ChatGPT desktop redesign rolls out with split sidebar, polarizing users

Around September 26, OpenAI shipped a major ChatGPT desktop (including macOS) redesign: a new sidebar separate from chat history, a visual overhaul, entry points pulled out of the conversation list, plus user-discovered bookmarks and a Maps tab. Reception is sharply split.

Confirmed

Per @testingcatalog and user reports, the desktop app gained an independent sidebar with a redesigned UI and clearer hierarchy; TechCrunch's Vicci shared screenshots calling it clean (via @Dimillian).
shadcn (of shadcn/ui) called the new version a beautiful app, said the interface is sliding toward a Slack-like layout he had predicted, credited @edbayes's team, and spotted a bookmarks feature.
@haider1 called it the best visual direction recently, seeing OpenAI unify chat, work, Codex and files into one coherent product, while noting long-conversation navigation, sidebar consistency and file/project management still need work.

User complaints

@Maleficent-Season713 listed regressions: middle-click no longer opens new tabs, icons shuffled into a three-dot menu, temporary chats can't be saved as permanent, long chats freeze, the version-back arrow is gone, and heavy animations disrupt workflows.
@Jimmythebeasto1 complained of two sidebars plus a top bar eating screen space, calling it the worst UI he has seen and asking for a revert.
@EcstaticMammoth421 said the macOS layout is worse on laptops: the old floating chat list let the workspace go full width, while the new persistent sidebar and shifting content feel cramped on small screens.

Why it matters

The redesign signals OpenAI pushing ChatGPT toward a full work platform integrating chat, Codex, files and Maps. But the flood of complaints about lost features and degraded small-screen UX shows the desktop client still has to balance consolidation with existing user habits.

2026-09-25 ~ 2026-09-27 · 7 related posts

Primary sources

ChatGPT desktop app gets redesigned UI with new sidebar separated from chat history — testingcatalog · 2026-09-26 06:00 (UTC+08:00)
shadcn praises ChatGPT redesign: sidebar win, UI drifting toward Slack-style layout — shadcn · 2026-09-26 16:30 (UTC+08:00)
ChatGPT's new update breaks features: middle-click, temp chats, navigation — Maleficent-Season713 · 2026-09-25 18:06 (UTC+08:00)

[source] ChatGPT's new update breaks features: middle-click, temp chats, navigation — Maleficent-Season713 · 2026-09-25
New ChatGPT/Codex for Mac sidebar spotted: cleaner desktop UI — Dimillian · 2026-09-26
[source] ChatGPT desktop app gets redesigned UI with new sidebar separated from chat history — testingcatalog · 2026-09-26
New ChatGPT UI praised as best visual direction, merging chat, Codex and files — haider1 · 2026-09-26
[source] shadcn praises ChatGPT redesign: sidebar win, UI drifting toward Slack-style layout — shadcn · 2026-09-26
ChatGPT's new MacOS layout draws flak for crowding out laptop screens — Ecstatic_Mammoth_421 · 2026-09-26
Users slam ChatGPT's new dual-sidebar design as worst UI in ages — Jimmythebeasto1 · 2026-09-27