[macOS][ChatGPT Desktop] Missing blue unread indicators and intermittently disappearing responses #52459

What version of the Codex App are you using (From “About Codex” dialog)?

26.1007.21159

What subscription do you have?

ChatGPT Pro 100

What platform is your computer?

Darwin 27.0.0 arm64 arm

What issue are you seeing?

Two issues have appeared in the ChatGPT macOS desktop application since October 8, 2026.

ISSUE 1: Missing blue unread indicators

Blue unread indicators no longer appear in the conversation sidebar when a ChatGPT response finishes generating in another conversation.

This happens even when switching to another conversation before the response finishes.

The unread indicators work correctly on chatgpt.com using the same account.

The issue persists after updating the desktop application, restarting it, signing out and signing back in.

ISSUE 2: ChatGPT responses intermittently disappear

On October 8, at least four responses disappeared or failed to render correctly in the macOS application.

Some affected responses were lengthy, but no consistent relationship with response length has been established.

The same responses remained complete and accessible when opening the conversations in a web browser.

No error messages were displayed.

The rendering issue has not recurred during the latest tests, but the missing unread indicators persist.

ENVIRONMENT

Application: ChatGPT Desktop (Chat/Work/Codex)
Version: 26.1007.21159
Operating system: macOS Golden Gate 27.0.1
Device: iMac
Dates observed: October 8–9, 2026

TROUBLESHOOTING PERFORMED

• Fully restarted the application.
• Installed the latest available update.
• Signed out and signed back in.
• Tested multiple conversations.
• Compared desktop behavior with chatgpt.com.
• Confirmed affected responses were still available on the web.

FEEDBACK ID

fdfb01e9-ab2d-4785-a6ed-399a60e89ca2

The diagnostic feedback was successfully submitted through the application's built-in feedback feature.

RELATED ISSUES

#40731 - Missing unread indicators in ordinary ChatGPT conversations.

#50856 - Missing unread indicators after background tasks.

These reports may be related, but they do not describe the complete combination of symptoms observed here.

What steps can reproduce the bug?

ISSUE 1: Missing blue unread indicators

1. Open ChatGPT Desktop on macOS.
2. Open conversation A.
3. Submit a prompt that requires a response.
4. While ChatGPT is generating the response, switch to conversation B.
5. Wait until the response in conversation A has finished.
6. Check the sidebar for conversation A.

Expected result:
A blue unread indicator appears next to conversation A.

Actual result:
No blue unread indicator appears.

The same test works correctly on chatgpt.com.

ISSUE 2: Responses disappearing

1. Open a conversation in ChatGPT Desktop.
2. Submit a prompt and wait for the response.
3. On some occasions, the response fails to display or disappears from the interface.
4. Open the same conversation in a web browser.

Expected result:
The response remains visible in the desktop application.

Actual result:
The response is missing from the desktop application but remains available on chatgpt.com.

This second issue is intermittent and cannot currently be reproduced consistently.

Feedback ID:
fdfb01e9-ab2d-4785-a6ed-399a60e89ca2

What is the expected behavior?

1. Blue unread indicators

When ChatGPT finishes generating a response in a conversation that is not currently open, a blue unread indicator should appear in the sidebar.

The indicator should remain visible until the user opens or reads that conversation.

2. Response rendering

All successfully generated responses should remain visible in the macOS desktop application.

Switching between conversations should not cause completed responses to disappear.

The desktop application and chatgpt.com should display consistent conversation content.

If a synchronization or rendering error occurs, the application should provide an appropriate error message instead of silently hiding responses.

Additional information

The issues were observed on October 8–9, 2026.

Diagnostic feedback was successfully submitted through the application's built-in feedback feature.

Feedback ID:
fdfb01e9-ab2d-4785-a6ed-399a60e89ca2

Additional observations:

• The web version works correctly using the same account and internet connection.
• The blue unread indicators previously worked correctly in the macOS application.
• The missing unread indicator issue persists after updating the application and signing out and back in.
• The response rendering issue occurred at least four times on October 8.
• All affected responses were still available through the web interface.
• No visible error messages were displayed.
• Testing using a different internet connection has not yet been completed.

Potentially related issues:

#40731
#50856

These issues may be related, but the exact cause has not been established.

Please investigate whether both symptoms could be related to a shared desktop application issue.