Image generation delays

[agile hollow]

Reported by @stiff pilot

Bug Report: Image generation delays

`Steps to Reproduce`

ChatGPT app tell it to create an image leave the app then come back later then close the app and open it up again on the same chat

`Expected Result`

The image to show up

`Actual Result`

It doesn’t show up until you close the app and open it up again

`Environment`

iOS, ChatGPT app

May 14, 2026, 5:06 AM

Additional Information

Please provide relevant details to help resolve the issue, such as:

• ChatGPT Shared Link (if applicable).
• Screenshots or videos demonstrating the problem.

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[thorn jacinth]

I have Windows 11 and Chrome. Often happens so, that I ask generating image and the image generation starts with the placeholder dark image. Then nothing happens unless I close the browser tab and open ChatGPT again. I go back to the thread and now the image can be seen as generated. I suppose it happens more often, if the user has been waiting long time and then asks for an image, i.e. perhaps the session is somehow not getting connected to image generation until ChatGPT is reopened. The same reopening requirement used to be also for textual questions perhaps months ago, but it seems that questions that produce only text do not require reopening ChatGPT even after a long wait before asking. Reopening is most likely needed if leaving for a day and continuing chatting the next day or so.

But it would be nice to see the image generation progress. For example, is it even progressing, connection broken, or just stuck. There is the short description about what ChatGPT is thinking, but if the image generation connection breaks, the details pane of thinking doesn't seem to contain any description.