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ChatGPT Stuck on “Stop” Button — Why It Happens and How to Fix It
If you’ve been using ChatGPT and suddenly found yourself staring at a “Stop” button that won’t go away, you’re not alone. Many users have reported situations where ChatGPT refuses to generate a response, the stop button doesn’t work, and the conversation feels completely bricked.
So what’s going on — and more importantly, how do you fix it?
The Issue: Stuck Conversations
Here’s what users typically experience:
- ChatGPT shows the Stop button instead of generating a reply.
- Pressing “Stop” either does nothing or weirdly sends the last message again.
- ChatGPT stops replying altogether, even after multiple retries.
- Logging out, clearing cache, or using incognito mode doesn’t fix it.
In some cases, the send message arrow even gets greyed out and disabled entirely. For others, the problem randomly affects a single chat, then spreads to others.
Why It Happens
While OpenAI hasn’t published an official explanation, community reports suggest a few possible reasons:
- Server-side glitch: Sometimes the issue isn’t on your end — it’s just ChatGPT servers acting up.
- Corrupted chat session: Long or complex conversations may “break” a thread, causing it to lock up.
- Browser/UI bugs: Some users noticed that browser themes (like switching from light mode to dark mode) strangely affect the stuck stop button.
- Cached elements: Old cached scripts or cookies can cause ChatGPT’s web app to misbehave.
How to fix – ChatGPT Stuck on “Stop” Button
Here are a few solutions people have found effective:
✅ 1. Edit a Previous Message
This surprising workaround has helped many:
- Go to a random older message in the conversation.
- Click Edit.
- Change the message completely (not just small tweaks). For example, if the message was about “going on a trip,” rewrite it so it’s about “ordering food at McDonald’s.”
- Submit the edited version.
For some reason, making a major change to the meaning resets the stuck state and lets ChatGPT continue.
✅ 2. Refresh or Switch Modes
- Refresh the page a couple of times.
- Switch browser themes (e.g., light mode ↔ dark mode). Oddly enough, some users said this instantly fixed the bug.
✅ 3. Start a New Chat
If the current thread is bricked beyond repair, create a new conversation. This doesn’t always solve the issue but works if only certain threads are affected.
✅ 4. Clear Cache or Try a Different Browser
- Clear cookies and cache for chat.openai.com.
- Try using another browser like Firefox, Safari, or Edge.
✅ 5. Contact Support
If nothing works, you can reach out to OpenAI support. Premium users often get priority responses.
What OpenAI Could Do Better
One repeated complaint is that there’s no way to know whether ChatGPT is still processing or truly frozen. A simple loading bar or progress indicator could save users hours of frustration.
Until then, the best approach is to:
- Edit older messages to reset the chat.
- Keep backups of important conversations.
- Start fresh threads if a session gets bricked.
Final Thoughts
The ChatGPT “stuck on stop button” bug is more common than you might think, and while there’s no official fix, users have discovered creative workarounds. Editing old messages with completely new meaning seems to be the most reliable trick, followed by refreshing, switching browser modes, or starting a new conversation.
If you rely on ChatGPT for important work, remember to export or copy your chats regularly — bugs like this can happen without warning.
👉 Have you faced the stop button freeze? Did editing an old message fix it for you, or did you find another workaround?
