ChatGPT Work isn't showing up
Five causes account for nearly every report, and they have a natural order. Work through them top to bottom — the expensive mistake is filing a support ticket for something that is simply not enabled for your role yet.
VERIFIED 2026-08-23 · OPENAI HELP CENTERFind your symptom
1. Your plan doesn't include it
This is the answer most of the time. Work is available on ChatGPT web and mobile for eligible paid plans. In the desktop app it is available when included for your plan and workspace — also a condition, not a free pass.
Ignore the July write-ups. A wave of coverage claimed free users could get Work by installing the desktop app. The Help Center does not say that, and it is the single most common reason people think their install is broken.
2. Staged rollout hasn't reached you
- Update the ChatGPT desktop app to the current version.
- Quit it fully and relaunch — not just close the window.
- Check the top-left menu for ChatGPT, then the Chat / Work toggle at the top of the page.
If it is still absent and your plan qualifies, move to the next cause rather than reinstalling.
3. Your workspace role doesn't have it
In a managed workspace, Work is enabled by default for the default role — but an owner or admin can turn it off, and role-based access controls still govern each member. Two people on the same plan can legitimately differ.
Ask an admin to check Workspace settings → Permissions & roles. Have them confirm which of these is on for your role, because they are separate switches:
| Permission | If it's off you lose |
|---|---|
| Work Cloud | Starting or viewing cloud tasks on web, mobile and desktop |
| Work Local | Working locally in the desktop app |
| Codex Local | Codex — controlled separately, unaffected by the Work switches |
| Browser use & network | Whatever those separate controls gate |
When a product is off for your role you should see it marked unavailable with an option to request access. If you see nothing at all, you are more likely in cause 1 or 2.
4. Cloud is on, local hasn't caught up
A specific, documented case: Work runs on web or mobile but the desktop app cannot reach local files. OpenAI's guidance is explicit — cloud and local access may update at different times.
Do this before opening a ticket. First ask an admin to confirm the Work permission on your role. If the permission is already enabled, allow time for the local-permission backfill to complete. Only then contact Support.
5. Codex isn't missing — it moved
Codex is a separate view in the desktop app, reached from the top-left menu, with its own history. It is not selectable on web or mobile. The mobile app's Remote tab can reach supported desktop Codex chats, and those chats do not become part of your mobile history.
Still nothing
If your plan qualifies, the app is current, an admin has confirmed Work Cloud on your role, and you have given the backfill time, that is the point where Support has something to act on. Bring the plan name, the surface (web / mobile / desktop), and the role permission state — those three facts resolve most tickets immediately.
Common questions
I'm on the free plan. Will Work ever appear?
Not on web or mobile — those require an eligible paid plan. Desktop access is conditioned on your plan and workspace too, so a free account should not expect Work to appear there either.
Web Work works but the desktop app cannot open my folder. Is that a bug?
Usually not. OpenAI states that cloud and local access can update at different times. If your admin has enabled the permission, allow time for the local-permission backfill to complete before contacting Support.
My colleague has Work and I do not. Same company, same plan.
Access is per role, not per plan. Workspace owners and admins set Work Cloud and Work Local separately on each role, so two people on one plan can legitimately differ.
Codex disappeared from my phone.
It was never selectable on mobile. You can reach supported desktop Codex chats from the Remote tab, but they do not join your mobile chat history.