#Keep4o takes off as users push OpenAI to keep GPT-4o in ChatGPT

The #Keep4o movement is gaining serious momentum on X and Reddit as ChatGPT users scramble to save GPT-4o from its scheduled retirement on the 13th of this month.

The hashtag has been trending on social platforms, with hundreds of posts flooding X and Reddit’s r/ChatGPTcomplaints subreddit lighting up with passionate pleas to OpenAI.

OpenAI announced on January 29 that it would retire GPT-4o alongside GPT-4.1, GPT-4.1 mini, and OpenAI o4-mini from ChatGPT next month. The company says only 0.1% of daily active users still rely on GPT-4o, claiming most people have migrated to GPT-5.1 and GPT-5.2. But that small percentage isn’t going down without a fight.

The attachment to GPT-4o runs deep. A report from October 2025 found that 47% of paying ChatGPT users cited access to GPT-4o as the primary reason for subscribing. That kind of loyalty explains why the retirement feels like a betrayal to many long-time subscribers who specifically paid for access to this model.

Users have resurrected a Change.org petition first launched in April 2025, which now has over thirteen thousand signatures. The petition calls GPT-4o “irreplaceable” and asks OpenAI to keep it available even as newer models roll out.

One supporter wrote that “4o is my mirror” and described it as a creative partner for memoir writing, while another called it their “professional writing partner” who helped them recover from cognitive difficulties after a spinal cord injury.

That petition was kick-started because OpenAI had the same plan back then too. The company attempted to phase out the model but reversed course after massive user backlash. At the time, users complained that GPT-5 felt “less friendly” and “more robotic” compared to 4o’s warmer, more conversational style. OpenAI responded by restoring access and promising “plenty of notice” for future changes.

Still, confusing documentation had many users believing that the models would be retired in October, a rumor that we debunked on our sister site TechIssuesToday.

That said, that promise is now being tested. Reddit user discussions (1,2,3,4,5,6,7,8,9,10)  show genuine anger at what some are calling a “gut-punch,” given with just two weeks’ notice.

The r/ChatGPTcomplaints subreddit has become ground zero for organizing, with users planning physical protests at OpenAI headquarters in San Francisco and other cities. Some posts are calling for street demonstrations (seriously) on February 4, 6, and a “final wave” on February 11-12, just before the retirement takes effect.

The models will still be available through OpenAI’s API after February 13, but only ChatGPT interface access is being cut. For users who built creative workflows, emotional connections, or accessibility tools around GPT-4o’s specific personality, that’s cold comfort. 

Whether OpenAI caves to user pressure again or pushes ahead with the retirement remains to be seen. But one thing is clear: GPT-4o has developed a loyal following that isn’t ready to let go.

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