- ChatGPT’s model selector has been moved directly into the prompt box
- Instant is faster, while Thinking is better for complex tasks
- Pro gives subscribers ChatGPT’s most powerful option for tougher workflows
OpenAI has just quietly updated the ChatGPT interface for all users on Plus, Pro, and Business plans in a subtle way that makes it much easier to choose which version of its model you want to use — either Instant, for quick results, or Thinking, for a more considered response. But those aren’t your only choices, and there’s a hidden setting that we’ll explain.
Previously, these options were tucked away in an obscure ‘ChatGPT’ menu at the top of the screen that, frankly, not many people knew about. Now they’re right where you write your prompt, and you can bet people will use the different options a lot more.
The new menu leads to a choice between Instant, Thinking and Configure. Here’s what you might not realize – the Instant option actually uses GPT-5.3, not the latest GPT-5.5. To use it, select Thinking.
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If you choose Configure, you can specify exactly which model version you want to use, from older GPT models going back to 5.4, 5.2 and o3.
When to use Thinking and Instant
ChatGPT-5.5 Thinking is better for difficult tasks. It does a better job of keeping track of what it has already done. The way it delivers its results is also different. It can sometimes show a short preamble before it starts to reason. You can even add instructions while it ‘thinks out loud’ to adjust the final direction. You’ll also get a much more streamlined output, with cleaner formatting and less unnecessary header text, even if it takes a long time to get your answer.
In contrast, ChatGPT-5.3 Instant is much better at delivering quick results. This can matter if you’re anything like me, because if I have to wait more than 10 seconds for something on the internet, I get distracted and start looking at something else, and before I know it, I’ve forgotten what I was actually doing in the first place.
So if I had time and I wanted a more complete answer to a complex question like, “Given the current market situation, how long do you think RAM prices will remain high?”, I would use Thinking. If I wanted to know something simple, such as “What is the average airspeed of a jumbo jet?”, I would use Instant.
In the Configure menu, you will also notice that there is an option for ChatGPT to automatically select which version of the model to use for you based on the complexity of your question.
The auto-select switch is on by default, but there is also the ethical element to consider. Instant uses less processing power in an AI data center and therefore less water used for cooling. It’s a bit like running your dishwasher with Eco mode. While it’s probably best for the planet not to have a dishwasher at all, at least running it in Eco mode uses fewer natural resources.
The hidden setting that affects think time
You might think there’s not much to the model version selector, but there’s a hidden setting worth knowing about.
If you move your cursor up to Thinking in the menu and then hover over the option, you’ll notice that you’ll be given a choice between Standard and Extended. This refers to the time ChatGPT will spend thinking about your question or prompt.
So if you want to extract the maximum amount of ChatGPT’s processing power, select Advanced here:
The last option in the Configure menu is Pro. This is the highest capacity GPT-5.5 option that ChatGPT currently offers. It’s for the most difficult tasks and long-running workflows, and it’s only available to Pro subscribers.
Like Gemini
Of course, if you’re a ChatGPT user on a Free or Go plan, nothing will have changed in your web interface – you’ll still have the old ‘ChatGPT’ menu visible at the top of the screen. The interface in the app version of ChatGPT also remains unchanged. It is unclear if this change will eventually roll out to the interface on these different plans and platforms in the future.
It has not escaped my attention that the new look ChatGPT has gone for is exactly the way Gemini does it. It’s interesting to see OpenAI changing part of its interface to be more like Gemini.
Now that a model selection selector has appeared in the exact same place in ChatGPT, instead of being hidden in an obscure location, you can bet that it will be used a lot more and that will lead to better responses for everyone.
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