To use ChatGPT Image 2, open a chat on web, iOS, or Android, describe the image you want (or attach one to edit), and send it — the app defaults every image request to the new model as of April 21, 2026. Free and Go accounts get fast Instant-mode results; Plus, Pro, and Business accounts can also switch on Thinking mode, which plans the image before it draws.
Short answer: Type or attach an image request in any ChatGPT chat — it now runs on ChatGPT Image 2 by default. Instant mode is free for every account; Thinking mode, which reasons through composition and text before rendering, needs Plus ($20/month), Pro, or Business. Expect 2K output, up to 8 images per prompt, and far more reliable on-image text than the old model.
I've been generating images in ChatGPT since the original GPT Image 1 launched back in March 2025, and in my testing this April 2026 update is the first version where I stopped double-checking every word it rendered onto a poster or label. Here's what actually happens at each step, what's gated behind a subscription, and the mistakes that burn a prompt.
What you'll need
Any ChatGPT account works for basic image generation — Free included, no credit card needed. You need the ChatGPT app (iOS or Android) or a browser at chatgpt.com, signed in. Thinking mode, the slower reasoning-first option, is limited to Plus ($20/month), Pro ($200/month), and Business; Enterprise and Edu don't have it yet as of this writing. If you're generating anything with a lot of on-image text — a flyer, a book cover, a chart — have your exact wording typed out to paste in, since dictating spelling out loud never works as well. If you're not sure which plan you're on or want to compare tiers first, my guide to using ChatGPT for free breaks down what the no-cost account includes.
Step-by-step: how to use ChatGPT Image 2
1. Open a chat and describe the image
Start a new conversation and describe what you want in plain language, the same way you'd type any other prompt — no special mode or button required. ChatGPT decides on its own whether to generate a fresh image or edit one already in the thread.
2. Let it pick Instant or ask for Thinking
By default you get Instant mode: fast output, good for drafts and quick iterations. For anything with layout, legible text, or a multi-step scene, add "think it through" or similar language to your prompt, or use the mode picker where it appears in the composer — Thinking mode plans the composition first, checks its own text for accuracy, and can pull in a web reference before it renders.
3. Set the aspect ratio
ChatGPT Image 2 supports a continuous range from 3:1 (ultra-wide) to 1:3 (ultra-tall), not just square, landscape, and portrait presets. Use the ratio picker in the composer, or just say it in the prompt — "9:16 for a phone wallpaper" works fine.
4. Ask for a batch when you want options
Say "give me four options" or "make eight variations" and Thinking mode can produce up to eight images from one prompt while keeping the same character, style, or product consistent across all of them. This is the single biggest practical upgrade over last year's model if you're building anything like a slide deck or a social carousel.
5. Edit with words, not the selection tool
You can highlight a region of an existing image and describe a change, but in my testing the edit sometimes bled past the highlighted area. Describing the change in a full sentence — "keep the dog exactly the same, change the background to a snowy street" — landed more precisely than the mask tool almost every time.
6. Skip transparent-background requests
Asking for background: transparent directly fails outright in my tests. If you need a transparent PNG for a logo or sticker, generate on a plain solid color and remove the background afterward with a separate tool.
7. Find and reuse past images
Every image you generate gets saved to your account's image library, searchable from the same menu where you review your chat history — useful when you want to pull up something you made weeks ago instead of re-describing it from scratch.
Example prompts you can copy
These are close to prompts I've actually run, adjusted for a general case:
- "Design a 3-panel Instagram carousel announcing a product launch, same character and color palette across all three, 4:5 ratio."
- "Generate a room mockup: this exact sofa (attached photo), but in a warm neutral living room with morning light. Think it through."
- "Create an infographic explaining compound interest with three clearly labeled steps and readable numbers — check your text is spelled correctly before you finish."
- "Make an ultra-wide 3:1 banner image for a newsletter header, minimal style, no text."
- "Take this logo (attached) and give me eight color variations, keeping the shape identical."
Common mistakes to avoid
The one that cost me the most retries early on: assuming Instant mode would handle a text-heavy poster as well as Thinking mode — it won't, and asking it to "think it through" first fixed nearly every garbled word. Second is expecting the free plan to unlock Thinking mode at all; it's Plus, Pro, or Business only, with Enterprise and Edu still pending. Third is relying on the region-select edit tool for anything precise — a written description of the change is more reliable right now. Fourth is requesting a transparent background directly, which fails outright instead of giving a workaround. Fifth, and easy to forget: complex, multi-step Thinking-mode prompts can take up to two minutes to finish, so a blank screen for 90 seconds isn't a bug — it's the model reasoning through the composition.
ChatGPT Image 2 by plan
| Plan | Price | Instant mode | Thinking mode | Max images per prompt |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Free | $0 | Yes | No | 1 |
| Go | $8/month | Yes | No | 1 |
| Plus | $20/month | Yes | Yes | 8 |
| Pro | $200/month | Yes | Yes, priority | 8 |
| Business | $25/user/month | Yes | Yes | 8 |
| Enterprise | Custom | Yes | Not yet | 1 (for now) |
Every tier gets the sharper text rendering and 2K output that came with the April 21, 2026 update; what you're paying for is Thinking mode's reasoning pass and the ability to batch up to eight consistent images from a single prompt, per OpenAI’s Images 2.0 announcement.
Tools that make this easier
Image generation is one piece of what ChatGPT can now do inside a single chat — my guide to ChatGPT Codex covers the developer side, where the same Image 2 model now generates diagrams and UI mockups alongside code. If you're using images for a specific project, how to use ChatGPT to decorate a room and how to use ChatGPT for interior design both lean on exactly the room-mockup workflow above, and my best AI tools for presentations roundup covers where Image 2's batch-consistency feature saves the most time on a slide deck. For the work side of a ChatGPT subscription, how to use ChatGPT for work covers plan and privacy setup worth knowing before you generate anything client-facing. Worth comparing before you commit to a plan: how to use Gemini covers Google's image generation inside Docs and the Gemini app, which some readers find faster for quick single images even if it can't match Thinking mode's batch consistency. And if talking through a brief out loud is more your style before you type the prompt, how to use ChatGPT Voice is worth pairing with this.
My take
Instant mode was already good enough for a quick draft image; Thinking mode is the part that changes what I actually trust ChatGPT to do unsupervised — legible text, a consistent character across eight variations, a room mockup that keeps my actual sofa. That's worth the Plus subscription if you generate images weekly for real work. If you only need an occasional single image with no text in it, the free Instant tier genuinely doesn't need an upgrade.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is ChatGPT Image 2 free?
Instant mode is free on every ChatGPT account, including the no-cost tier. Thinking mode — the slower, more accurate reasoning pass — needs Plus ($20/month), Pro ($200/month), or Business.
How long does it take to learn how to use ChatGPT Image 2?
A few minutes. There's no separate app or setup — you type or attach an image request in a normal chat. Learning when to ask for Thinking mode versus Instant, and how to phrase an edit, takes one or two real sessions.
What is the easiest way to use ChatGPT Image 2?
Describe what you want in plain language in any chat and let ChatGPT pick the mode. Add "think it through" to your prompt for anything with text, a precise layout, or multiple linked images.
Can I generate more than one image at once?
Yes, on Plus, Pro, or Business. Ask for a batch — "give me eight variations" — and Thinking mode keeps the same character, product, or style consistent across all of them, up to eight images per prompt.
Does ChatGPT Image 2 support transparent backgrounds?
Not directly — requesting background: transparent fails in the current release. Generate on a plain solid background instead and remove it with a separate background-removal tool afterward.