Openai announced that the ChatGPT search feature is now accessible to everyone, removing the need for users to sign up for their accounts. The expansion revealed in X’s post allows individuals around the world to search for real-time information on the web using AI-powered search tools.
This feature was first launched in November 2024 for paid subscribers. A month later, in December 2024, Openai extended access to freelance users. Now, the company is further expanding availability, making the tool available to even unregistered users without restrictions.
According to Openai, the feature is designed to enhance accessibility, making AI-driven search available to a larger audience. This rollout allows anyone visiting the ChatGPT website to enter a query and receive responses based on real-time web searches powered by OpenAI’s latest GPT-4O model.
How functions work
Users notice the glove icon next to the (File Attachment) button in the ChatGPT text input field. Tap this icon to manually activate the web search mode, allowing the chatbot to retrieve and view information directly from the internet.
To maintain transparency, ChATGPT search displays sources in two formats: First, a clickable icon appears after the statement that has external information referenced, allowing the user to see the source. Second, a list of sources is provided at the bottom of each response, providing further clarity and traceability of the information.
There is no fee limit for unregistered users
In particular, Openai does not impose any rate limits on unregistered users accessing chatgpt searches. Free-level users can also use the functionality without restrictions to ensure unlimited access to real-time information.
Meanwhile, the Ministry of Finance advised employees to refrain from using AI tools such as ChatGpt and DeepSeek for official work due to concerns about potential risks to the confidentiality of government documents and data. Reuters, cited advice from the internal division.
