How to use custom GPTs in ChatGPT on Mac: finding, pinning, and the 2026 retirement

Here is the honest starting point. As of November 9, 2026, you can still open a custom GPT you already have in the ChatGPT Mac app. You cannot build a new one on a personal account. OpenAI's help text says creation and publishing are limited to managed workspaces where allowed. The help page would not load for this check, so that line rests on search result text.

Why you cannot build a new custom GPT anymore

OpenAI announced the retirement on September 11, 2026. The plan ends custom GPTs on December 11, 2026, and it points creators toward plugins instead. Timing can vary by account and workspace, so treat these dates as the public schedule, not a promise for your account.

If you try to make a new GPT, you may see a Create Plugin Instead option. That is the clearest sign the old route is closed for you. Reports also disagree on the exact cutoff for creating new GPTs. The sources I could open do not agree on one date, so do not plan around a single day.

Find your GPTs in the ChatGPT Mac app

The current Mac app launched on July 9, 2026, for macOS and Windows. It puts Chat, Work, and Codex in one desktop app, and it is available on every plan, including Free. The older native app is renamed ChatGPT Classic, and it shuts down on January 30, 2027.

The steps in this guide come from a June 2026 third-party guide. That guide describes the desktop web version and does not name a macOS version. OpenAI's own help pages returned errors, so I could not confirm its exact menu names. If your screen uses different words, follow the same order and look for the closest match.

Pin a custom GPT to the sidebar

Pinning saves you from searching each time. A pinned GPT sits under a Pinned section in the sidebar, so you can open it in one click. Pinning only changes where the GPT appears. It does not change the instructions or files the creator set up.

Here is a worked example. Say you have a GPT that turns pasted meeting transcripts into notes. You pin it on Monday. On Tuesday you click it in the Pinned section, paste a new transcript, and send. You skip the search, and the GPT behaves the same as before.

Get good answers from a custom GPT

A custom GPT follows the instructions its creator wrote. It may also use files or actions the creator added. Your prompt still shapes the result. Name the task, paste the material, and say what shape you want back, such as a table or a short summary.

Start a new chat for each job. A long chat carries old context into new work, and that can change the answer. If a GPT starts drifting, copy the good parts of the reply into a fresh chat and continue there.

Migrate a custom GPT you made to a plugin

Migration is the path OpenAI names for creators. Open My GPTs, find the GPT under Created by me, and select Migrate to plugin. After migration, the original becomes read-only, so you cannot edit it. Test the plugin before you rely on it.

Only the creator, a workspace owner, or an admin can migrate a GPT. The GPT must be published. Shared access alone is not enough, and plugins must be enabled on the account. If you only use a GPT someone else made, you have nothing to migrate.

What carries over and what does not

• Instructions carry over.
• Knowledge files carry over.
• Connected apps carry over.
• Custom actions do not transfer, so you may need to rebuild them.
• Conversation starters do not transfer one to one.
• The model you picked does not carry over.
• Bulk migration does not copy sharing settings.

Migrated plugins start private, and your old sharing settings do not come along. OpenAI warns that a migrated plugin may respond differently. Run a few prompts you used before and compare the answers side by side. Adjust the instructions if the tone or length has shifted.

The option may not appear on your account yet. OpenAI has not published a date for when migration opens on each plan. If you cannot see it, you cannot force it. Keep a saved copy of your instructions and files until it shows up, or until the retirement date forces the choice.

Custom GPT retirement dates for 2026

The table lists the dates from the sources. The creation cutoff and the scope are the two points with the most confusion, so read the table with the notes after it.

Campus Technology and Virtualization Review name only Enterprise workspaces. The Paperless Agent says the retirement covers all plans, including Free, Plus, and Team. I could not confirm the all-plans claim from OpenAI's own page. Check any notice from OpenAI in your account, or ask your workspace admin if you use a work account.

Qualifying Enterprise customers with approved deferrals can keep Custom GPTs running until February 11, 2027. A deferral needs approval, so do not assume you have one.

Mistakes people make with custom GPTs on Mac

• Searching for voice in the Mac app. Voice left the macOS desktop app effective January 15, 2026. It stays on web, iOS, Android, and Windows.
• Expecting a migrated plugin to be shared. Migrated plugins start private, and sharing does not carry over.
• Assuming custom actions move with the GPT. They do not, and they may need a rebuild.
• Deleting the original before testing the plugin. Keep it until the new version works the way you need.
• Following an old Mac guide. The Mac Install Guide predates the July 2026 app and does not mention GPTs.
• Looking for GPTs on the chatgpt.com homepage. Its navigation lists New chat, Images, Deep research, Settings, and Plugins, with no GPTs entry.

If you only want a standing tone or background for your chats, custom instructions may cover it. The steps are in How to set custom instructions in ChatGPT on Mac. For a set of files tied to one project, see How to create a project in ChatGPT on Mac.

What to do before December 11, 2026

Start with a list. Open My GPTs and write down every GPT you use. Mark which ones you created and which someone shared with you. You cannot migrate a GPT you did not create, so those need a different plan.

Next, copy each GPT's instructions into a plain text file. Save the names of any knowledge files and the starter prompts. Starter prompts do not move one to one, so keep your own copies.

Then, for each GPT you made, check whether Migrate to plugin appears. If it does, migrate one GPT, test it with your usual work, and only then move on to the next. If it does not appear, keep your saved copy and test a rebuilt version in a project or a normal chat.

The main risk is a plan made too late. A GPT that worked well in October may respond differently after a move. Give yourself time to compare outputs before the date, and keep notes on what changed.