How to Switch Back to ChatGPT 4 from 3.5 and Retain Conversation History
Table of Contents
- Introduction
- Step-by-Step Guide to Switch Back to ChatGPT 4
- Waiting for the Switch to Finalize
- Testing That You Switched Back to ChatGPT 4
- Conclusion
Introduction to the ChatGPT Version Switching Issue
ChatGPT is an incredibly advanced conversational AI system developed by Anthropic. Version 4 of ChatGPT, the latest release, demonstrates remarkably human-like conversational abilities. However, ChatGPT enforces usage limits to ensure fair access. If you exchange over 25 messages with ChatGPT 4 in a 2 hour period, it will automatically switch you to ChatGPT 3.5 for a cooldown period.
This can be frustrating if you've built up long conversation history and rapport with the AI assistant in ChatGPT 4. Unfortunately there's no manual way to switch back once you hit the usage limits. So you'd lose your precious conversation history progress if you simply started a new chat.
This article will provide a step-by-step guide to switch back to ChatGPT 4 after hitting the usage limits, without losing your conversation history. We'll also test that the switch was successful.
The ChatGPT Version Switching Issue
When ChatGPT 4 enforces its usage limits and switches you to ChatGPT 3.5, you have to wait about 2 hours before your 'quota' resets. Then normally ChatGPT would switch you back to the latest version automatically. The problem arises when you've built up long conversation history with ChatGPT 4, training it to communicate better with you. Getting suddenly switched to ChatGPT 3.5 loses all that progress. And there's no easy way to manually switch back to GPT-4 yourself - the option isn't exposed in the chat interface.
Retaining Your Conversation History
If this version switching has happened to you in a valuable conversation, you don't want to lose your history by starting a new chat. The steps below will show you how to switch back to ChatGPT 4 without resetting or losing what you've already discussed with the AI.
Step-by-Step Guide to Switch Back to ChatGPT 4
Here is a step-by-step walkthrough to manually switch your conversation back to ChatGPT 4 after hitting the usage limits, courtesy of guidance from kinkycusco on Reddit:
Be sure to wait at least 2 hours for your quota to reset before attempting these steps. That ensures ChatGPT's systems are ready for you to reengage.
Download and Install Firefox
First, download the Firefox web browser if you don't already have it installed. Firefox will allow us to more easily inspect and edit the conversation parameters. Login to chat.openai.com in Firefox and open the conversation you want to switch back to ChatGPT 4.
Inspect the ChatGPT Conversation
Right click anywhere in the conversation transcript and choose 'Inspect'. This will bring up Firefox's developer tools. Click on the 'Network' tab in the tools. Then send any test message in your ChatGPT conversation - it will appear in the list of network requests. Right click on the new conversation request and choose 'Copy -> Copy as Fetch'.
Edit the Model Parameter
This copies the conversation details to the console editor. Scroll down until you see a parameter called 'model' - it likely shows 'text-davinci-002' right now, indicating you're on ChatGPT 3.5. Replace the entire parameter value with 'gpt-4' and be sure to keep the backslash after the 4. This small edit tells ChatGPT we explicitly want version 4. Click the 'Run' button among the console options to submit this change.
Waiting for the Switch to Finalize
After submitting the edited model parameter, wait about 1 minute for ChatGPT's servers to process. You may see some activity in the console - this is expected as the switch completes.
Once comfortable time has passed, close and reopen your ChatGPT conversation. You should now see the blue ChatGPT 4 icon indicating the switch was successful!
Testing That You Switched Back to ChatGPT 4
To validate you are indeed back talking to ChatGPT 4, ask it any open-ended question that requires thoughtful elaboration. The latest version is noticeably slower and more deliberate with its responses. If the answer you receive meets those expectations, congratulations!
You have successfully switched back to ChatGPT 4 without resetting your precious conversation history that you've built up with the AI assistant. Now you can continue enriching that learning experience.
Conclusion
Exceeding ChatGPT 4's usage limits can disrupt conversations by downgrading you to earlier GPT-3 models. And losing long conversation history is frustrating. This step-by-step guide demonstrates how to manually switch back to ChatGPT 4 if you encounter this issue.
FAQ
Q: Why does ChatGPT sometimes switch from version 4 to 3.5?
A: ChatGPT limits users to 25 messages per 2 hours to manage demand. Exceeding this triggers an automatic downgrade from GPT-4 to GPT-3.5.
Q: Can I manually switch back to ChatGPT 4?
A: No, there is no manual way to switch back once you exceed the 25 message limit. You have to use the method shown in this guide.
Q: Do I lose my conversation history when downgraded to GPT-3.5?
A: No, you retain the full history. This guide shows you how to switch back while keeping all prior messages intact.
Q: What is the key step in switching back to ChatGPT 4?
A: Editing the 'model' parameter in the conversation code and changing it from 'text-davinci-002' to 'gpt-4'.
Q: Do I need coding skills to follow this guide?
A: No coding experience is required. You just need to copy-paste and make a small text edit as explained.
Q: How long should I wait after making the edit to see the switch?
A: It typically takes about 1 minute for the change to take effect. Refresh your browser after a short wait.
Q: How can I confirm I'm back on ChatGPT 4?
A: ChatGPT 4 has a different icon and responds slower. Ask it a question to test the version.
Q: Who originally discovered this ChatGPT downgrade workaround?
A: The method was discovered by a Reddit user named kinkyCusco and shared publicly.
Q: Will this guide work if I'm switched to Claude or another assistant?
A: No, this specific guide is only confirmed to work for switching from GPT-3.5 back to GPT-4.
Q: Does this allow unlimited GPT-4 access without any quota?
A: No, you'll still be rate limited. It just lets you switch back once your quota resets.