I ran a controlled cross-client comparison of the Edit experience for previously-sent user messages in ChatGPT Regular Chat. In my tested/captured states, the useful Edit capabilities are fragmented across Web/Chrome, Android, and the native Windows Desktop app.
Environment / test window:
- ChatGPT Plus
- Test dates: 23–24 Aug 2026
- Time zone: IST / UTC+05:30
- Web: ChatGPT Web in Chrome 151.0.7922.174 (64-bit)
- Windows: Windows 11 Version 25H2, OS Build 26200.8875
- Windows Desktop app: 26.818.41509
- Android: Nothing Phone (2), Android 16, Nothing OS 4.1
- ChatGPT Android app: 1.2026.230 (31)
What I reproduced
- Web / Chrome
- Editing a previously-sent user message works.
- Edited user messages expose visible branch/history navigation such as 1/2 and 2/2.
- In the captured Edit composer for a message with an existing synthetic attachment, the attachment remains visible, but no Android-equivalent visible X/remove or +/add/replace controls are exposed.
- Android
- Editing a previously-sent Regular Chat user message works.
- The Edit composer visibly exposes X/remove for the existing attachment and +/add for adding a replacement.
- In the controlled test, I removed synthetic File A, attached synthetic File B, submitted the edit, and File B later appeared on Web.
- However, equivalent Web-style branch/history navigation (for example 1/2, 2/2) is not exposed in the captured Android states.
- Windows Desktop Regular Chat
- Editing previously-sent text works and can be repeated.
- In the captured repeated-edit states, Web-style numeric branch/history navigation is not exposed.
- In the captured attachment Edit composer, the existing attachment remains visible, but Android-style X/remove and +/add controls are not exposed.
Plain-text control
I separately reproduced the branch-navigation difference using plain text only, so that result is not dependent on attachment replacement.
Observed capability split
- Web / Chrome: strongest visible branch/history navigation.
- Android: strongest visible attachment management during Edit.
- Windows Desktop: text Edit works, but neither of those stronger controls is exposed in the captured states.
Expected / requested behavior
PARITY UPWARD, NEVER DOWNWARD.
Please preserve the stronger capabilities already available on individual clients and bring weaker surfaces upward rather than removing useful behavior for consistency.
A coherent Regular Chat Edit model should ideally allow users to:
- edit previously-sent text;
- remove an incorrect attachment;
- add/replace the correct attachment;
- preserve earlier versions/branches;
- navigate prior branches consistently across supported clients.
Important evidence boundary
This is a product-quality / UI-parity report.
I am NOT claiming:
- server-side branch deletion;
- backend branch destruction;
- data loss;
- a security vulnerability;
- cross-account leakage;
- universal behavior for every account/build;
- or that a non-visible control is technically impossible through every route.
“Not exposed” means only that the control was not visible in the captured/tested UI state.
I have provided the detailed screenshot/evidence package privately to OpenAI Support. I am intentionally keeping this Community post text-only and sanitized.
Question for others
If you use multiple ChatGPT clients, do you currently see the same split — Web branch/history controls, Android attachment-management controls, and a narrower Edit UI on Windows Desktop — or does your current build expose a different combination?
NON-REGRESSION REQUEST:
Please preserve Android attachment remove/add/replace and Web branch/history navigation while bringing the other clients to parity.