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OpenAI has restored access to its Standard Voice Mode following widespread user pushback against its planned retirement. The company initially introduced Advanced Voice Mode as a replacement, offering longer usage limits and expanded features. However, feedback from users highlighted the unique appeal of Standard Voice, prompting a change in course.
OpenAI Responds to User Feedback
Nick Turley, the OpenAI Vice President and head of ChatGPT, came out to clarify the announcement. Turley wrote a post on X and on the official site of the company that Standard Voice Mode would be available. He stated that OpenAI had the intention to get this transition right and keep on enhancing Advanced Voice. Turley underlined the fact that the company had listened to the concerns of the community, that Standard Voice was a special place to many users.
Last month we announced that everyone now has access to Advanced Voice Mode, with usage limits expanded from minutes per day to hours for free users and near unlimited for Plus.
— Nick Turley (@nickaturley) September 9, 2025
We also announced that Standard Voice Mode would be retired after a 30-day sunset. We’ve heard…
The company update also states that Advanced Voice Mode is a main service that will improve and will be enhanced, with additions, according to the feedback. Although the removal of Standard Voice was scheduled to take place after a 30-day sunset period, the extension points to a change in the rollout strategy used by OpenAI. The company was categorical that the two modes will coexist as engineers will respond to any issues raised by the community.
Advanced Voice Capabilities Expand
Advanced Voice Mode has been added with the intention of promoting the overall voice chat experience. It enables subscribers to have almost unlimited use daily, and increases free users from minutes to hours. When usage limits are surpassed, sessions will default to GPT-4o, which is OpenAI’s most advanced voice model, and fall back to GPT-4o mini. The system offers a more natural flow of conversation, and flexibility in the audio, video and screen-sharing capabilities is higher.
OpenAI also confirmed that voice conversations can run in the background, even with a locked screen, provided settings allow it. Limits differ by subscription tier, but Plus and Pro users enjoy nearly unlimited use of the service. Advanced features like video and screen-sharing remain tied to subscriber plans, with restrictions applied once usage caps are reached. These structured guardrails are intended to balance accessibility with responsible use.
The advanced mode also has nine realistic voices that are set with various tones and characters. Arbor, Breeze, Cove, Ember, Juniper, Maple, Sol, Spruce and Vale entitle users to a variety of interaction options. In the case of GPTs, an extra voice called Shimmer is provided, which highlights the amount of customisation that went into the upgrade. These capabilities
