Windows ChatGPT app 26.924.2738.0 and 26.928.1915.0 stuck on blank screen / endless spinner

ChatGPT Bugs
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Blank window that appears just after the splash logo
Blank window that appears just after the splash logo1362×915 4.28 KB

Environment

  • Surface: Windows
  • Browser or app version: ChatGPT Microsoft Store app 26.924.2738.0 (OpenAI.Codex_26.924.2738.0_x64__2p2nqsd0c76g0)
  • Affected feature and model, if relevant: Entire desktop app / startup; model not relevant

Additional environment details:

  • Windows 11 Pro
  • OS build: 26200
  • Architecture: x64
  • This is the current Microsoft Store app named ChatGPT, which includes ChatGPT and Codex. It is not ChatGPT (Classic).

Bug

Since updating to version 26.924.2738.0, the ChatGPT Windows app no longer loads successfully.

On launch, the startup/logo screen appears normally. After that, the main window opens but remains blank with a loading spinner that continues indefinitely. No error message is displayed. I have this same issue on 2 different Windows PCs.

Expected behavior: the ChatGPT UI should load normally after the startup screen.

The web version of ChatGPT works normally, so the issue appears specific to the Windows desktop app.

I have already tried:

  • Fully terminating the app and relaunching it.
  • Windows Settings → Apps → Installed apps → ChatGPT → Advanced options → Repair.

Repair completed successfully but did not change the behavior.

I have not yet performed Reset or uninstall/reinstall because I first wanted to preserve local Codex projects and conversation/session state. I have now backed up:

  • %USERPROFILE%\.codex
  • %LOCALAPPDATA%\Packages\OpenAI.Codex_2p2nqsd0c76g0
  • the relevant local project directories

One potentially relevant detail: although the Microsoft Store app is named ChatGPT, Windows registers the installed AppX package as OpenAI.Codex. Get-AppxPackage -Name ChatGPT returns nothing, while Get-AppxPackage -Name OpenAI.Codex returns version 26.924.2738.0.

I also tried and installed “ChatGPT (beta)” from Microsoft Store and this one launches normally but seems restricted to 5.6 models for me.

Reproduction

  1. Install/update the current ChatGPT app from the Microsoft Store to version 26.924.2738.0.
  2. Launch ChatGPT.
  3. The startup/logo screen appears.
  4. The main application window opens.
  5. The window remains blank except for a loading spinner.
  6. The spinner continues indefinitely.

This happens on every launch, and on 2 different Windows computers with entirely different hardware.

Diagnostics

Exact error or screenshot:

No error message is displayed. The application shows only a blank window with an endlessly spinning loading indicator after the startup/logo screen.

Installed package information:

OpenAI.Codex_26.924.2738.0_x64__2p2nqsd0c76g0

Install location:

C:\Program Files\WindowsApps\OpenAI.Codex_26.924.2738.0_x64__2p2nqsd0c76g0

When it happened (with timezone) and how often:

First noticed immediately after automatically updating to version 26.924.2738.0 on September 25, 2026. The issue is still occurring as of September 26, 2026 (CEST / UTC+2) and occurs on every launch.

I can provide additional logs or diagnostics if there is a recommended method for collecting them before performing a Reset or reinstall.

UPDATE 2026-09-29: They have pushed a new update to version 26.928.1915.0 through the Microsoft Store. However, the issue described here in remains unchanged, except for the endless spinner that’s now an endless splash logo.

2

Same thing happening since today after updating

3

I’ve got the same problem; I haven’t been able to open the app for the last 9 hours.

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image1253×796 55.6 KB

4

I fixed it by asking chatgpt(in the browser extension) to remove saved login in the desktop app and restart the app. It’s a temporary fix because it will revert to endless spinner once again if you exit the app

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{26392F4A-D259-4A21-975D-49C2E36407E0}700×751 31.8 KB

5

somehow killing this process force restarts the app, sometimes it needs a few tries but it helpsimage

6

I have the same problem. Even deleting and reinstalling the app wont help

7

Same here efter doing a clean slate reinstallation of the app on 2026-09-26. The exact same package version as OP. Worked the first time and the next time I opened it, it’s just stuck on the spinner. The app is unusable at the moment.

8

Same issue for me.

Work-around:

  1. Go to the web instance, under your profile go to Security and login, Active Sessions
  2. Log yourself out of the codex session associated with the application on your PC.
  3. Exit the ChatGPT app on your PC, including exiting from the system tray.
  4. Restart the application and it will prompt you to log back in again. Application should work normally now.
9

Same problem, but when i log-out to sign-in for my another account. Reset and re-install doesn’t help. Only when delete app, than install ChatGPT(Beta) and open it, than install regular version

10

It works; there is likely an issue with simultaneous sessions for multiple accounts in the new version.

11

Not a solution for me: Deleting the codex sessions in web leads to the app asking me to sign back in, but right afterwards it goes back to the endless spinner on a blank window. Same experience across 2 PCs.

12

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image3024×4032 2.82 MB

13

i had the same issue. I solved temporaly using ChatGPT Beta from microsoft store.
so i have 2 chatgpt apps installed but the original still in the spinner. I think we have to wait unitil an oficial update to fix it, but at least i can continue working

14

I also experienced the same error starting 2-3 days ago, but I have now resolved it. The cause was that although I initially registered using Google linked login, the app was attempting to log in using a local Google account. Even after disconnecting the Codex app session on the web, an error occurred in the Edge browser when the app was relaunched. Therefore, once I disconnected the Edge browser session as well, Google linked login became possible instead of the local account, and the app is now functioning normally.

15

It seems the procedure is as follows:

If you disconnect only the Codex session in the WebGPT settings and launch the app, a login screen appears and calls the default browser. It seems important to see which login window the default browser (Edge in my case) opens at this point. If you have previously logged in through the default browser, it appears the local account login screen.

To log in successfully, you must disconnect both the Codex app session and the default browser web session within WebGPT.

16

Have same issue on linux.

17

I have a work account and personal account logged in on my windows instance. I am trying to log out of the work account via web but the work account is greyed out and not clickable. So I’m stuck.

18

Same issue here after a recent Windows update :frowning: .

The app got stuck on the loading screen, and I noticed CodexSandboxService.OpenAI.Codex running in the background. Logging out from the web session helped me get back in, but the desktop app is still much slower than before.

19

I can confirm the following procedure lets you use the app again until you completely close it the next time:

You need to be logged out of ChatGPT Web on the browser that’s the default browser on the machine you try to get the ChatGPT app (also called the Codex app) to work and you also need to kill the app’s session.

I did it by killing the sessions for both ChatGPT Web and Codex from my other PC where I’m also logged in to ChatGPT Web. There, I went to Settings ==> Security & Login and deleted the respective session for both ChatGPT Web and Codex on my first PC (you can delete all of them if you are not sure which one to choose in the list, you will just have to log back in).

Then, the next time you open ChatGPT/Codex app on PC #1, you are prompted to log in and then directed to your default browser (where you are now logged out, as you should), log back in through said browser, et voilà, ChatGPT/Codex app work again.

Nasty user experience for sure since this solution doesn’t stick. The next time you reboot your computer or exit the through the system tray, the endless spinner is back on.

20

I’ve got the same problem too… what the…