New ChatGPT Update Removes Sidebar

ChatGPT
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What has happened with ChatGPT? The entire interface has been overhauled, and frankly, it’s infuriating. Someone mentioned this is the so-called “Canvas Update,” which feels like a repeat of the Windows 8 launch—a massive overcomplication of simple tasks.

Now, we’re forced to deal with a collapsible sidebar that cannot be permanently open. On top of that, chats are no longer organized chronologically; instead, they’re hidden behind a “See More” dropdown menu. To make matters worse, if you’ve been working in a specific chat with detailed instructions, navigating back drops you to the top of the conversation, requiring a tedious scroll all the way down.

Why was this forced on everyone? An update like this should have been optional. The collapsible sidebar should default to being permanently open unless the user chooses otherwise. If a small number of people wanted this change, they could have been given a toggle in settings, leaving the rest of us undisturbed.

On top of that, the new search functionality is a nightmare. It searches everything, making ChatGPT even less functional, especially with all the restrictions placed on the AI. This update is poorly designed, counterintuitive, and outright frustrating. It seriously makes me reconsider the value of maintaining a Plus membership. Ease of use was the platform’s strength, and this update has destroyed it.

Oh for some reason it’s really trying to push a chrome extension for ChatGPT that at this point I refuse to get it.

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Sidebar can be pinned to stay in place.

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That wasn’t working earlier yesterday. Right after I made this post this was fixed. I tried on multiple PC devices and this was confirmed to be an issue.

After checking today the entire update is done and reversed and back to normal. Looks like enough people had problems.

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Bring the sidebar back, and make folders for chats!!!

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Respectfully, this was a feature that many people loathed.

It caused numerous bugs and issues.

And it also made it harder to do simple tasks.

Now, this is the direction Windows, or rather Microsoft, is going.

Trying to revitalize the Windows 8 way of doing things, instead of a 1-2-click process.

You need to now go through steps 1-3, and then 4-5-6, and then maybe an 8-9-10, just to simply do what used to be a 1-2-step process, or click process.

I could see this feature coming back, being Microsoft is involved.

However, I do not recommend it.

But, I am not unfair.

I do realize a minority of people do like this feature.

Why not make this optional?

And allow people to click into it if they like it.

But the problem is, when Microsoft really likes something, and the people don’t, then people never switch over to the version they like.

They make it mandatory, and then wonder why people are choosing other systems.

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You can already create folders with ChatGPT Toolbox

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Yes I agree, in fact I signed up to this just to reply to your message and second you.

Now, rather than simply scroll back through my chats, which I had named with various keywords and CASE choices so they would naturally scan, I have to click ‘see more’ and scroll with a tiny window.

Furthermore, I can’t even provide feedback directly! Within the actual chats, we are able to give feedback directly on what is or isn’t working. But the UI just changes with no simple way to provide feedback.

Couldn’t the UI have some of the configuration exposed to the user, so they could choose how they wanted it to appear?

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As soon as I posted this topic, within an hour, the UI had changed to where it allowed me to permanently put the side view back.

And then, less than a day later, the old history was back to normal, like how it was

So, I’m not sure if my topic helped, but are you still seeing it?

I’m guessing they’re gauging how users are accepting this new front-end system.

Honestly, it was just more difficult to work with. It reminds me of the Windows 8, 11, where it’s more complex for no reason and removing critical features.

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Yes I am still seeing it :cry:

I’m looking at it right now, having to scroll down to the bottom of chats when it used to just load them.

Having to do an extra click and scroll through a tiny window when I want to get an old chat.

At least the pin sidebar button is there, that’s a slight improvement.

Hopefully they will notice that I actually joined the forum because of how much it’s ruining my workflow.

Thank you for being proactive.

I really do wonder how this happens? How do teams of the best devs in the world, on large salaries, get together and spend hours and hours only to make the UI worse?

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My account’s UI/UX has been rolled back :smiley:

Perhaps it’s a coincidence or perhaps someone is reading the forum feedback; if so thanks for changing it.

Now that I have it back I appreciate it more. The fact it has the little GPT icon beside what the machine said makes it really easy for the eye to tell when the messages start and end as you scroll through. The update removed that for some reason - many times I kept reading the wrong paragraph because my eye wasn’t landing in the right place.