Why Is ChatGPT Not Working and How Can You Fix It?

ChatGPT is a famous AI chatbot model, a sibling of InstructGPT. This model is trained to respond to the instructions/queries users provide as prompts. This ability has made this AI chatbot gain popularity, and it now has 800 million active monthly users.

In fact, as of October 2025, ChatGPT ranked 5th among the most visited websites on the internet. Many people use it regularly to complete many of their tasks, which usually include answering queries, writing, researching, coding, planning, etc.

That is why whenever a ChatGPT outage occurs, whether it's the hours-long widespread outage in June 2024. Or it is the most recent outage (November 2025) due to Cloudflare being down, minds freeze. And the search query volume for “ChatGPT not working” starts to roar across the internet.

However, it is not always a global outage. Sometimes, when you try to access ChatGPT and it isn't working, there are many other reasons. That is what this blog post will address, along with their fixes.

Common Reasons Why ChatGPT Stops Working (With Fixes)

You are here, which means ChatGPT is not working at your end. Well, there are many possible reasons; it's better to know them so you can troubleshoot the problem quickly.

1: Server Side Issues

Sometimes servers hosting ChatGPT experience issues. Yet these issues are usually temporary, we mean flexible, but when they occur, they stop ChatGPT from working.

Whenever OpenAI’s (the parent company to ChatGPT) servers go down, whether due to maintenance or have problems (i.e., unplanned bugs, system failures), ChatGPT will:

• Fail to respond
• Show error messages
• Keep on loading forever

So, if your ChatGPT is not working at your end, first check ChatGPT server status to see if there’s a server issue or a global outage, or if you are the only one experiencing the problem.

Besides, OpenAI’s servers, some third-party platforms can also take down ChatGPT. A recent example occurred in November 2025, when ChatGPT went down globally due to Cloudflare (the CDN service provider) being down.

To determine whether the issue is on the server side, visit the OpenAI status page or a down detector website that reports such matters. If these pages show that there’s an issue with OpenAI’s servers and ChatGPT is down because of it, all you can do is wait to get the problems fixed at the company’s end.

2: Network Related Issues

If you have found no issues on the server side and ChatGPT is not working on your devices, the issue may be related to your network. This can include:

• Slow or unstable internet
• VPN/Proxy interference
• Firewall and IP restrictions

• Unstable Internet Connection

Sometimes ChatGPT works fine, but you can't use it at all because of an unstable internet connection. Yet, you can use ChatGPT with 2MBPs very smoothly, but that connection needs to be stable. Especially if you are using it to generate images or uploading large files for analysis.

ChatGPT also struggles to load when network congestion is high. To work smoothly, this AI chatbot requires a stable connection for sending and receiving data. An unstable internet connection can cause DNS resolution and TLS handshake failures.

So, if ChatGPT isn't working, it's a good idea to test your internet speed. An internet speed test will show you the real-time upload/download speed, ping, and jitter of your network. Packet loss, jitter, or very slow upload/download speeds can cause requests to timeout or fail.

If the speed test results show that your network is unstable or not delivering the expected speed, consider switching to a different network (mobile data or another Wi‑Fi network) and try reaccessing ChatGPT. It often resolves these issues.

• VPN/Proxy Interference

People sometimes use VPN to access certain websites for many reasons. They like to access blocked sites in their region or to access a website while masking their original public IP address.

Whatever the reason is, if you are using a VPN, know that your internet traffic is rerouted through shared IPs, which can hit rate limits.

In some cases, VPN or proxy endpoints may be blocked or rate-limited by OpenAI or Cloudflare. If you are using a VPN while accessing ChatGPT and suspect it is causing problems, try temporarily disabling it.

In case you are in one of the countries where ChatGPT is not available and using a VPN is necessary, consider switching to a server closer to your region. Also, make sure to verify that your public IP address changes when you switch. This will help avoid IP rate limits. You can verify this after each switch by visiting the What is My IP Address Tool.

• Firewalls and IP Restrictions

“Connection Timed Out” and “Access Denied” are the errors that appear when you try to access ChatGPT. You might be facing a firewall or IP-related restriction.

In many work environments and educational institutions, the use of AI tools is completely prohibited. If you are connected to one, ChatGPT might not work for you at the time because firewall rules are set up. Local device firewalls or network-level firewalls can block ChatGPT’s domains or IP ranges, preventing a successful connection.

This can be fixed by requesting the network administrator to create an exception in the firewall rules for your device. Or you can also use a VPN (not recommended for students in educational institutes) to bypass the firewall/IP restriction. Also, the VPN does not always work, as many networks block it too.

3: Browser or App Problems

The device, browser, or app you use to access ChatGPT can also cause issues.

For example, old or corrupted data stored by your browser can prevent ChatGPT from loading correctly. Clearing your cache and cookies often fixes this.

Some browser extensions, such as:

• Ad blockers
• Script blockers
• Privacy extensions
• VPN browser extensions

Blocks the WebSocket connections, JavaScript execution, and API calls. As an example:

An extension might block calls to *.openai.com or fetch/ws (websocket) requests. And if that happens, ChatGPT will fail to work correctly.

Try temporarily disabling extensions (or opening a new window in incognito mode) to see if ChatGPT is working.

4: Account Issues

Sometimes ChatGPT stops working due to account issues. Especially if the account is premium and the password is shared with multiple people logging in from different locations at the same time. OpenAI detects unusual behavior (too many requests, suspected abuse), your account might be temporarily restricted.

Violating terms of service or sending malicious/high-risk prompts could also lead to your account being flagged. The only fix for this is asking the support team for assistance.

When ChatGPT Is Not Working on Your Phone?

Sometimes ChatGPT stops working on mobile phones only. This is usually because of two primary reasons:

• Permissions blocked
• App cache corruption

1: Permissions Blocked

If you are using the ChatGPT mobile app and certain permissions are blocked, it may not work properly. These permissions usually include the following:

• Microphone for voice conversations
• Camera for image-based queries
• Storage/Files for saving temporary data and attachments
• Notifications for system updates and login verification

If all these permissions are blocked, the app might not function properly. You can fix this by giving the GPT’s app the necessary permissions. This can be done using the App Permission tab in the mobile phone settings.

2: App Corruption Cache

Mobile devices usually store temporary files, referred to as cache, that help them load faster on subsequent visits. Over time, cached files become outdated or corrupted, causing various problems for the app. For example:

• Slow loading
• Unresponsive buttons
• Blank screens
• Login loops
• Crashes during tool use (voice, image, browse)

This can simply be fixed by removing the app cache. If clearing the cache didn’t work for you, consider reinstalling the app.

Bottom Line

The reasons we explained in this blog post are usually the culprits behind why ChatGPT is not working. By troubleshooting with the fixes we shared in this blog post, you can resolve the issue yourself (unless it's not on the server end).

Frequently Asked Questions

Why is ChatGPT so slow?

There can be many reasons ChatGPT is working so slowly. These can include server-side errors, browser cache issues, or issues with your network. High usage demand can also be one of the reasons.

Is ChatGPT down right now?

To check whether ChatGPT is down, visit OpenAI’s status page, or check how it is performing on Downdetector by Ookla.

How do I fix “Too many requests, please slow down” in ChatGPT?

If you are facing the error “Too many requests, please slow down” while using ChatGPT, try clearing your browser cache or relogging in. If it still didn’t work, wait for a few minutes and try again.

Why does ChatGPT say “Your session has expired”?

“Your session has expired”, ChatGPT usually shows it due to longer inactivity. When you keep the GPT open for hours but are not using it, the connection to the server is lost. And when you input a new prompt, a session expired error appears. This usually can be fixed by refreshing the page.