Why ChatGPT is not working

Open status.openai.com and read the ChatGPT and login components. If they are red, wait. Refreshing does not clear an incident. “OpenAI down” and “why isn’t ChatGPT working” are the same check.

If the status page is green

• Update the iOS or Android app, then force-quit it. A build from last month often throws a blank error after a model cutover.
• Try chatgpt.com in a private window. Extensions that rewrite the page are a common local break.
• Sign out and sign in again on the account that holds Plus. A workspace login and a personal login are different inboxes.
• Read the error text. A usage limit is not an outage. The reset time is on the plan screen, and Codex has its own meter at Codex usage.
• Teen-safety or workspace policies can refuse a prompt without taking the site down. That is a rule, not downtime.

Errors the help center already lists

OpenAI’s troubleshooting article covers the messages the app shows when a request fails. Start at Troubleshooting ChatGPT error messages. If the product is up and the account is the problem, use ChatGPT customer service while you are signed in. This site cannot see your chat or your bill.

Codex, the API, and Sora have separate status rows. ChatGPT being up does not mean the API is up.