ChatGPT search opens up to all logged out users

OpenAI said on Wednesday that America’s favorite AI chatbot will allow logged out users to partake in ChatGPT search from now on – no strings attached.

Think you have to log in to ChatGPT to use its search? Well, think again.

For the first time, ChatGPT users will not have to sign up or be signed in to use the chatbot's search function, OpenAI announced to users around the world on Wednesday.

“Like the logged-in experience, ChatGPT can search the web and get you fast, timely answers with links to relevant web sources directly in ChatGPT, “ an OpenAI spokesperson explained to Cybernews about the new feature.

“ChatGPT will either choose to search the web based on what you ask, or users can manually choose to search by clicking the web search icon,” they said.

ChatGPT search is now available to everyone on https://t.co/nYW5KO1aIg — no sign up required. pic.twitter.com/VElT7cxxjZ

undefined OpenAI (@OpenAI) February 5, 2025

The Microsoft-backed OpenAI first introduced its ChatGPT search function to all paid-tier subscriptions in October last year. In December, it made the search function available to all free logged-in users as part of its “12-days of OpenAI” holiday product launch.

The move proved popular, pushing ChatGPT search to rival Google search for the first time in history since "Googling" became its own verb in 1998.

Even six months after its launch in November 2022, ChatGPT users aged 16 and 34 said they felt the AI chatbot's results were better than Google search, according to a survey by Bloomberg Intelligence taken at the time.

By the end of 2024, ChatGPT was reported to have approximately 4.79 billion monthly visitors (more than 100 million weekly users), with an average session lasting about nine minutes.