How to fix Chatgpt not responding: easy troubleshooting steps

Experiencing ChatGPT not responding is frustrating, but the cause is almost always minor and easy to fix. The issue typically falls into one of three categories: a problem with your device/browser, a restriction on your network, or a server-side outage at OpenAI.¹

Follow these troubleshooting steps in order, starting with the simplest solutions, to get your productivity app back online.

Phase 1: local checks (your device and connection)

These are the fastest and most common fixes, resolving over 80% of issues.

1. Verify your internet connection

A weak or intermittent Wi-Fi or mobile data signal is the single most frequent cause of the “ChatGPT not responding” error.

• Action: Test your connection by loading a new website (like Google or YouTube). If other sites are slow or fail to load, the issue is your network.²
• Fix: Disconnect and reconnect your Wi-Fi, or switch to mobile data (cellular) if your Wi-Fi is unstable.³ Pro Tip: Try turning off your VPN or Proxy, as ChatGPT sometimes blocks certain flagged IP addresses.⁴

2. Refresh the page or start a new chat

Often, the session simply hangs or times out due to a temporary network glitch.

• Action: Click the Refresh button on your browser. If you are mid-conversation, you may also see a “Regenerate Response” button—try clicking this first.
• Alternative: If the entire chat window is frozen, try starting a New Chat (the $\text{+}$ icon on the sidebar). If a new chat works, the issue was with the previous session’s history load.

3. Log out and log back in

This forces the app to create a fresh, clean session with the OpenAI servers, clearing potential login or session conflicts.

• Action: Click your Profile Icon or Name in the lower-left corner, select “Log Out,” then sign back in.

Phase 2: browser and app maintenance

If the issue is local but not your connection, it is likely corrupted data in your browser’s history or an interfering extension.

4. Clear browser cache and cookies

Corrupted cached files or outdated login cookies can interfere with ChatGPT’s loading scripts, causing it to freeze or display a blank page.⁵

• Action (General Steps): Go to your browser’s Settings or History menu. Look for “Clear browsing data” or “Privacy and security.” Select the options for “Cached images and files” and “Cookies and other site data.”
• Note: After clearing, you will need to log back into all your websites, including ChatGPT.

5. Disable browser extensions

Extensions—especially ad blockers, privacy managers, script injectors, or VPN extensions—are a notorious source of conflicts for web applications like ChatGPT.⁶

• Action: Disable all your extensions (usually in the browser’s extension manager).⁷ Refresh the ChatGPT page.
• Diagnosis: If ChatGPT works, re-enable your extensions one by one to isolate the culprit. Once identified, keep it disabled for chat.openai.com.

6. Use incognito mode or a different browser

An Incognito or Private window temporarily disables most extensions and starts a clean session without using existing cookies or cache.⁸

• Action: Open ChatGPT in a new Incognito/Private Window. If it works, the problem is definitively related to your browser settings or an extension.
• Alternative: Try a completely different browser (e.g., switch from Chrome to Firefox or Edge).

7. Mobile app troubleshooting

If you are using the dedicated mobile app (iOS or Android), the troubleshooting is different:

• Update App: Ensure the ChatGPT app is updated to the latest version via the App Store or Google Play.
• Clear App Cache (Android): Go to Settings > Apps > ChatGPT > Storage. Select “Clear Cache.” (On iOS, you often need to reinstall the app to clear the cache completely).

Phase 3: server and account checks

If all local troubleshooting fails, the problem lies with the service itself or your account status.

8. Verify ChatGPT server status

Often, a global outage or degraded performance at OpenAI is the reason for the “not responding” error, especially during peak usage hours.⁹

• Action: Visit the official OpenAI Status Page (search for “OpenAI Status” or status.openai.com).
• Diagnosis: If the status page shows an Outage or Degraded Performance for “ChatGPT,” the issue is affecting all users. The only solution is to wait until OpenAI resolves the incident.

9. Check account limits and status

If you are using the free tier or the API, you may have hit a rate limit, or there may be an issue with your subscription.¹⁰

• Action: Check your profile settings for any warnings about rate limits or billing issues. Hitting a limit (e.g., too many prompts in a short period on the free tier) can cause the service to temporarily stop responding.¹¹

10. Contact support for persistent issues

If you have tried every step above and the issue persists for more than a few hours (indicating it’s not a temporary outage), it is time to contact official support.

• Action: Visit the OpenAI Help Center (often found via the profile menu in the app or website) and use the “Submit a request” or “Contact us” option.¹²
• Detail Required: Be sure to list all troubleshooting steps you have already performed, the type of device/browser you are using, and any specific error messages you received (e.g., “Internal Server Error 500”).