ChatGPT Adds GIF Creation and Faster Images in Images 2.6 Update

What Is New

According to The Verge, ChatGPT can now create animated GIFs from a text prompt or from a photo uploaded to the chatbot. The feature is rolling out alongside OpenAI’s new Images 2.6 model. The report says ChatGPT could not natively generate GIFs in a single step before this change. In an example OpenAI shared, the prompt ‘can you make a gif of a cat dancing?’ produced a GIF, and users can view it frame by frame.

According to the same report, users can adjust a GIF’s animation speed, edit individual frames and share the GIF with others.

OpenAI says Images 2.6 also makes image generation faster in ChatGPT. The company says users now generate over 4 billion images per week across ChatGPT and its API, up from the 3 billion per week it reported in September. Images 2.6 is rolling out to all ChatGPT and Codex users across web, desktop and mobile apps. OpenAI is also launching GPT-Image-2.6 Flare and Sunburst in its API for faster and higher-quality image generation.

Earlier updates, according to OpenAI’s help center release notes:

• Images 2.5, dated September 8, 2026, brought sharper details, more precise editing and faster image generation.
• Users can start from a template by opening Images and then Templates. ChatGPT may ask follow-up questions to refine the request.
• On mobile, typing @ in the message box and selecting Sketch lets users draw an idea and then describe the image.
• On mobile, users can open a generated image full-screen to edit it or add comments.
• Users can share the prompt for a generated image so others can create their own version.
• Sticker packs can be made from an idea or a photo. They are available to all ChatGPT users on mobile globally, and packs can be downloaded or added to iMessage or WhatsApp on supported devices.
• On Android, generated images fill the width of the conversation, and the sidebar shows up to eight recent conversations. This requires the ChatGPT Android app version 1.2026.216 or later.

Limits, Privacy and Academic Integrity

• Some users see animated dots and a Snake game while images are generated. The help center says the loading experience varies by platform and rollout.
• Snake is not available in Work mode, and templates are not yet available in Work mode.
• The help center says existing image-generation limits are unchanged.
• The official DALL·E GPT retires on August 30, 2026, according to a July 31, 2026 release note. OpenAI encourages users to download any images they want to keep before then. To continue creating or editing images, users should use ChatGPT Images. User-created GPTs with image generation enabled are not affected.
• The sources do not describe privacy settings or rules on academic use for the new GIF feature.