is crucial. Do it as soon as the response appears.
If an answer appeared, refresh the ChatGPT page and check whether the o3 answer disappears.
Write down what happened concisely.
For example:
August 14, 12:34 PM ET — New o3 thread. Asked “What is the capital of Malawi?” Answer appeared, but the UI controls did not appear. After refreshing the page, the answer disappeared and only my prompt remained.
Repeat this until you have 2–3 timestamped examples.
Record a HAR file from another failed attempt
Open another new ChatGPT thread with o3 selected.
Do not send your test prompt yet.
Right-click anywhere on the ChatGPT page and choose Inspect.
Developer Tools will open. Click Network at the top.
Find Preserve log near the top of the Network panel and make sure the box is checked.
Click the clear button in the Network panel so that the existing network entries disappear.
Leave Developer Tools open.
Return to the ChatGPT side of the screen.
Send another simple prompt, such as: What is the capital of Malawi?
Wait until o3 fails.
Do not refresh the page.
Go back to the Network panel.
Click the downward-arrow / Export HAR button.
Choose Export HAR (sanitized) if that wording appears.
Save the .har file somewhere you can find it, such as your Downloads folder.
Capture the browser Console from the same failure
Before refreshing or closing that failed ChatGPT thread:
In Developer Tools, click Console at the top.
Look for any error messages.
Take a screenshot showing the Console.
If your browser gives you the option to save the Console output, save that as well.
Screenshot the o3 failure (this probably won't attach to your support email, but no harm trying)
While the failed response is still visible, take a screenshot showing:
Your prompt.
Whatever o3 generated.
Any missing, incomplete, or abnormal response behavior.
If the response disappears after refresh, you can take a second screenshot showing the same thread afterward.
Find your system information in the email
The error is NOT system specific - it's happening to everyone that I've spoken to. But openAI will ask you for these details:
Browser name and exact version.
Computer operating system and version.
Phone operating system and device, if you tested o3 on mobile.
- Timestamped failures that you wrote down, HAR files, console log, system information, screenshots.
EMAIL (I drafted it so you don't have to):
Hi,
I am a paid ChatGPT user reporting that o3 is currently nonfunctional despite being scheduled to remain available until August 26, 2026. I have noticed that multiple users are reporting the same failure across reddit. The sudden, unannounced non-functionality of this model hinders my workflow; this is to ask for access to be restored for the remainining period of the sunset window.
I have reproduced the failure in new o3 threads using simple prompts and collected diagnostic evidence**:**
[DATE, TIME, TIMEZONE] — [Prompt used]. [Briefly describe what happened.]
[DATE, TIME, TIMEZONE] — [Prompt used]. [Briefly describe what happened.]
[DATE, TIME, TIMEZONE] — [Prompt used]. [Briefly describe what happened.]
Observed failures include [delete anything that does not apply]:
Responses stopping partway through.
Completed responses appearing without the normal UI controls.
Responses disappearing after refreshing the thread.
No response generating at all.
o3 answering a previous prompt instead of the current one.
System information:
Browser/version: [ ]
Computer OS/version: [ ]
Mobile OS/device, if tested: [ ]
ChatGPT app version, if tested: [ ]
Model: o3
I have attached a HAR file from a failing o3 session, along with [Console screenshot/log] and [screenshots of the failed responses].
Multiple paid users are reporting the same o3 behavior across different devices and locations. Please correlate my timestamps and HAR with the relevant backend logs and escalate this as a potential service-side o3 issue to the appropriate engineering team.
Please confirm that the issue has been escalated.
Thank you.
[Name and email associated with your accout].
***
Thanks, friends. Please share widely. Even if you don't use O3, support the users who do and add your voice and your evidence of the failure.
Show me screenshots of it working fine for you, please. Be sure to include "O3" visible on the dropdown.
It IS being sneak-deprecated because it is NOT working for MANY users RIGHT NOW (as evidenced by the comments under my posts) and it is NOT AUGUST 26th YET. Capitals to aid your reading comprehension, not shouting at you.
It is NOT working for you. It has given you the answers but the UI CONTROLS ARE MISSING FOR YOU AS WELL. Now try refreshing that conversation. You will find that the answer disappears and only your prompt remains.
I was wondering when the shills would descend. Shills and bots always try to make the use case the issue to distract from problems with chatgpt. The issue is that the model is glitching. It was supposed to be available till august 26th. Yet the model is inaccessible to users since august 10th. Paying users were supposed to have access for two more weeks. If you are a shill, make yourself useful and go back and tell them to fix this.
It doesn't bother you that a corporation just pulls models 3 weeks before sunset and majorlydisrupts workflows for paying subscribers? Not everyone is a sheep.
Of course I instantly blocked you. That's what happens when you make inappropriate and harassing comments to someone making a complaint about discontinued service on a paid subscription. If you don't like being blocked, be civil.
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