Once we discuss, we naturally pause so as to add a aspect be aware or leap to a associated concept. Now ChatGPT can do the identical, due to a brand new function rolling out for Plus customers. It additionally makes ChatGPT-5.1 much more helpful.
The software is named branching and it helps you to cut up off any message in a dialog and begin a very new thread. Meaning you possibly can check various variations of a immediate, take a brainstorm in a brand new course or hold totally different features of a undertaking separate.
I’ve discovered this function to be the last word productiveness answer that surprisingly helps to eradicate hallucinations, too. The easy act of branching out conversations is a simple strategy to keep organized whereas maintaining AI on monitor. After testing this function for weeks, I can confidently say it’s a productiveness improve with actual affect.
Right here’s what it appears to be like like in motion and why it’d change the way in which you utilize ChatGPT, too.
What is ChatGPT branching?
Simply put, it’s kind of like saying, “Hold that thought” as you move forward with a new one. It is also an opportunity to explore different scenarios without derailing your main thread.
Thanks to the new feature, instead of copying and pasting the same prompt into a new chat, you can now click the branch icon next to any message and spin off a side thread. That conversation shows up seperately, but still stays linked to the original.
This feature doesn’t just work for writing, branching also works for coding too, giving you the freedom to explore alternate paths without clutter.
4 ways I used ChatGPT branching to boost productivity
Brainstorming multiple ideas at once
If I have several ideas for a plot twist, but am not sure which one I want to roll with, I use ChatGPT branching instead of cluttering one thread. Now, I can see all my ideas as extensions and refer to each option, refining them separately. When done, I can easily compare all the final versions at once and pick the strongest.
In the example above, I was creating a holiday shopping list and branched out the ideas I liked to explore them further.
2. Organizing parallel projects in one workspace
Normally, I bounce between multiple chats for projects and tasks. With branching, I keep all my work in one thread, with each project neatly split into its own branch.
I have found this to be a real time saver. Rather than referring to the Search Chat section, I can easily find what I’m looking for within the chat. The organization aspect of branching has been the key to staying productive while using ChatGPT.
In the example above, I highlight how I use ChatGPT branching when I’m journaling.
3. Exploring tone and style differences
Now that ChatGPT has eight different personalities, the ability to branch off and explore how a piece reads in different tones is also helpful.
I just branch a draft, tweak the tone in that version and compare it to the original — without backtracking or losing previous work.
In the example above, I asked ChatGPT to make a text message funnier.
4. Digging deeper and asking questions
Sometimes I want to know more about breaking news such as explaining it to me like I’m five or how it affects me personally. With ChatGPT branching, I can do this effortlessly like in the example above when I ask it to explain what the FAA flight-cut freeze means for travelers right now.
5. Pulling out new concepts
I use this feature for when ChatGPT brings up something that needs clarifying. I can instantly pivot into a new thread right from that exact moment. It feels less like “starting over” and more like following a natural tangent; the way you would with a real collaborator. That means I stay in the flow, keep my momentum, and explore new information without the mental friction of reprompting or retracing my steps.
In the example above, ChatGPT was helping me handle a running injury and I asked it to go deeper into the vitamins it suggested.
Final thoughts
ChatGPT is already great at writing, researching and summarizing — but until now, its biggest limitation was linear thinking. Every new idea meant a new chat. Every rewrite meant losing track of your first version. But now, branching fixes that.
It turns ChatGPT into a tool that mirrors how we actually work and think, giving users new ways to explore side ideas, revising in parallel and toggling between thoughts.
Althought it’s a game-changer for sure, I wish OpenAI would add branch labels, global search across branches and a timeline view so I can see how my ideas evolved.
Still, this feature is already helping me think more clearly — and capture more ideas without letting them slip away.
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