OpenAI is removing one of the most visible restrictions on its free product. Starting next week, people on ChatGPT's free and Go tiers will be able to have unlimited text conversations with the chatbot, according to The Verge, which notes that those users currently hit rate limits if they send too many messages in a stretch.
The change was part of a broader announcement the company made Thursday. As Techmeme summarized Herb Scribner's reporting for Axios, OpenAI is switching the default model for free users to GPT-5.6 Luna, adding the unlimited text chats, and rolling out an improved version of GPT-5.6 Sol. In its own blog post, OpenAI describes the updated Sol as more accurate and consistent, and frames the free-tier expansion around "unlimited everyday chats" with GPT-5.6 Luna.
Unlimited does not mean unlimited everything. Engadget points out that caps remain on image generation, voice mode and other features — it is the plain text back-and-forth that is being uncapped. TechCrunch reports that free and Go users are also getting a new "think" button, which lets them push a harder question toward more deliberate reasoning rather than a fast reply.
Taken together, the moves blur the line between what you get for nothing and what you pay for. The paid tiers still hold the advantage on the expensive stuff — images, voice, and the heaviest models — but the everyday act of typing a question and getting an answer is no longer metered.
It matters because message limits were the main thing that made free ChatGPT feel like a trial rather than a tool, and removing them puts pressure on every rival chatbot that still counts your messages.