Summary
- OpenAI has announced major improvements to ChatGPT’s memory system.
- The new memory, called Dreaming V3, is much more automated and should do a much better job of carrying forward context.
- The updates are rolling out now to Plus and Pro users in the US — they’ll come to Free and Go users, as well as additional countries, in the coming weeks.
On June 4, OpenAI announced significant updates to ChatGPT’s memory system. Updates are rolling out now to Plus and Pro users, and will come to Free users soon.
I gave Claude, ChatGPT, and Gemini the same broken JavaScript to debug — only one found the actual cause
Debugging isn’t just guessing.
A brief history of memory in ChatGPT
Sweet dreams
Initially, ChatGPT’s memory relied on what was essentially a glorified Post-It system — you’d tell ChatGPT to remember something, and it would jot down a note it could refer to. However, this system was static and lacked context. In 2025, it was updated with what OpenAI called “dreaming.”
Dreaming allowed ChatGPT to reference your past conversations. This happened in the background and served as a supplement to ChatGPT’s note-taking memory system. However, OpenAI says it was not “sufficient as a standalone memory system.” Now, that’s changing with Dreaming V3.
Introducing Dreaming V3
OpenAI’s most advanced memory system
The latest iteration of ChatGPT’s dreaming system is “significantly more capable and compute-efficient.” The company says it evaluates memory on three criteria: carrying forward context, following preferences, and staying current over time.
Dreaming V3 represents a major improvement in these categories. Some of OpenAI’s examples include:
- Remembering past camera equipment you’ve mentioned you own, and referencing that when you ask about future purchases.
- Remembering hotel and activity preferences and using that to inform answers when you’re planning future trips.
- Remembering dates for events, such as a vacation, so that it knows when you’re back home.
This all happens naturally and automatically, without you needing to request that ChatGPT remember specific details. ChatGPT already boasts one of the better memories among AI agents — we’re big fans of Claude, for example, but its memory is much worse than ChatGPT’s. These improvements should further reduce friction and make the tool more pleasant to use.
Easily viewable
Importantly, you’ll be able to pull up a summary of everything ChatGPT knows about you. This will provide important highlights, and you can also add or update information and give instructions for specific topics. And if you prefer the old system, you can revert to it in settings.
Memory improvements for free users
Everyone gets to take advantage of Dreaming V3
Another major shift is in which users get access to these improvements. Free users have not previously had access to dreaming. However, “Recent improvements reduced the compute required to serve dreaming to Free users by approximately 5x.” That means dreaming will be available to users on the Free plan for the first time. OpenAI is also increasing memory capacity for users on the Plus and Pro plans.
Dreaming V3 is rolling out now to Plus and Pro users in the US, and will roll out to additional countries and users on the Free and Go plans “over the coming weeks.” This update follows the significant update to GPT-5.5 in April.
- 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 OpenAI’s powerful flagship chatbot. It offers powerful models and an excellent memory (that just got even better).
