How to Fix the ChatGPT Not Working in Chrome browser

The OpenAI’s ChatGPT is a widely used conversational AI model, often deployed in various browsers, including Chrome, for several applications. Its ability to understand, respond, and create meaningful dialogues makes it an invaluable tool for many users. However, there may be instances where it fails to operate as expected in the Chrome browser.

Several users have reported across various online platforms that ChatGPT occasionally struggles to function correctly. It may take an extended period to load or, at times, may not load at all.

Addressing this situation is essential to resume a seamless interactive experience with AI. If you’re grappling with this problem frequently, here are some troubleshooting steps to guide you back on track.

It’s well understood that the application must load properly for a productive interaction with ChatGPT. If this is the bottleneck, and Chrome encounters issues loading ChatGPT, follow these troubleshooting measures:

Check OpenAI’s Server Status

Sometimes the problem might be from the server side that does not have a solution. Thankfully, the OpenAI maintains a servers and systems outage page that reports the operational status in almost real-time. You can check the OpenAI Status here:

Check OpenAI Status

If the status for ChatGPT is displayed in the Red color, then you can consider it a server outage, and you can’t fix it from your end. It’s the OpenAI team that needs to work from the backend to resolve the loading or not working issue.

Check the System’s Date and Time

Incorrect system date and time settings can sometimes cause issues with secure connections, affecting the functioning of applications like ChatGPT. Ensure your computer’s date and time are set correctly:

1. Open the Start menu on your Windows PC and select the Settings menu.
   It will open the Settings window.
2. Switch to Time & Language settings page.
3. Ensure the Time zone is correct and enable the toggle switch for the Set time automatically option.
   

If they’re wrong, you can manually adjust them by disabling the Set time automatically toggle switch and using the Change command on the Set the date and time manually option.

Similarly, you can check and correct the data and time in macOS from the Apple menu > System Settings > General and open the Date & Time settings page.

It’s part of basic troubleshooting that can help you resolve most issues without going into destructive troubleshooting mode.

Update Chrome

An outdated Chrome version could potentially cause problems with ChatGPT. Here’s how to update your Chrome browser:

1. Launch the Google Chrome browser on your computer.
2. Hit on More  for options and select Settings from the list.
3. Switch to the About Chrome tab on the Settings page.
4. Google Chrome should automatically start looking for the latest updates.
   

After updating, restart Chrome and navigate to the ChatGPT application.

Clear Cache and Cookies Data

Accumulated cache and cookies could interfere with the smooth functioning of ChatGPT or any website, for that matter. Clearing cache data might help:

1. Open Chrome browser on your computer.
2. Click on the More for menu options and hover on the More Tools menu.
3. Select the Clear Browsing Data menu from the list. It will open the Clear browsing data settings window.
4. Choose the Time Range from the drop-down and select the checkboxes for the ‘Cookies and other site data‘ and ‘Cached images and files‘ options.
5. Finally, hit the Clear Data command button.

Note: Clearing the cache and cookies will log you out of most sites and even from the OpenAI account. Ensure you have your login information handy.

Once the accumulated cache and cookies are removed, reopen the ChatGPT site and sign in with your account to check if the loading issue persists.

Disable Extensions

Browser extensions, while beneficial, can sometimes interfere with the operation of specific applications and Web APIs. That results in the website not working. You can disable the extensions to check if these extensions are causing problems. Here’s how to disable them:

1. Open Google Chrome on your computer.
2. Click on the More for options menu.
3. Hover on More Tools and select the Extensions option. It will open the Chrome Extensions Manager page with install extensions.
4. Disable the toggle option against each extension.
5. Restart the browser and check for issues.

If the ChatGPT functions properly after these steps, one or more extensions might be causing the issue. Re-enable them one by one to identify which extension is the culprit.

Clear DNS Cache

The DNS cache stores the IP addresses of recently visited web servers. If an address changes before your DNS cache is updated, it may cause loading problems. Here’s how to clear it:

1. Launch Google Chrome on the computer.
2. Type in chrome://net-internals/#dns in the address bar, and hit Enter key.
3. Hit the Clear host cache button.
   
4. Restart the browser.

Once done, try reopening ChatGPT on Chrome and check if the issue persists.

Restart the System

If none of the previous solutions work, the problem might lie with the system itself. In such cases, a simple system restart can often resolve the issue:

1. Click on the Start button in the taskbar of your screen.
2. Click on the Power button and choose the option to Restart the system.
   

Once your system restarts, reopen Chrome and navigate to the ChatGPT application to check if the issue has been resolved.

Reset Browser Settings

Sometimes, customized Chrome settings can lead to issues with the functioning of ChatGPT. Resetting Chrome to default settings can help:

1. Launch the Chrome browser on the computer.
2. Click on the More menu for options, and select the Settings menu from the list.
   
3. Switch to the Reset settings tab in the sidebar and select Restore settings to their original defaults option.
4. Hit the Reset settings command button to continue the browser reset.

Note: This action will deactivate all the extensions, clear temporary data, and remove cookies. However, your bookmarks, history, and saved passwords will not be erased.

After resetting, restart your browser and try loading the ChatGPT application again.

Bottom Line

The comprehensive troubleshooting steps cater to various possible scenarios that might cause ChatGPT not to function correctly on the browser. While minor issues can often be resolved by a simple restart or clearing the cache, certain situations might require you to delve deeper and make changes to your DNS settings, system date and time, or even restart the system itself.

However, remember that while these steps are designed to rectify common issues, they might not cover every unique situation. Given the diverse potential issues, not all problems may be solved through these measures alone.

Suppose you’ve gone through these steps and still have problems with ChatGPT on Chrome. In such cases, contacting OpenAI support or technical professionals who can provide specialized assistance could be beneficial.

Lastly, if you've any thoughts or feedback on How to Fix the ChatGPT Not Working in Chrome browser, then feel free to drop in below comment box. You can also report the outdated information.