Since March of this year, it's been possible to generate images directly within ChatGPT. Following a period where it briefly wasn't available to free users, you now don't even pay for one of OpenAI's subscriptions to use the tool. And while making images inside of ChatGPT is easy, there are some nuances worth explaining. For example, did you know you can ask ChatGPT to edit photos you've taken? It's more powerful than you might think. Here's everything you need to know about generating AI images with ChatGPT.How to create images with ChatGPT using text promptsTo begin making an image in ChatGPT, you can start by typing in the prompt bar. Igor Bonifacic for EngadgetTo begin generating images in ChatGPT, start typing in the prompt bar what you want to see. There's no need to overthink things; as long as you have some version of "generate an image" followed by a description of your idea, ChatGPT will do the rest.Depending on the complexity of your prompt, it may take up to two minutes for ChatGPT to complete your image request. Sometimes the process can take longer if OpenAI's servers are experiencing greater traffic than usual.How to create images with ChatGPT using existing photosYou can also upload images to ChatGPT.Igor Bonifacic for EngadgetIn addition to generating images from text prompts, ChatGPT can modify existing photos or images you upload. This is my preferred way of making images with ChatGPT; I don't need to describe the composition, I can use an existing one to guide the chatbot. To use a photo as a starting point for a new generation, follow these steps:

Following the release of GPT-5.2 last week, OpenAI has begun rolling out a new image generation model. The company says the updated ChatGPT Images is four times faster than its predecessor. If you're a frequent ChatGPT user, you'll know it can sometimes take a while for OpenAI's servers to create images, particularly during peak times and if you're not paying for ChatGPT Plus. In that respect, any improvement in speed is welcome.The new version is also better at following instructions, including when you want to edit something the new model just generated. You can ask the system to add, subtract, combine, blend and even transpose elements.At the same time, OpenAI says the update offers better text rendering. That's something many image models have traditionally struggled with, but according to the company, the new ChatGPT Images is capable of handling denser and smaller text. As part of the today's model update, OpenAI is additionally adding a dedicated Images section to the ChatGPT sidebar. Here you'll find preset filters and prompts you can look to for inspiration.A portrait of Sam Altman, in the style of Johannes Vermeer's Girl with a Pearl Earring. OpenAIThe new ChatGPT Images arrives just as Nano Banana Pro is responsible for a surge in Gemini usage. In October, Google said its chatbot had 650 million users, up from 450 million just a few months earlier in July. Nano Banana Pro has proven so popular, the company recently limited free users to just two image generations per day. For OpenAI, a strong response to Nano Banana Pro probably wasn't as important as ensuring it came out swinging against Gemini 3 Pro, but ChatGPTImages is a big part of why there are 800 million ChatGPT users."We believe we're still at the beginning of what image generation can enable," OpenAI said. "Today's update is a meaningful step forward with more to come, from finer-grained edits to richer, more detailed outputs across languages."OpenAI is rolling out the new ChatGPT Images to all users starting today. If you're one of those people who miss GPT-4o, you'll be happy to learn you can continue to use the older version of the tool through a custom GPT.This article originally appeared on Engadget at https://www.engadget.com/ai/chatgpt-image-generation-is-now-faster-and-better-at-following-tweaks-180000750.html?src=rss