Technology & Gadgets | July 2026 | 4 min read
OpenAI has temporarily relaxed a key session limit for paid ChatGPT Work and Codex users, allowing longer work sessions while keeping plan-based weekly limits in place.
⚡ Quick Takeaways
- OpenAI has reportedly removed the five-hour usage interval limit for eligible ChatGPT Work and Codex users.
- The temporary change applies to paid Plus, Pro and Business users, according to a July 12 post on X.
- Weekly usage limits still apply, so the change does not make ChatGPT Work or Codex unlimited.
- Usage quotas for ChatGPT Work and Codex were also said to have been reset for users.
- GPT-5.6 Sol efficiency improvements are expected to reduce token consumption for longer agentic tasks.
| 5 hours interval cap removed |
3 plans Plus, Pro and Business |
6M reported active users |
Longer ChatGPT Work and Codex Sessions
OpenAI has temporarily removed the five-hour usage interval limit for ChatGPT Work and Codex users on paid plans, according to a July 12 post on X by company executive Thibault Sottiaux. The change is intended to let users continue longer work sessions without being stopped by the previous interval cap.
The relaxed limit applies to subscribers on Plus, Pro and Business plans. OpenAI has described the change as temporary, but has not publicly given a fixed end date for the relaxation or confirmed when the earlier restriction may return.
The change is important for users running multi-step coding, research, analysis or computer-use tasks because these workflows can stretch beyond a short session. Removing the interval cap reduces interruption risk for longer agentic work.
| Usage Note The five-hour interval cap is relaxed, but plan-based weekly usage limits are still in place. |
Weekly Limits Still Apply
The update does not make ChatGPT Work or Codex fully unlimited. The earlier interval limit was only one part of the usage system. Users can still hit plan-based limits depending on the type, length and intensity of tasks they run.
OpenAI’s help guidance says agentic features such as Codex, ChatGPT Work, ChatGPT for Excel and Workspace Agents can draw from the same agentic usage and credit pool when they are included in a user’s plan. That means heavy use in one tool can affect available usage in another.
Some Plus and Pro users may be able to buy additional credits after reaching their limits, while others may need to upgrade or wait until their allowance resets. The practical result is more session flexibility, not unlimited access.
| Feature or Limit | Reported Change | Status | What Users Should Know |
| 5-hour interval | Temporarily removed | Relaxed | Longer sessions can continue |
| Weekly limits | Still active | Limit remains | Usage is not unlimited |
| Eligible plans | Plus, Pro, Business | Paid users | Applies to selected subscribers |
| Usage quotas | Reportedly reset | Reset | Fresh allowance for active users |
| Agentic pool | Shared across tools | Important | Work and Codex can draw from same pool |
| Extra credits | Available for some users | Conditional | Depends on plan and account |
Usage Quotas Were Also Reset
Sottiaux also said usage quotas for ChatGPT Work and Codex had been reset. He added that active users of the services had reached 6 million, though OpenAI has not published a separate official blog post with fuller details about the reset.
For power users, the reset may matter almost as much as the interval change. Agentic tasks can consume usage quickly because they may involve planning, tool calls, file inspection, code edits, browser or computer actions and repeated verification steps.
| User Reminder Longer sessions may feel more open, but users should still monitor weekly usage and credit consumption. |
GPT-5.6 Sol Gets Efficiency Improvements
OpenAI is also rolling out efficiency improvements for GPT-5.6 Sol, its high-performance model for coding, knowledge work, research, computer use, cybersecurity, science and design. The improvements are intended to reduce token consumption within the same usage allocation.
The GPT-5.6 system card says GPT-5.6 Sol showed better token efficiency than GPT-5.5 in certain tool-assisted vulnerability research tasks, including identifying useful leads and avoiding less promising paths. Sottiaux said more detailed figures on the efficiency gains would be shared later.
| Efficiency Signal Lower token use could help users complete larger agentic workloads before reaching weekly limits. |
Disclaimer: This article is based on the reported July 12 X post and available OpenAI usage guidance as of July 2026. The five-hour interval relaxation is described as temporary, and OpenAI may revise limits, credits or model access rules later.
