Missing UI bug on Prompt/Response Cycle selector

[crystal_water]

I have encountered this strange bug in my ChatGPT account. Around three weeks ago, I noticed that the UI that allow me to cycle through previous prompt/generation went missing (the arrow button located at the bottom right side of the prompt). I happened to both my old chat logs as well as newly created conversation.

I tried all the standard troubleshooting methods such as refresh page, relogging, clear cookie etc. the problem persisted. Then I tested it using alternate web browsers and devices (PC, Android phone, Apple iPad etc.), but the issue remained. I tried logging in from a different network at different locations, but it was no help. I tried exporting my chatlog, but the export only allowed me to access the current dialogue tree without the alternate responses.

I tested it with my other ChatGPT account using the same device and network, but it is clear that this is an account specific issue as none of my other ChatGPT accounts have this bug. Some of my important data are stored in these alternate generations, and now I couldn’t access them due to this UI bug.

OpenAI’s support have proven to be a complete disappointment, I have never seen such terrible technical support before. I have listed out the specific nature of this UI bug clearly and provided detail information on the list of troubleshooting I have already done in hope that would help them narrowing down the problem. For more than two weeks they went back and forth with me, asking for screenshots, HAR files, URL links, account related information etc. Which I meticulously provided in good faith. The after saying they will send it to their “specialised team” for review, and after three days, they simply dismissed the entire problem with a generically written response blaming network conditions, browser settings, or device configurations beyond their control, and promptly one-sidedly ended the case. (Which I had already specified that is not the case given the abovementioned test I’ve conducted).

Given how important those data are to me, I tried reaching out again by submitting another support, providing detail description of the bug, the troubleshooting methods and tests I have already conducted, and the information I have already provided. But then again, same dismissive attitude, asking for the exact same information (which I provided, again), then promptly dismissed the case again using the EXACT same excuses of “could be caused by network conditions, browser settings, or device configurations beyond their control”. (Which clearly is not, given other accounts are fine, and I have already tried multiple different devices, browers, and locations)

I have been patient and polite throughout the past two weeks, but it really irked me to realised that they never had the intend to even attempt to look at the issue. Instead, they simply pretend, poorly, that they are trying by throwing around generic troubleshooting advice that I had stated clearly and repeatedly from the very beginning that I have already tried, and then simply dismissed the problem using poor excuses.

Such terrible and dismissive attitude from OpenAI Support is truly disappointing, and with the bug remained unsolved, it is clear that I should cut my losses, stop wasting my time and money on OpenAI, and moved on to alternate AI service for my work.

I never imagined I would lose a whole year worth of data just like that to a stupid UI bug.

[_j]

I believe that you are referring to this input selector, where you can switch between conversation branches caused by an “edit message”:

You will see that I have re-styled the ChatGPT UI, including the button appearances and their positioning, now located predictably.

One other aspect in the styling that I have persisted in re-coding for, despite different methods of populating or removing these from the DOM by script, is to make the user message buttons always visible and persistent. No UI pattern on Earth should have mystery buttons only found by hovering a pointing device in arbitrary locations.

Here is the specific rule that will currently unmask ChatGPT message branch toggle and its div container:

/* Always show the hover buttons container within articles (assistant buttons) */
article div.flex.items-center.pointer-events-none.opacity-0 {
    opacity: 1 !important;
    pointer-events: auto !important;
}

You have landed on a forum that is not for ChatGPT support, but is populated with people that can code AI-powered products - and fix others’.

Here I share a Tampermonkey/Greasemonkey script that can be added when using that browser extension.

// ==UserScript==
// @name         ChatGPT Show Buttons
// @namespace    http://tampermonkey.net/
// @version      2026.03.10
// @description  Makes message buttons no longer require hover to show
// @author       -J
// @match        https://chatgpt.com/*
// @icon         https://www.google.com/s2/favicons?sz=64&domain=chatgpt.com
// @grant        none
// ==/UserScript==

(function() {
const cssStyles = `
/* Always show the hover buttons container within articles (assistant buttons) */
article div.flex.items-center.pointer-events-none.opacity-0 {
opacity: 1 !important;
pointer-events: auto !important;
}
`;
var styleElement = document.createElement("style");
styleElement.innerHTML = cssStyles;
document.head.appendChild(styleElement);
})();

Resulting in the minimum appearance needed and also revealing where this button and selector normally lives (with a tiny code window in an offset mini bubble):

The full 1000 lines of script has language directed at the coding not suitable for a family audience.

You can then see if a new chat that you edit produces the expected branching when you edit a chat turn, to then followup and see if it is merely a UI problem with prior chats where you also expect to resolve a place where the chat diverges in two directions. There are some chats, such as with image input or generation, or with content policy violations, where you will not have opportunity to even “edit”.

Using OpenAI’s own app is a helpless and hopeless situation, where the first “coding” must be to prevent mass exfiltration of personal data.

[crystal_water]

Thank you so much for trying to help! I followed your instructions (along with help from ChatGPT itself) and after poking around I finally did manage to make the bottom right UIs to stay visible without hovering my mouse over it, but unfortunately, the selector remained missing.

According to ChatGPT, it would appear that the problem is indeed something caused by something on OpenAI’s side. (I have zero programing skills; hence I have no idea whether ChatGPT’s claim is true or not)

(I can only insert 1 picture at the time, the rest had to be posted seperately)

Unfortunately, I have no idea what else I could do to recover my lost data, given OpenAI Support’s aggravatingly unhelpful and disappointing attitude towards my troubleshooting request.

Being unable to access those alternate responses and de facto losing the vast majority of a whole year worth of work to this unexpected bug is truly devastating.

[crystal_water]

[crystal_water]