ChatGPT's new customization options are exactly what I've been waiting for to make my chats more personal

New custom instructions added to ChatGPT
Responses become more personal to you
More new features expected in 2025

OpenAI has confirmed via X.com that it has introduced new customization features to ChatGPT. The new features that allow you to customize how the AI chatbot responds to you are rolling out now in the browser-based version of ChatGPT and on desktop on Windows.

The release currently doesn’t cover users in the EU, Norway, Iceland Liechtenstein, and Switzerland, but will be “available soon” according to OpenAI. It’s also not available yet in the Mac app. OpenAI says the new features will be coming to desktop on MacOS ”in the next few weeks.”

We’ve updated custom instructions to make it easier to customize how ChatGPT responds to you.With the new UI, you can tell ChatGPT the traits you want it to have, how you want it to talk to you, and any rules you want it to follow. pic.twitter.com/BaXaqAw5cEJanuary 17, 2025

Accessing the new features

The update includes two new options in the Customize ChatGPT dialog box (available by clicking on your icon, and then choosing Customize ChatGPT from the menu that appears). The first is ‘What should ChatGPT call you?’ and the second is ‘What do you do?’ which is asking for your occupation.

In the ‘What traits should ChatGPT have?’ box you’ll find new options have been added including ‘Chatty’, ‘Witty’, and ‘Opinionated’.

Below this box is a new ‘What else would you like ChatGPT to know about you?’ box, where you can type in your interests and values.

Once you’ve entered some information in these boxes you’ll find your interactions with ChatGPT are taken to a much more personal level, which can help save you time, since you don’t have to keep asking it to respond in a certain way. It will also tailor information to your profession.

ChatGPT menu

Click on your user account icon in the top right of the screen to access the new customization options. (Image credit: OpenAI/Apple)

Much more personal

I’ve experimented with the options and the effects are immediate. I love the more chatty GPT, for instance. And if you want a bit of fun you can ask to reply in “casual bro talk”, or “like you’re in a Jane Austen novel”. In fact, the possibilities are endless.

The only thing I found a bit limiting was not being able to set up multiple personality profiles. Currently, if you want to turn off your custom settings, or switch easily between two different modes of reply, you have to go back to this menu then edit and save it every time.

While welcome, this update to ChatGPT is fairly minor, and we’re still waiting for some of the more exciting updates we’ve been promised for 2025, most notably an AI Agent from ChatGPT. So far in 2025 OpenAI has added a new tasks feature, which goes some way towards the goal of an AI agent by enabling you to set reminders for certain times using ChatGPT, but is still a fair way off the full autonomous agent experience we’re looking forward to.

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