{"slug": "openai-is-learning-from-geminis-trouble-with-usage-limits-and-easing-on-gpt-5-6", "title": "OpenAI is learning from Gemini’s trouble with usage limits and easing restrictions on GPT-5.6", "summary": "OpenAI is easing usage limits on GPT-5.6, temporarily removing the 5-hour restriction for Plus, Business, and Pro users, and optimizing inference to give ChatGPT users 10% additional usage. The move follows record-breaking demand and contrasts with Google's approach of imposing stricter limits on Gemini.", "body_md": "Affiliate links on Android Authority may earn us a commission. [Learn more.](https://www.androidauthority.com/external-links/)\n\n# OpenAI is learning from Gemini's trouble with usage limits and easing restrictions on GPT-5.6\n\nJul 13, 2026 — 7:33 AM ET\n\n- OpenAI is easing restrictions on GPT-5.6’s usage limits and cutting out 5-hour windows.\n- A company executive recently said GPT-5.6 optimizations give ChatGPT users 10% additional usage.\n- The team is also working on optimizing usage with ChatGPT Work and multi-agent workflows.\n\nAs with every major feature release from OpenAI, the [new GPT-5.6 models](https://www.androidauthority.com/gpt-5-6-3685927/) have already been overused beyond expectation. The models are officially reported to have reached 6 million active ChatGPT users, but instead of [crippling them with limits as Google did](https://www.androidauthority.com/gemini-new-limits-frustrating-users-3669267/), OpenAI is rewarding them with faster usage resets.\n\nIn a [post on X](https://x.com/thsottiaux/status/2076365965915467978?s=20), Thibault Sottiaux (Tibo), OpenAI’s newly appointed head of core products, announced the temporary removal of the 5-hour usage limit restriction, but only for Plus, Business, and Pro users. That should mean you can burn through your entire week’s limit if you want to.\n\nThere’s no comment on validity, but with Anthropic [extending Fable 5 access for another week](https://www.androidauthority.com/claude-fable-5-access-extended-3686668/), OpenAI may be feeling obligated to one-up it as well.\n\nIn a [separate post](https://x.com/thsottiaux/status/2076495156757577895), Tibo also addressed concerns about excessive usage and said the team is experimenting with different reasoning efforts (or juice values), especially in multi-agent scenarios. While the reasoning capability was briefly reduced as part of a test, it has been reverted to its original value.\n\nA couple of other changes for unrestricted use include:\n\n- context size limit being shrunk back to 272,000 tokens (down from 372k) to reduce usage\n- inference optimizations resulting in 10% extra usage with GPT-5.6 Sol\n\nOpenAI recently launched its GPT-5.6 family of AI models after a [short preview window](https://www.androidauthority.com/gpt-5-6-models-3681960/). These models come in three different forms: Sol, Terra, and Luna, with varying performance and compute requirements. Of the trio, GPT‑5.6 Sol is the most formidable and is intended for demanding chores, such as coding, creative design, and deeper analyses. Luna is designed for cost-efficient tasks, despite which it is claimed to outperform Anthropic’s Claude Opus 4.8 and 5. Meanwhile, Terra offers a balance between the two.\n\nAlong with announcing these models, OpenAI has also released its answer to Claude Cowork. It’s called [ChatGPT Work](https://www.androidauthority.com/chatgpt-work-launch-3685935/), and it works similarly by gathering context from across apps and services on your desktop or in a web browser and coordinating the tasks required to achieve your professional goals for you (even though there’s nothing stopping it from helping with your personal ones, either). Along with this announcement, OpenAI has upgraded the standalone Codex app and merged it with ChatGPT Work.\n\nThese new abilities have led to record-breaking usage among ChatGPT users, which is why today’s announcement sounds welcome.\n\nThank you for being part of our community. Read our [Comment Policy](https://www.androidauthority.com/android-authority-comment-policy/) before posting.", "url": "https://wpnews.pro/news/openai-is-learning-from-geminis-trouble-with-usage-limits-and-easing-on-gpt-5-6", "canonical_source": "https://www.androidauthority.com/openai-gemini-trouble-easing-gpt-5-6-usage-limits-3686805/", "published_at": "2026-07-13 11:33:48+00:00", "updated_at": "2026-07-13 11:39:51.701837+00:00", "lang": "en", "topics": ["artificial-intelligence", "large-language-models", "ai-products", "ai-infrastructure"], "entities": ["OpenAI", "GPT-5.6", "ChatGPT", "Thibault Sottiaux", "Google", "Gemini", "Anthropic", "Claude"], "alternates": {"html": "https://wpnews.pro/news/openai-is-learning-from-geminis-trouble-with-usage-limits-and-easing-on-gpt-5-6", "markdown": "https://wpnews.pro/news/openai-is-learning-from-geminis-trouble-with-usage-limits-and-easing-on-gpt-5-6.md", "text": "https://wpnews.pro/news/openai-is-learning-from-geminis-trouble-with-usage-limits-and-easing-on-gpt-5-6.txt", "jsonld": "https://wpnews.pro/news/openai-is-learning-from-geminis-trouble-with-usage-limits-and-easing-on-gpt-5-6.jsonld"}}