How to Fix It When Your ChatGPT Login Isn't Working

OpenAI’s servers may be experiencing congestion, or there could be a problem with your login credentials

By
Jeremy Laukkonen
Jeremy Laukkonen
Jeremy Laukkonen
Writer
  • Shoreline Community College
Jeremy Laukkonen is automotive and tech writer for numerous major trade publications. When not researching and testing computers, game consoles or smartphones, he stays up-to-date on the myriad complex systems that power battery electric vehicles .
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Updated on July 24, 2023

When the ChatGPT login isn’t working, you may see an error message, the option to log in may be missing, or you may experience one of the following situations:

  • Repetitive or endless redirects where ChatGPT never loads after logging in
  • A login loop where you are asked to log in again after you log in
  • A 503 server error message in your browser
  • A failure during the authentication process

What Causes the ChatGPT Login to Not Work?

ChatGPT requires a lot of system resources to run, and OpenAI isn’t always able to keep up with demands. When too many people try to use ChatGPT at once, it can cause issues with the servers, which includes the login not working.

In most cases where you are unable to log into ChatGPT, get stuck in a login loop, or see a 503 server error, it’s because of server congestion. Other issues with the ChatGPT servers that aren’t related to congestion can also prevent you from logging in as well.

In other cases, problems with the ChatGPT login are caused by issues with login credentials, like entering the wrong email address or password. Network connectivity problems, which include virtual private network (VPN) issues, can also prevent you from logging into ChatGPT. Corrupt browser cookies and other data, malfunctioning browser extensions, and other related issues can also cause issues.

How to Fix Your ChatGPT Login Not Working

When your ChatGPT login isn’t working, you can perform a few checks to find out if it’s a problem with the ChatGPT servers. There are also a number of fixes you can try on your end if the servers are working fine. If the ChatGPT servers are experiencing issues, all you can do is wait for OpenAI to fix the problem, or for server congestion to die down. If the problem is on your end, then fixing it should restore your access to ChatGPT.

Free ChatGPT accounts are deprioritized during times of high congestion, in favor of users who pay for ChatGPT Pro. If you’re unable to access ChatGPT during peak times, try checking back later when fewer people are using it.

Here are the steps you can take when your ChatGPT login isn’t working:

  1. Check the OpenAI status page. The OpenAI status page reports current and past statuses for various ChatGPT services, including explanations of previous outages. If you check this page and see the All Systems Operational message, that means ChatGPT logins should be working. If you see an outage message, then you’ll have to wait for OpenAI to fix the problem.

  2. Check social media for outage reports. In some cases, OpenAI may be experiencing issues that have not yet been reported on its status page. To rule that out, you can check hashtags like #ChatGPT on X (formerly Twitter). If other people are also experiencing login issues, it’s likely to be a problem on OpenAI’s end.

  3. Access ChatGPT directly. If you’re trying to use ChatGPT through a browser plugin or another third-party method, try logging in directly on the website. Navigate to ChatGPT's main page, and try to log in there.

    If you can’t log in at ChatGPT's main page, try logging in at ChatGPT's alternative page instead. This is the interface for Dall-E instead of ChatGPT, but account logins are shared between the two.

  4. Verify your login credentials. There are a number of ways to sign up for an OpenAi account, including with your email address, through Google, or through Microsoft. Make sure you’re using the same method you used to sign up and verify that your browser or password manager didn’t inadvertently store the wrong password.

    If you aren’t sure, you can click forgot password during the login process to perform a password reset.

  5. Clear the data your browser stores. You may have corrupt cookies or cached data, in which case clearing your browser data might fix the problem. Clear your cache, then delete your cookies, and then check to see if you can log in.

  6. Disable your VPN. If you’re connecting to the internet through a VPN, try disabling it temporarily. You may need to turn your VPN off to log into ChatGPT, and then turn it back on when you’re done. You may also need to troubleshoot your VPN connectivity issues if you have trouble with additional sites beyond just ChatGPT.

  7. Try to access ChatGPT using a different internet connection. If you’re trying to access ChatGPT at work or school, or on any network that you don’t control, the network administrator may have blocked it. Check to see if you can log in when connected to a different internet connection, or try accessing ChatGPT through your phone over its cellular data connection.

  8. Test and troubleshoot your internet connectivity. If you can access ChatGPT through cellular data, or another internet connection, then you may have a problem with your network hardware. In some cases, restarting your network hardware will be enough to fix the problem.

FAQ
  • When is the best time to use ChatGPT?

    Because ChatGPT is available worldwide it's busy much of the time, but after midnight and before 7am ET is likely your best bet.

  • What's the difference between the free ChatGPT account and the paid one?

    You have access to all the same information, but paid accounts have priority during peak hours so you can get answers when the free accounts may not. If ChatGPT adds new features, paid accounts will get them before free accounts (and there's no guarantee free accounts will ever get new features).

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