When you start a different task in ChatGPT, it is usually best to create a new chat. ChatGPT uses the earlier messages in the same conversation as context, which means it pays attention to what has already been discussed. If you were asking about the Seattle Seahawks and then switch to a work project, the earlier football conversation could still shape the next answer. A new chat gives you a clean workspace for the new topic. This helps ChatGPT focus only on the information that belongs with that task.
Your recent chats appear on the left side of the screen, so you can return to older conversations without saving everything somewhere else. This is useful when you want to continue a project, find a past answer, or reuse information from an earlier conversation. If you have many chats, use the search chats box to find a topic, project name, or keyword quickly. You can also rename important chats by selecting the three dots next to the chat and choosing rename. Renaming is best for conversations you know you will need again, while search is usually enough for everyday chats.
Archiving helps you keep important chats without leaving them in your recent chat list. When you archive a chat, it is removed from the normal list, but it is not deleted. You can find archived chats later in settings, often under data controls or archive chats. Pinning is another option for a few very important chats, because pinned chats stay easy to access on the left side. Temporary chat is different, because it does not appear in your chat history and memory is disabled, so it is best for situations where you do not want the conversation saved.
The prompt window is the main area where you type your questions, instructions, or requests. A prompt is simply the message you give ChatGPT so it knows what you want it to do. The prompt window may include buttons for adding files, changing models, or opening extra tools. After you send a message, the conversation appears like a text message thread, with your message and ChatGPT’s response shown in order. This main workspace is where most of your interaction with ChatGPT happens.
You can edit a prompt after sending it by hovering over your message and selecting edit message. This is helpful when you notice a mistake or want to make your request more specific. Editing the original prompt is often cleaner than adding another message that tries to correct the first one. ChatGPT may let you move between different versions of an edited prompt, so you can compare the original and revised versions. You can also use try again at the bottom of a response to regenerate, which means asking ChatGPT to answer the same prompt again in a different way.
It can be helpful to keep a Word document, Google Doc, or notes app open while working with ChatGPT. Sometimes you only need part of a response, so you can copy the useful section and paste it into your own document. If pasted text appears in the wrong color, such as white font, highlight it and change it back to black. You can also attach a file by using the plus button, choosing add files, and selecting a document from your computer. Once the file is attached, you can ask ChatGPT questions about it and have a conversation about the material inside it.
Images can be attached in a similar way by using the plus button and choosing a photo from your computer. After the image is attached, ChatGPT can describe what it sees, analyze the image, or answer questions about it. ChatGPT may also show recent files or a file library, which lets you reuse documents and images you have already uploaded. In the library area, you can see stored files, check when they were added, download them, delete them, or filter by file type. This is useful when you remember using a file in ChatGPT but do not want to search your computer again.
You can change the model when you need a different balance of speed and depth. A model is the version of ChatGPT that creates the answer, and some models are faster while others are better for deeper thinking. Simple questions may work well with a faster option, while complex analysis may benefit from a thinking model or extended thinking setting. The plus button and tool picker may also include tools such as company knowledge, image creation, deep research, web search, agent mode, Canvas, and tasks. Choosing a tool directly can make your request clearer when you want ChatGPT to do something specific, such as search the web or create an image.
Canvas is a workspace inside ChatGPT for writing and editing longer text. When Canvas is selected, ChatGPT can open a document-style preview that you can edit without moving everything into a separate Word document. You can type directly into the text, ask ChatGPT for changes, and use built-in options such as suggest edits, adjust length, change reading level, add final polish, or add emojis. For example, you can make a document shorter or change it to a simpler reading level with a few clicks. This is useful when you want to revise writing while staying inside ChatGPT.
Voice features let you use ChatGPT by speaking instead of typing. Speech to text uses the microphone to place your spoken words into the prompt window, so you can talk naturally and then send the prompt. Voice mode is more like a live conversation, where ChatGPT listens and responds out loud. It can feel very natural, but you may need to avoid long pauses because the tool may think you are finished speaking. For deeper answers in voice mode, it helps to clearly ask ChatGPT to research or think through the question before responding.
Personalization settings let you adjust how ChatGPT responds across your account. These settings can affect tone, style, speed, formatting, and how much personality ChatGPT uses. For example, you might prefer efficient answers, professional language, headers, fewer emojis, or slower and more thoughtful responses. Custom instructions give even more control by letting you write specific rules for how ChatGPT should answer. These instructions are powerful, but they apply broadly, so only use them for preferences you want ChatGPT to remember across many conversations.
Memory allows ChatGPT to remember certain details you share, such as preferences, facts about your work, or information you directly ask it to remember. You can manage memory in settings, review what has been saved, and remove anything that no longer fits. Projects are useful when you want a focused space for a report, workshop, presentation, course, or set of source materials. A project can keep related chats, files, and project-specific instructions together, so ChatGPT stays focused on that topic instead of mixing it with unrelated conversations. GPTs are custom versions of ChatGPT built for repeat tasks, and they can be found in the GPT area or marketplace, where each GPT uses its own instructions to help complete a specific kind of work.
