From Engadget · Husain Parvez · · 1m 40s
GPT-6 Astra is out, but not where you'd look
Astra hides under a different name, ships on different plans, and burns your allowance faster than you expect.
In brief
Astra hides under a different name, ships on different plans, and burns your allowance faster than you expect. Astra shows up as "GPT-6 Pro" in Chat and as "Astra" in Work and Codex, and it eats your message allowance fast, so save it for the hard tasks. Originally reported by Engadget.
The rollout started quietly
OpenAI began pushing GPT-6 Astra out on September 3, but there is no button labeled "Astra" waiting in ChatGPT. Access depends on your plan and on luck.
“access is not as easy as opening ChatGPT and searching for a button that says "Astra."”
Who actually gets it
Pro at $100 and $200, Business and Enterprise get it in regular ChatGPT. Free and Go are shut out. Plus users get Astra through Work and Codex, not normal Chat.
Look under Pro, not Astra
In a regular ChatGPT conversation, open the model picker and find GPT-6 Pro under the Pro section. That is Astra. Enterprise accounts also need workspace model permissions turned on.
“That's the one powered by GPT-6 Astra, so don't get too caught up in the menu looking for its flashier name.”
Plus users go through Work
Open Work on web or mobile and pick Astra. On desktop, open ChatGPT, switch from Chat to Work, then choose Astra. Codex users need CLI version 0.153.0 or newer.
Still missing? Check updates
Update the desktop app manually via Menu > Check for Updates. Work rolls out on its own schedule, so Astra can land on one platform days before another. Work also stores task context in the cloud, even when it runs locally.
“Even when Work runs locally, messages and task context may still be stored in the cloud.”
It burns through your limit
Plus gets roughly 5 to 45 local messages per five hours, $100 Pro gets 25 to 225, $200 gets 100 to 900. Chat has separate weekly caps. Keep prompts tight and attach only the files that matter.
“reserve Astra for the tasks that require it”
The one thing
Astra shows up as "GPT-6 Pro" in Chat and as "Astra" in Work and Codex, and it eats your message allowance fast, so save it for the hard tasks.
