ChatGPT Introduces Simplified Mobile UI, Location Sharing, and Enhanced Codex Features

March 26, 2026 Updates for ChatGPT

OpenAI has rolled out a series of updates to ChatGPT that enhance the mobile user experience, introduce location sharing capabilities, and improve the functionality of Codex. These changes aim to make interactions more intuitive and relevant, especially for mobile users and developers.

Simplified Sidebar on Mobile

To provide a better viewing experience for critical chats and projects, the sidebar menu has been simplified on both iOS and Android devices. This change aims to maximize screen real estate by organizing ChatGPT experiences (like Images, Codex, Pulse, and Apps) into a horizontal bar above your chats and projects.

• Horizontal Bar Layout: The new layout groups features in a compact, accessible manner.
• Plan-Based Availability: Features are displayed based on your subscription plan and usage history.

Location Sharing

Users can now opt to share their device location with ChatGPT to receive more relevant information. This feature is optional and disabled by default. You can manage location sharing settings in the app’s Data Controls section at any time.

• Optional and Controllable: Users have granular control over location sharing, including the ability to enable or disable it.
• Precise vs. Approximate Location: Enabling precise location allows ChatGPT to use your exact address for more tailored results (e.g., local recommendations). You can toggle this feature independently of general location sharing on mobile devices.
• Data Privacy: ChatGPT deletes precise location data after using it to provide a relevant response. Any location-based information included in the chat remains part of the conversation history unless deleted.

For parents who have set up parental controls, there’s an option to disable device location sharing for their teens.

This update is rolling out to all consumer plans on iOS and web today, with Android support coming soon.

Plugins in Codex

Codex now features a curated plugins directory that simplifies the discovery, installation, and use of packaged workflows. These plugins are installable bundles designed to streamline reusable Codex setups across projects or teams.

• Curated Directory: A collection of pre-built workflows from various apps and skills.
• Installable Bundles: Each plugin can include skills, optional app integrations, and MCP server configurations in a single package.
• Enhanced Collaboration: Makes it easier to share consistent setups among team members.

For more information on using plugins with Codex, refer to the developer documentation.

March 25, 2026 Updates for ChatGPT Plus, Pro, and Business Users

Handling Large Pastes as Attachments

To improve the user experience when dealing with large text inputs, long pastes (over 5k characters) are now automatically converted into attachments for ChatGPT Plus, Pro, and Business users. This change helps maintain a clean composer interface and prevents large pastes from overwhelming the context window.

• Attachment Conversion: Content over 5k characters is automatically turned into an attachment.
• Flexibility: Users can convert the attachment back to text by clicking "Show in text field."

These updates are designed to enhance the usability and relevance of ChatGPT, particularly for mobile users and developers. By simplifying the interface, adding location-based functionality, and improving Codex’s plugin system, OpenAI continues to refine its AI chatbot platform.