ChatGPT image generator: what Images 2.6 adds
OpenAI says ChatGPT Images 2.6 makes images 50% faster and adds GIFs and saved references. API image tokens still cost $8 in and $30 out per million.
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What is new in the ChatGPT image generatorHow do you make a GIF in ChatGPT?Who can use ChatGPT Images 2.6?What does GPT-Image-2.6 cost on the API?Flare or Sunburst: which one to pickHow Images 2.6 compares with Images 2.5What this means for youThe ChatGPT image generator got an update on November 4, 2026: OpenAI released Images 2.6, which it says makes images 50% faster than before and adds GIFs and saved reference images. It is available in ChatGPT and Codex on every subscription tier, and the API prices for image tokens did not change from version 2.5.
What is new in the ChatGPT image generator
Images 2.6 is the newest version of the ChatGPT image generator, released by OpenAI on Wednesday, November 4, 2026, according to OpenAI's launch post. OpenAI says it generates images 50% faster than before.
Two features are new in ChatGPT, per OpenAI's release notes for November 4:
- ChatGPT can now make GIFs, with a playback speed you can adjust and a way to share them. This is still rolling out, so it may not appear in your account yet.
- Saved reference images let you save an image once, then call it up in later chats by typing @ and the name you gave it. That helps when the same subject has to appear in several images.
OpenAI also gave a sense of scale in the launch post: 4 billion images a week across ChatGPT, Codex and the API, and more than half a billion images a day on average.
How do you make a GIF in ChatGPT?
You make a GIF in ChatGPT by asking the image generator for one, then adjusting its playback speed and sharing it, according to OpenAI's November 4, 2026 release notes. The steps are short:
- Ask ChatGPT for a GIF of what you want to see move.
- Change the playback speed if it runs too fast or too slow.
- Share the finished GIF.
OpenAI says GIF creation is rolling out. If you don't see the option yet, your account may not have it.
Who can use ChatGPT Images 2.6?
Everyone with ChatGPT can use Images 2.6. OpenAI's launch post says it is available globally in ChatGPT and Codex across all subscription tiers. The Images in ChatGPT help article, read on November 5, 2026, lists ChatGPT Images on all tiers and Images with thinking on Plus, Pro and Business.
The same article says the official DALL-E GPT has been retired, and points people to ChatGPT Images instead. If you had a habit of opening that GPT, use the image generator in a normal chat.
What does GPT-Image-2.6 cost on the API?
GPT-Image-2.6 costs $8.00 per million image input tokens, $30.00 per million image output tokens and $2.00 per million cached input tokens, according to OpenAI's API pricing page as read on November 5, 2026. That holds for both API versions, Sunburst and Flare.
Those are the same image token prices the pricing table lists for the 2.5 versions:
| Model | Image input per 1M tokens | Image output per 1M tokens | Cached input per 1M tokens |
|---|---|---|---|
| gpt-image-2.5-sunburst | $8.00 | $30.00 | $2.00 |
| gpt-image-2.5-flare | $8.00 | $30.00 | $2.00 |
| gpt-image-2.6-sunburst | $8.00 | $30.00 | $2.00 |
| gpt-image-2.6-flare | $8.00 | $30.00 | $2.00 |
Prices are from OpenAI's pricing page, read November 5, 2026.
Flare or Sunburst: which one to pick
Pick Flare when speed matters and Sunburst when an image has to stay the same across several edits. OpenAI's launch post says Flare can make an image in as little as six seconds when quality is set to low. Sunburst is meant for medium and high quality, with greater consistency across edits. Both are listed at the same token prices.
How Images 2.6 compares with Images 2.5
ChatGPT Images 2.5 arrived on Tuesday, September 8, 2026, per OpenAI's release notes. It added templates, sketch to image and a way to share a prompt. Version 2.6 adds GIFs and saved reference images on top. OpenAI said 2.5 made generation faster too, and now says 2.6 is 50% faster than before. Both are OpenAI's own figures, and neither is a side by side benchmark you can check yourself.
What this means for you
If you make the same subject over and over in the ChatGPT image generator, saved reference images are the change to try first: save it once and reuse it with @. GIFs are worth a look once they reach your account. Developers can move from 2.5 to 2.6 with no change in the listed token price, and test the speed claim on their own prompts.
For another recent ChatGPT feature, see what OpenAI's always-on ChatGPT agents can do. For an earlier OpenAI launch, see what OpenAI's Terra model costs.
How we checked: on November 5, 2026 we read OpenAI's launch post, the ChatGPT release notes, the Images in ChatGPT help article and the API pricing page. We did not time the speed claim ourselves.
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