OpenAI told ChatGPT subscribers in an email on November 2, 2026, that ChatGPT and Codex will draw from one shared usage allowance. The same email said OpenAI will fold the Work tab into regular chat, starting with select users.
At a Glance
- OpenAI plans to merge the Chat and Work tabs in ChatGPT, with select users testing it before a wide rollout.
- Plus, Pro and Business plans will share one token allowance across ChatGPT and Codex starting in December.
- The $200 ChatGPT Pro tier goes into the shared pool with usage limits OpenAI doubled on October 29.
- Codex will stay a separate experience inside the ChatGPT desktop app after the Chat and Work merge.
The email, as first reported by TechCrunch, says the combined experience will reach a small set of users for feedback first. A broader release comes after that, though OpenAI gave no timing.
The ChatGPT desktop app currently has separate ChatGPT and Codex sections, and the ChatGPT side splits again into Chat and Work tabs. With that many places to work, it’s easy to forget where a project actually sits.
Work features move into the main chat
OpenAI pitches the merge as one conversation that runs from a first question to finished output. “This will enable you to move from exploring an idea to having ChatGPT carry it through, all in one place,” the company wrote.
The email says users can bring in files and plugins and ask ChatGPT to build a website or a presentation. ChatGPT can also carry out tasks on the web while the user reviews and guides its work.
Codex sits outside all of this. OpenAI said it will remain a separate experience in the ChatGPT desktop app, so developers keep their own workspace.
The company hasn’t said how many people are in the first group or when everyone else gets the merged view. Until then, the two-tab layout stays in place for most subscribers.
Anthropic made a similar call in September, when it merged Claude’s chat and Cowork functions into one screen. Both companies now want agent tools inside the conversation itself, which fits OpenAI’s broader push toward a ChatGPT superapp built around agents and Codex.
One token budget for ChatGPT and Codex
The usage change has a firm date, unlike the merged interface. OpenAI’s Help Center page on usage limits says Plus, Pro and Business plans will move to a single token allowance in December. That allowance covers both ChatGPT and Codex.
- How much a request uses depends on the model and the task, and advanced models and complex jobs cost more.
- Instant chat doesn’t draw from the allowance, and the email describes it as unlimited on paid plans.
- Combined remaining usage and reset times will appear under Settings, then Usage.
- Subscribers who hit the limit can wait for the reset, upgrade their plan or buy credits for eligible features.
OpenAI expects most users won’t need to wait for resets more often than they do now. It also concedes that, depending on usage and model, some people may hit resets more frequently.
Heavy Codex users are the obvious group at risk. A long coding session and an agent task in ChatGPT will now spend from the same budget. A busy day in one leaves less room for the other.
Pro subscribers at least start with more headroom than they had a week ago. Beyond doubling Pro limits, OpenAI also canceled a planned cut to that tier before pooling begins.
What’s Next?
OpenAI’s material still leaves two numbers out. It hasn’t published the token allowance for each plan, or the rate at which each model draws that allowance down.
Daily Codex users should open the Usage screen once the shared allowance goes live and compare it against a normal week of work. That screen will show quickly whether OpenAI’s expectation about most users holds up for heavy coders.
