Loss of GPT‑3.5 & Image Upload Access – Impact on Real Daily Users

(mm let me first say I’m sorry if I posted to the wrong group if I did please let me know and I will try to find the right one thank you)

Hi OpenAI team and fellow users,

I’m a ChatGPT Plus subscriber who uses this platform every single day—not just for fun, but as a crucial tool for planning, communication, and support. With the recent changes (removal of GPT‑3.5, new o3/o4 models, image uploads disappearing when GPT‑4o is capped), I’ve found myself really frustrated—and honestly, a little left behind.

Before, when GPT‑4 was unavailable, I could switch to GPT‑3.5 and still upload images. Now I lose access to core features entirely, even while paying. There’s no fallback, no explanation, and no transparency about caps or resets.

For context, I use ChatGPT to:

Plan and manage my schedule

Stay focused (I have ADHD)

Understand social/romantic cues

Write clear, professional emails

Feel supported when I don’t have people to lean on

This tool has helped me:

File an HR complaint during a hostile workplace situation

Advocate for a promotion

Regulate my thoughts and emotions when overwhelmed

But now, even basic functionality is locked behind a $200/month paywall? That’s more than my car insurance. I’m not a company. I’m a regular person trying to survive a rough economy.

I’m not asking for everything—I’m just asking OpenAI to:

Bring back a working fallback model (like GPT‑3.5) that allows image upload

Be transparent about model caps and reset times

Offer plans that support daily users, not just enterprise clients

I love this product. I’m genuinely grateful for what it’s helped me accomplish. But watching helpful features disappear without notice—especially ones I relied on—is disheartening.

Thanks for hearing me out. I hope this opens a larger conversation about how these changes are affecting the rest of us.

– Alyna

This is also happening to me on GPT-4.o as well.

Hi,

This is a developer community: a space for developers building apps with OpenAI APIs and tools to have technical discussions with other developers. The ChatGPT team doesn’t monitor this forum.

For ChatGPT discussion, join the official Discord: OpenAI. For support, you can visit https://help.openai.com/en/articles/6614161-how-can-i-contact-support.

Thanks!