OpenAI shares update on GPT-5.6 availability after holding back release

OpenAI announced that GPT-5.6 models Sol, Terra, and Luna will become available on Thursday, July 9, after a delay due to U.S. government review. The company is expanding preview access globally now, though it remains unclear if the release will be limited to the United States.

OpenAI unveiled GPT-5.6 at the end of June, but the public release was held back https://9to5mac.com/2026/06/26/openai-upgrading-chatgpt-and-codex-with-new-gpt-5-6-models-in-limited-release/ while the U.S. government reviewed the new AI models. Now the company has shared an update on when customers will be able to use the upgraded model: this week. GPT-5.6 is coming on Thursday To recap, OpenAI announced three versions of GPT-5.6: - Sol, OpenAI’s flagship model - Terra, their balanced model for everyday work - Luna, their fast and affordable model The Sol, Terra, and Luna naming scheme is also new with GPT-5.6. “In this new naming system introduced with GPT‑5.6, the number identifies a model’s generation, while Sol, Terra, and Luna identify durable capability tiers that can advance on their own cadence,” OpenAI said in June https://9to5mac.com/2026/06/26/openai-upgrading-chatgpt-and-codex-with-new-gpt-5-6-models-in-limited-release/ . “Together, the family gives people and developers clearer choices across intelligence, speed, and cost.” OpenAI also said it would only share access to GPT-5.6 models with a small group of trusted partners at the U.S. government’s request. This marked a shift from OpenAI’s previous announcement and release behavior. Now OpenAI has confirmed that GPT-5.6 Sol, Terra, and Luna will become available Thursday, July 9. OpenAI also said it was “expanding preview access globally now” in a social media post on Tuesday night. It’s unclear if tomorrow’s GPT-5.6 release will be limited to users in the United States or globally available. OpenAI’s Sam Altman said last month https://x.com/sama/status/2070608613169848514?s=20 that the company was working toward a global release. Do more with your Apple products Apple AirTag 2 | Add Find My tracking to keys, bags, bikes, more https://amzn.to/4vjNWN1 AirPods 4 | Apple’s newest wireless headphones https://amzn.to/43ndewV AirPods Pro 3 | Apple’s best wireless headphones https://amzn.to/4ut3FYp Beats USB-A to USB-C Cable | The official CarPlay cable https://amzn.to/4mpKs7K FTC: We use income earning auto affiliate links. More. https://9to5mac.com/about/ affiliate our homepage http://9to5mac.com/ for all the latest news, and follow 9to5Mac on exclusive stories https://9to5mac.com/feature/exclusive/ , reviews https://9to5mac.com/guides/review/ , how-tos https://9to5mac.com/guides/how-to/ , and subscribe to our YouTube channel https://www.youtube.com/9to5mac