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OpenAI just took the handcuffs off your ChatGPT Work and Codex usage limits, at least for now

The 5 hour limit is gone for now, your usage counter just reset, and GPT 5.6 Sol is about to get a lot lighter on your allowance.

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OpenAI logo on Microsoft surface
Rachit Agarwal / Digital Trends

It seems that OpenAI has been on a gallop lately, releasing new updates left and right. Just a few days back, the company launched its GPT-5.6 Sol, Terra, and Luna models for the general public, and now it’s back with another update that will please its users even more. 

The headline change is that the 5-hour usage limit restriction in ChatGPT Work and Codex is being temporarily removed for all Plus, Business, and Pro plans. If you have ever been in the middle of a long working session and watched the limit message appear at the worst possible moment, this one is for you. 

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The word to focus on here is temporarily, so treat it as a window rather than a permanent change.

What is happening with GPT 5.6 Sol?

The second update is about efficiency. OpenAI is rolling out changes that will make GPT 5.6 Sol more efficient across the board, and that efficiency should show up as less usage being consumed for the same work. In plain terms, your usage should take you further than it did before.

Morning. The last 48 hours of Codex and ChatGPT Work have been intense! Three important updates:

– Temporarily removing the 5 hour usage limit restriction for all Plus, Business and Pro plans
– Rolling out changes that will make GPT 5.6 Sol more efficient across the board and…

— Tibo (@thsottiaux) July 12, 2026

The company has not given any numbers yet. In a post on X, Tibo, who is a Member of Technical Staff at OpenAI, wrote that the exact impact is still being quantified and will be shared later, so we do not know whether this is a small trim or a meaningful jump. 

Is your usage counter going back to zero?

The third piece of news is the one you will feel immediately. OpenAI is doing a usage reset within the hour of the announcement, which means your counter starts fresh. If you had already burned through your allowance today, this is a pleasant surprise. 

Stack it with the temporarily lifted cap and the efficiency improvements, and you are looking at the most generous version of ChatGPT Work and Codex we have seen in a while. The catch, as always, is that we do not know how long this window stays open.

Rachit Agarwal
Rachit is a seasoned tech journalist with over ten years of experience covering the consumer technology landscape.
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