ChatGPT started out as a basic large language model chatbot when it became a big hit years ago, but now, people expect more from their AI apps. Beyond simple conversations, users want study tools, shopping help, social features, image and video generation models, and more built into apps like ChatGPT. It’s 2026, and OpenAI is seemingly trying everything to make ChatGPT even better, while competitors such as Gemini or Perplexity make up ground.
If you’ve been keeping track of Gemini’s progress and following ChatGPT’s ad rollout, you might’ve missed the abundance of new features added to ChatGPT lately. From group chats to personal shopping tools, these are the three new ChatGPT features added recently you need to know about.
Study mode
Who needs NotebookLM? ChatGPT has a learning tool of its own right here
NotebookLM is far and away the best AI-powered studying and learning tool available today, but other AI companies are taking notice. OpenAI added a study mode to ChatGPT over the summer, and it borrows many of the features that made NotebookLM great. After picking the Study and learn mode from the ChatGPT tools, you can use the chatbot to create study materials, ask questions, or simplify complex topics. ChatGPT can intake your documents, including notes, presentations, or textbooks, to properly inform its responses. The feature is tailored to the individual student, and ChatGPT remembers your skill level across chats to give you the right support.
ChatGPT’s study mode uses Socratic questioning to help users learn, flipping the usual script. Instead of the user asking the chatbot for all the answers, the chatbot asks the student questions intended to help them learn and guide them in the right direction. It can create practice quizzes or give you a mock grade for your research paper, prepping students for the real thing. Compared to NotebookLM, the ChatGPT study mode is more flexible, existing within the standard chatbot on the web and in the mobile app.
I Tried ChatGPT’s New Study Mode and It Genuinely Makes Studying Easier
This time, AI’s asking the questions.
Group chats
You can invite your friends to join in on a ChatGPT conversation
In case you needed another inbox, ChatGPT rolled out support for group chats late last year. The feature actually isn’t as outlandish as you may expect. Group chats in ChatGPT aren’t designed to replace your messaging apps, but rather, are made to improve collaboration. After tapping the group chat button in the top-right corner of the ChatGPT app or site, you can invite up to twenty people by sharing a link. Group chats are private, and won’t use information stored in your personal ChatGPT memory. New details won’t be added to your memory, either.
It’s like adding an AI model to your friends or family group chat. You can send messages to each other, as well as ask ChatGPT to chime in when needed. OpenAI gives examples of using ChatGPT group chats to brainstorm trip plans, study materials together, or create AI-generated content with friends. You’ll have to decide if group chats are something you actually need in the ChatGPT app, but at least you now know what that new button does.
Having trouble making the right purchase? ChatGPT has a mode for that
If you’re someone that always needs to find the best deal, ChatGPT’s shopping feature might help. You can activate shopping research mode by typing the right prompt. It’s “automatically suggested when you ask a shopping-related question,” according to OpenAI, but this can be hit or miss depending on the query. Alternatively, you can select this mode from the ChatGPT tools section near the chat box. Either way, the mode is designed to help you compare products, scour the web for deals, and find products you didn’t know you needed.
ChatGPT uses its memory and your chat history to suggest the right products, but it’ll also ask clarifying questions if the chatbot needs more information. For example, you might be asked about your budget, preferred brands, and key features as ChatGPT comes up with suggestions. The tool uses “trusted sites, product pages, community perspectives, and other trusted sources” to come up with recommendations, and the process can take a few minutes. When finished, ChatGPT explains its selections, offering links for you to purchase the products.
While not available for most products at the moment, OpenAI is working on an “Instant Checkout” feature that would let users buy products directly within a ChatGPT conversation.
Is ChatGPT still the best AI chatbot in 2026?
Following a hot start, it’s true that the buzz around ChatGPT is starting to simmer down. Google and Anthropic are giving OpenAI a real run for its money on AI benchmarks, making Gemini and Perplexity viable alternatives to ChatGPT. With that in mind, writing off ChatGPT would be a mistake. The chatbot continues to get new features, including study mode, group chats, and shopping research. For this reason alone, it’s worth checking in occasionally to see what’s new with ChatGPT. You can use all these features in ChatGPT now on both free and paid accounts.
- OS
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Android, iOS, Web
- Developer
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OpenAI
- Price model
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Free with optional subscription
ChatGPT is the flagship AI chatbot from OpenAI, and it’s loaded with features. You can use the latest tools, including shopping research, group chats, and study mode, for free with an account.
