ChatGPT desktop redesign sparks divided reactions

Around September 26, OpenAI rolled out a major interface redesign of ChatGPT desktop (including the macOS client): a new standalone sidebar separated from chat history, an overall visual overhaul, feature entries split out from the conversation list, and some users spotted a bookmarks feature and a maps tab. Reactions are sharply polarized.

Confirmed

As revealed by @testingcatalog and verified by multiple users, the ChatGPT desktop app added a standalone sidebar with a fully redesigned UI and clearer visual hierarchy; TechCrunch writer Vicci reshared screenshots saying the new sidebar "looks clean" (relayed by @Dimillian).
shadcn (author of shadcn/ui) publicly praised the new version as a "beautiful app," saying the interface is sliding toward a Slack-style layout (which he had predicted) and shoutout to the @edbayes team; he also discovered the bookmarks feature.
@haider1 called it the best visual direction lately, with OpenAI clearly consolidating chat, work, Codex, and files into one coherent product, while noting that long-conversation navigation, sidebar consistency, and file/project management still need work.

User complaints

@Maleficent-Season713 listed multiple regressions: middle-click no longer opens in a new tab, icons shuffled around and buried in a three-dot menu, temporary chats can't be saved as permanent, long conversations freeze, version rollback arrows are gone, and excessive animations disrupt workflows.
@Jimmythebeasto1 complained there are now two sidebars at once (one for chat history, another holding just 6 buttons) plus a top bar, drastically squeezing usable screen space—calling it the worst UI design he's seen in a long time and hoping for a quick revert.
@EcstaticMammoth421 reported the new macOS layout is harder to use on laptops: the old version let the main workspace stretch full-width with the chat list only appearing on hover; the new persistent sidebar plus opening the conversation list shifts all content, feeling cramped on small screens.

Why it matters

The redesign shows OpenAI pushing ChatGPT from a pure chat tool toward a full work platform integrating chat, Codex, files, maps, and more, with a layout converging on Slack-style collaboration tools. But the dense feedback on lost features and degraded small-screen experiences shows the desktop client still needs to balance product consolidation with existing user habits—future iterations are worth watching closely.

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