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ChatGPT Not Loading or Not Working

Workaround available Web, Windows, macOS, iOS, Android Updated October 21, 2026

Quick answer

If chatgpt.com shows a blank page, spins forever or says 'There was a problem preparing your chat', it's usually an outage, a script blocker or extension, or stale cache. Check the status page, then try a private window with extensions off.

Most likely fix: Check OpenAI's status page first.

Symptoms

Blank or white page, endless loading spinner, the sidebar never appears, or the message 'There was a problem preparing your chat'.

Why it happens

  • ChatGPT outage
  • Script blockers or extensions blocking the page
  • Stale cache or cookies
  • VPN or network filtering
  • Outdated app or browser

How to fix it

Try these in order — the most common fix is first.

  1. 1. Check OpenAI's status page first

    1. Open status.openai.com
    2. Look for an active incident on ChatGPT, Voice or Image Generation
    3. If there is one, wait for it to be marked resolved - nothing on your side will fix it

  2. 2. Disable script blockers and extensions

    1. Turn off NoScript, uBlock or similar for chatgpt.com
    2. Disable other extensions one by one
    3. Reload the page

  3. 3. Clear cache and cookies or use a private window

    1. Open a private/incognito window and sign in to chatgpt.com
    2. If that works, clear cookies and site data for chatgpt.com and openai.com in your normal browser
    3. Sign in again

  4. 4. Update or reinstall the app

    1. Update the ChatGPT app (desktop or mobile) or your browser
    2. If it still won't load, uninstall and reinstall the app
    3. Sign in again

  5. 5. Turn off VPN, proxy and security extensions

    1. Disconnect any VPN or proxy
    2. Disable ad blockers, privacy and 'web protect' extensions for chatgpt.com
    3. Turn off secure DNS in browser settings if enabled
    4. Reload ChatGPT

This guide also covers

  • chatgpt not loading
  • chatgpt not working
  • chatgpt blank page
  • there was a problem preparing your chat
  • why is chatgpt not working

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