OpenAI is expanding free access to ChatGPT: Free and Go users get unlimited text chats with the new default model GPT-5.6 Luna. According to TechCrunch, ChatGPT now has more than one billion weekly users, so the update affects a mass product. Plus and Pro subscribers get an improved GPT-5.6 Sol and a thinking slider. In addition, an Adobe plugin brings more than 70 creative tools into the chat.
What Changes for Free Users?
The most important change is in OpenAI’s announcement: the default model for free access is changing from GPT-5.5 to GPT-5.6 Luna. Unlimited text chats are being added as well. Until now, free accounts had limits that OpenAI is removing. According to TechCrunch, this applies not only to Free users but also to Go users.
Not everything becomes unlimited: OpenAI says separate limits for files, images, voice, and image generation remain. For more demanding questions, free users get a new Think button. It is meant to activate a higher reasoning level for difficult tasks. According to TechCrunch, unlimited chats and the Think button will arrive next week, not immediately.
What Plus and Pro Subscribers Get
For paying users, GPT-5.6 Sol is being updated. OpenAI says the model is more reliable with facts and gives more focused answers. According to the provider, it adapts the level of detail to the question, avoids unnecessary formatting, and offers a helpful correction when simply agreeing would not be useful.
There is also a new thinking slider that lets you choose how much effort the model puts into a response. The more complex the task, the more reasoning steps you can allow. In Plus and Pro accounts, the same model now powers both immediate and in-depth answers, creating a more consistent experience. Importantly, TechCrunch notes that the separate GPT-5.6 Sol model used for Codex and Work is not affected by this update.
How Reliable Are the New Models?
OpenAI cites numbers from an internal evaluation: compared with GPT-5.5-Instant, factual errors were 62 percent less common for GPT-5.6 Luna and 68 percent less common for GPT-5.6 Sol. That is provider data, not independently verified. Whether it holds up in everyday use will only become clear after the rollout.
New data from OpenAI Signals shows, according to the company, how ChatGPT is used around the world: from asking to doing, with country-level insights into adoption and usage trends. The public short version does not include those country details. For Switzerland, the sources provide no specific information; check your ChatGPT account to see which features are available to you.
What the Adobe Plugin Adds to ChatGPT
Adobe has released a plugin for ChatGPT. According to a report by t3n, it provides access to more than 70 creative tools from applications such as Photoshop, Acrobat, Firefly, Illustrator, and InDesign. This goes beyond simple text-to-image generation.
You can, for example, turn uploaded data and spreadsheets into formatted PDF files or have different images brought into one consistent style. That is useful for an advertising campaign, as Adobe explains in a blog post. t3n therefore describes the plugin as a kind of Canva alternative: if you do not want to open a separate design tool, you can handle more steps directly in the chat.
Pros and Cons of Unlimited Text Chats
The changes sound like a clear win for free users. Still, it is worth looking more closely at the limits.
Pros:
- No more text chat limit – You can send as many text messages as you want in the free plan without signing up for a subscription.
- Better free model – GPT-5.6 Luna replaces GPT-5.5 and, according to OpenAI, produces factual errors much less often.
- Think button for hard questions – Even without a subscription, you can request a higher reasoning level when needed.
Cons:
- Limits remain – Files, images, voice, and image generation still have their own caps.
- Provider claim – The error-rate numbers come from an internal OpenAI evaluation and have not been independently verified.
- Rollout time – According to TechCrunch, unlimited chats arrive next week, not right away.
- Top model stays paid – The more capable GPT-5.6 Sol remains reserved for Plus and Pro subscribers.
What You Can Try Now
If you have only used ChatGPT occasionally, getting started is now easier: open your account and check whether GPT-5.6 Luna appears as the default model. Once the update reaches you, you can ask questions, rewrite texts, or collect ideas without a text limit. For tricky tasks, try the Think button.
Advanced users can use the thinking slider in Plus and Pro accounts to adjust the depth of answers to their tasks, for example for research or multi-step planning. In professional life, it is worth looking at company examples: according to OpenAI, the tax advisory firm HSP GRUPPE uses ChatGPT Enterprise to boost productivity, improve work quality, and create more capacity for client service. If you work creatively, test the Adobe plugin on your own project: upload data, generate a PDF, align image styles – that quickly shows whether it replaces your workflow. None of the sources mention Switzerland-specific details; check availability directly in your account.
With unlimited text chats, a better free model, and the Adobe tools, OpenAI is clearly lowering the barrier to entry. But the quality claims come from the provider itself, and real-world performance will only show after the rollout. If you double-check important answers, you can use the new options right away.
Sources
- Improving GPT-5.6 Sol in ChatGPT – and expanding access to GPT-5.6 Luna for free users – OpenAI, 2026-08-06
- ChatGPT brings unlimited text chats to free users – TechCrunch, 2026-08-06
- Über 70 Kreativ-Tools integriert: Adobe-Plugin macht ChatGPT zur Canva-Alternative – t3n, 2026-08-07
- From asking to doing: How the world is putting ChatGPT to work – OpenAI, 2026-08-06
- How HSP GRUPPE builds AI capabilities for tax advisory – OpenAI, 2026-08-07
Image: Matheus Bertelli via Pexels