---
title: "How to Change ChatGPT's Reasoning Level When It Seems Dumb"
url: "https://goremy.ai/blog/articles/chatgpt-reasoning-level-setting"
author: Luis Chavez-Mattos
editor: Luis Chavez-Mattos
editor_title: Director, Product
published: "2026-11-13T04:00:23.831Z"
updated: "2026-11-13T04:00:23.831Z"
topic: AI Models & Industry
description: "If ChatGPT feels worse lately, check its reasoning level. Here is where the setting lives on mobile, what each plan offers, and why the model can't say."
---

# How to Change ChatGPT's Reasoning Level When It Seems Dumb

> If ChatGPT feels worse lately, check its reasoning level. Here is where the setting lives on mobile, what each plan offers, and why the model can't say.

Edited by Luis Chavez-Mattos, Director, Product · Published 2026-11-13

## How do you change ChatGPT's reasoning level?

In the ChatGPT mobile app, tap the plus sign next to the chat box and look for "reasoning level." Open it and move the setting up. On the $20 paid plan, it is a three-level slider, and the simplest fix for a ChatGPT that feels dull is to set it to the highest level. One person who walked a relative through this found the setting sitting at medium. The relative had been paying $20 a month and assumed the product had simply gotten worse. The control is easy to miss, and many people never learn it exists.

## TL;DR

- **A hidden reasoning-level setting** can make ChatGPT feel noticeably less capable, even when you are paying for a plan.
- On mobile, the control sits behind the **plus sign next to the chat box**, not in an obvious speed dial.
- The **$20 plan has a three-level slider**, and higher tiers reportedly offer more levels and more models.
- **ChatGPT can't tell you its own setting.** If you ask, it may name a model version and apologize, but it can't diagnose the real cause.
- Raising the level is the first thing to try when answers feel shallow, but a higher level is not always the right choice for every task.
- Test the change with a task that failed before, so you know whether it helped.

## What is a reasoning level, and why does it affect quality?

Newer ChatGPT models can "think" before they answer. They work through a problem in a hidden step, then give you the result. The reasoning level controls how much of that thinking the model does. A low level favors a fast reply. A high level lets the model spend more effort on the problem before it responds.

For a quick question like "rewrite this sentence more politely," low effort is fine. For anything with several steps, such as a messy spreadsheet question, a contract summary, or reading an image carefully, shallow thinking shows up as mistakes, vague answers, or confident wrong ones. To you, that feels like the model got dumber. The model is the same. It is being asked to put in less effort than you assumed.

That is why the symptom is so confusing. Nothing announces that a lower setting is active. You just get weaker answers.

## Where is the reasoning level setting?

In the mobile example, the control was one tap away from the chat box:

1. Open a chat in the ChatGPT mobile app.
2. Tap the **plus (+)** sign next to the message field.
3. Find **reasoning level** in the menu.
4. Open it and choose a higher level. On the $20 plan, that means the top position of three.

Two caveats. First, the walkthrough this article draws on covered the mobile app only. On the web or desktop version, the control may sit elsewhere, such as near the model picker, or may look different. Second, OpenAI changes the ChatGPT interface often, so labels and menus may not match this description exactly. If you don't see "reasoning level," look at whatever menu lets you pick a model or a thinking mode, and check whether your plan includes the option.

## Why can't ChatGPT tell you what its reasoning level is?

This trips people up, so it is worth stating plainly. If you ask ChatGPT, "Why are you giving me worse answers?" it can't look at your settings. It may tell you which model it is, apologize, and suggest rephrasing. It will not say, "Your reasoning level is set to medium. Raise it."

The likely reason is simple. The setting is applied by the app around the conversation, and the model is not given a readout of it. The model produces text based on what you typed. It has no dashboard of its own configuration. So its answer about itself is a guess, and a guess that sounds confident can send you in the wrong direction.

The practical rule: when ChatGPT underperforms, check the settings yourself before you trust the model's explanation of what went wrong.

## What do the different ChatGPT plans offer?

Here is what the source supports, and where it stops:

| Plan | What the source says about reasoning control |
|---|---|
| Free | Not confirmed. The source only says people on free and $20 plans often don't know the setting exists. Check your own app. |
| $20 paid plan | A three-level slider. Set it to the highest level. |
| Higher-priced "fancy" plan | More levels and more models to choose from. |

Plan features and names shift over time, and the source does not give exact tier names, prices beyond the $20 plan, or usage limits. Before you upgrade for more reasoning options, read the current plan comparison on OpenAI's pricing page rather than relying on a summary like this one.

## Should you always set reasoning to high?

For most people who feel let down by ChatGPT, raising the level is the right first move. Still, "highest always" is not a law. General trade-offs apply:

- **Higher levels are usually slower.** The model thinks longer, so you wait longer.
- **Higher levels may use more of your allowance.** Plans can have usage caps, and heavier thinking can cost more of them. Check your plan's current limits.
- **Simple tasks don't need it.** Fixing a typo or drafting a short email gains little from extra thinking.

A sensible habit: leave it high for analysis, math, long documents, images, planning, and anything where a wrong answer costs you. Drop it for quick, low-stakes edits if speed matters more.

## How do you test whether a higher reasoning level helped?

Don't judge by feel. Run a quick comparison.

1. Pick a task that gave you a poor answer recently. A good one has a checkable result, like a calculation, a summary of a document you know well, or a description of an image.
2. Note the current reasoning level.
3. Run the task again at the higher level, with the same wording.
4. Compare. Did it catch details it missed before? Is the logic cleaner? Is it more willing to say what it is unsure about?

You can also use this prompt to get more out of a higher setting:

```
Work through this step by step before answering.
List any assumptions you are making.
Then give your answer, and tell me what you are least sure about.

[paste your task here]
```

That prompt doesn't replace the setting. It asks for visible structure so you can check the model's work.

## What this means for you

**If you pay for ChatGPT and it feels worse:** check the reasoning level first, before canceling or switching tools. It costs you ten seconds.

**If you are the "AI person" in your family or office:** this is a useful thing to pass along. People on free and $20 plans are the ones least likely to know the control exists. Telling a coworker to open the plus menu may fix a complaint they have carried for weeks.

**If you use ChatGPT for work:** match the level to the stakes. Use high for reports, analysis, and anything that goes to a client or your boss. Use lower for quick rewrites. And whatever the level, verify facts, numbers, and citations yourself.

**If you compare ChatGPT to other tools:** make sure you compare fairly. If one assistant reads an image correctly and ChatGPT doesn't, the difference may be a low setting rather than a weaker model. Rerun the test at a higher level before you decide.

## Could you build a small tool to track which settings work for which tasks?

If your team uses ChatGPT regularly, you probably end up with scattered notes on which prompts and settings work for which jobs. A small shared tool can hold that instead. With [Remy](https://goremy.ai), you describe the app in plain English, such as a prompt library where teammates save a prompt, the task it is for, the reasoning level that worked, and a rating. Remy builds and deploys it as a full-stack app with sign-in, so only your team sees it. It replaces a messy spreadsheet or another subscription, and you own the result.

## Frequently Asked Questions

### Why does ChatGPT seem less intelligent than it used to?

One possible cause is a lower reasoning level than you expected. The setting controls how much the model thinks before answering, and a lower level can produce shallower answers. Model updates and your own prompts can also play a part, so test the setting first because it is quick.

### Can I ask ChatGPT what its reasoning level is?

You can ask, but you shouldn't trust the answer. The model doesn't appear to have access to the setting, so it can only guess. Check the control in the app instead.

### Is the reasoning level only on mobile?

The walkthrough here showed it on mobile, behind the plus sign by the chat box. It may exist in other versions of ChatGPT under a different label or location. Look near the model selector, and check your plan's current features.

### Does the free plan have a reasoning level control?

The source doesn't confirm it. It only says people on free plans often don't know about the setting. Open the plus menu in your app to see what is available to you.

### Is it worth paying for a higher plan just for more reasoning levels?

Only if the $20 plan's top setting isn't enough for your work. Raise the level there first and test it on a task that failed before. If it still falls short, compare the current plan details on OpenAI's pricing page before you upgrade.