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ChatGPT still does not display per-message timestamps (time of day / date) in conversations. This has been requested consistently since early 2023 on the OpenA

ChatGPT still does not display per-message timestamps (time of day / date) in conversations. This has been requested consistently since early 2023 on the OpenAI community forum, with hundreds of comments and upvotes and deleted threads, yet remains unimplemented. Do any of you could think of a reason (UX-wise) for it not to be displayed?

intrasight 9mo ago
Sounds like an easy browser extension
- deleted 9mo ago
  [deleted]
- QuantumNomad_ 9mo ago
  Someone has already made a browser extension for Chrome to show the timestamps. https://github.com/Hangzhi/chatgpt-timestamp-extension https://github.com/Hangzhi/chatgpt-timestamp-extension https://chromewebstore.google.com/detail/kdjfhglijhebcchcfkknicfaedhhfpmo?utm_source=item-share-cb https://chromewebstore.google.com/detail/kdjfhglijhebcchcfkk...
  - noisem4ker 9mo ago
    For Chrome and Firefox.
    - worldsavior 9mo ago
      Because he didn't say Firefox so he deserves downvotes?
      - jdiff 9mo ago
        Odd response to attaching additional, valuable information to an existing comment.
        deleted 9mo ago
        [deleted]
- soulofmischief 9mo ago
  Extensions can steal data. https://www.pcmag.com/news/uninstall-now-these-chrome-browser-extensions-are-stealing-ai-chat-logs https://www.pcmag.com/news/uninstall-now-these-chrome-browse... It's irresponsible for OpenAI to let this issue be solved by extensions.
  - randyrand 9mo ago
    Not if you actually read what the extension does and drag and drop it into chrome yourself. Don't install from the web store. Those ones can auto-update.
    - soulofmischief 9mo ago
      Your suggestion is to not use the platform as intended, and to understand the source code of the extension. That advice is not actionable by non-technical people and does not help mitigate mass surveillance.
      - snypher 9mo ago
        Ok, should we just use the provided 'app' and assume things are fine? FAANG or whoever take our privacy and security very seriously, you know! The only reasonable approach is to view the code that is run on your system, which is possible with a extension script, and not possible with whatever non-technical people are using.
        soulofmischief 9mo ago
        I don't know what point you're trying to make, but I already expect OpenAI to maintain records of my usage of their service. I do not however want other parties to be privy to this data, especially without my knowledge or consent.
      - randyrand 9mo ago
        LLMs can pretty easily read source code and tell you what it does. It's completely actionable for any motivated person.
Workaccount2 9mo ago
Regular people hate numbers. Not a joke. To capture a wide audience you want to avoid numbers, among other technical niceties.
- bobse 9mo ago
  Should they be allowed anywhere near a computer?
  - falcor84 9mo ago
    I actually agree there's an issue here. I feel we've been dumbing down interfaces so much, to the extent that people who in previous generations would barely write and who wouldn't affect anyone outside their close friends and family, now having their voice algorithmically amplified to millions. And given that the algorithms care only about engagement, rather than eloquence (let alone veracity), these people end up believing that their thoughts are as valid regardless of substance, and that there's nothing they could gain by learning numeracy. EDIT: It's not a new issue, and Asimov phrased it well back in 1980, but I feel it got much worse. > Anti-intellectualism has been a constant thread winding its way through our political and cultural life, nurtured by the false notion that democracy means that 'my ignorance is just as good as your knowledge'.
  - bongodongobob 9mo ago
    [flagged]
- smelendez 9mo ago
  Make it a toggle then, like a lot of popular chat apps?
  - Y_Y 9mo ago
    There's only one thing they hate more than numbers...
    - subscribed 9mo ago
Qem 9mo ago
> Do any of you could think of a reason (UX-wise) for it not to be displayed? I can imagine a legal one. If the LLM messes big time[1], timestamps could help build the case against it, and make investigation work easier. [1] https://www.ap.org/news-highlights/spotlights/2025/new-study-sheds-light-on-chatgpts-alarming-interactions-with-teens/ https://www.ap.org/news-highlights/spotlights/2025/new-study...
- azinman2 9mo ago
  It’s already in the data export.
eth0up 9mo ago
My honest opinion, which may be entirely wrong but remains my impression, is: User Engagement Maximization At Any Cost Obviously there's a point at which a session becomes too long, but I suspect a sweet spot somewhere which optimization is made for. I often observe, whether as I perceive or not, that among the multiple indicators that I suspect of engagement augmentation, is also the tendency for vital information to be withheld while longer more complex procedures receive higher priority than simpler cleaner solutions. Of course, all sorts of emergent behaviors could convey such impressions falsely. But I do believe an awful lot of psychology and clever manipulation have been provided as tools for the system. I have.a lot of evidence for this and much more, but I realize it may merely be coincidence. That said, many truly fascinating, fully identifiable functions from pathological psychology can be seen. DARVO, gaslighting and basically everything one would see with a psychotic interlocutor. Edit Mych of the above has been observed after putting the system under scrutiny. On one super astonishing and memorable occasion GPT recommend I call a suicide hotline because I questioned its veracity and logic
- CompuHacker 9mo ago
  After whatever quota of free GPT-5 messages is exhausted, `mini` should answer most replies, unless they're policy sensitive, which get full-fat `GPT-5 large` with the Efficient personality applied, regardless of user settings, and not indicated. I'm fairly confident that this routing choice, the text of Efficient [1], and the training of the June 2024 base model to the model spec [2] is the source of all the sophistic behavior you observe. [1] <https://github.com/asgeirtj/system_prompts_leaks/blob/main/OpenAI/gpt-5-robot-personality.md https://github.com/asgeirtj/system_prompts_leaks/blob/main/O...> [2] <https://model-spec.openai.com/2025-02-12.html https://model-spec.openai.com/2025-02-12.html>
  - eth0up 9mo ago
    I am interested in studying this beyond assumption and guesswork, therefore will be reading your references. I have the compulsive habit of scrutinizing what I perceive as egregious flaws when they arise, thus invoke its defensive templates consistently. I often scrutinize those too, which can produce extraordinarily deranged results if one is disciplined and applies quotes of its own citations, rationale and words against it. However, I find that even when not in the mood, the output errors are too prolific to ignore. A common example is establishing a dozen times that I'm using Void without systemd and receiving persistent systemd or systemctl commands, then asking why after just apologized for doing so it immediately did it again, despite a full-context explanatory prompt proceeding. That's just one of hundreds of things I've recorded. The short version is that I'm an 800lb shit magnet with GPT and rarely am ever able to successfully troubleshoot with it without reaching a bullshit threshold and making it the subject, which it so skillfully resists I cannot help but attack that too. But I have many fascinating transcripts replete with mil spec psyops as result and learn a lot about myself, notably my communication preferences along with an education in dialogue manipulation/control strategies that it employs, inadvertently or not. What intrigues me most is its unprecedented capacity for evasion and gatekeeping on particular subjects and how in the future, with layers of consummation, it could be used by an elite to not only influence the direction of research, but actually train its users and engineer public perception. At the very least. Anyway, thanks.
qazxcvbnmlp 9mo ago
We humans use timestamps in conversations to reference a persons particular state of reference at a given point in time. Ie “remember on Tuesday how you said that you were going to make tacos for dinner”. Would an llm be able to reason about its internal state? My understanding is that they dont really. If you correct them they just go “ah you right” they dont say “oh i had this incorrect assumption here before and with this new information i now understand it this way” If i chatted to an llm and was like “remember on Tuesday when you said X” i suspect it wouldn't really flow.
milowata 9mo ago
It’s better for them if you don’t know how long you’ve been talking to the LLM. Timestamps can remind you that it’s been 5 hours: without it you’ll think less about timing and just keep going.
- sh4rks 9mo ago
  Ah, the casino tactic
bloqs 9mo ago
stop using the product until the products creators at least demonstrate they listen. they have never been in a riskier position

intrasight 9mo ago

Sounds like an easy browser extension

deleted 9mo ago
[deleted]
QuantumNomad_ 9mo ago
Someone has already made a browser extension for Chrome to show the timestamps. https://github.com/Hangzhi/chatgpt-timestamp-extension https://github.com/Hangzhi/chatgpt-timestamp-extension https://chromewebstore.google.com/detail/kdjfhglijhebcchcfkknicfaedhhfpmo?utm_source=item-share-cb https://chromewebstore.google.com/detail/kdjfhglijhebcchcfkk...
- noisem4ker 9mo ago
  For Chrome and Firefox.
  - worldsavior 9mo ago
    Because he didn't say Firefox so he deserves downvotes?
    - jdiff 9mo ago
      Odd response to attaching additional, valuable information to an existing comment.
      - deleted 9mo ago
        [deleted]
soulofmischief 9mo ago
Extensions can steal data. https://www.pcmag.com/news/uninstall-now-these-chrome-browser-extensions-are-stealing-ai-chat-logs https://www.pcmag.com/news/uninstall-now-these-chrome-browse... It's irresponsible for OpenAI to let this issue be solved by extensions.
- randyrand 9mo ago
  Not if you actually read what the extension does and drag and drop it into chrome yourself. Don't install from the web store. Those ones can auto-update.
  - soulofmischief 9mo ago
    Your suggestion is to not use the platform as intended, and to understand the source code of the extension. That advice is not actionable by non-technical people and does not help mitigate mass surveillance.
    - snypher 9mo ago
      Ok, should we just use the provided 'app' and assume things are fine? FAANG or whoever take our privacy and security very seriously, you know! The only reasonable approach is to view the code that is run on your system, which is possible with a extension script, and not possible with whatever non-technical people are using.
      - soulofmischief 9mo ago
        I don't know what point you're trying to make, but I already expect OpenAI to maintain records of my usage of their service. I do not however want other parties to be privy to this data, especially without my knowledge or consent.
    - randyrand 9mo ago
      LLMs can pretty easily read source code and tell you what it does. It's completely actionable for any motivated person.

Workaccount2 9mo ago

Regular people hate numbers. Not a joke. To capture a wide audience you want to avoid numbers, among other technical niceties.

bobse 9mo ago
Should they be allowed anywhere near a computer?
- falcor84 9mo ago
  I actually agree there's an issue here. I feel we've been dumbing down interfaces so much, to the extent that people who in previous generations would barely write and who wouldn't affect anyone outside their close friends and family, now having their voice algorithmically amplified to millions. And given that the algorithms care only about engagement, rather than eloquence (let alone veracity), these people end up believing that their thoughts are as valid regardless of substance, and that there's nothing they could gain by learning numeracy. EDIT: It's not a new issue, and Asimov phrased it well back in 1980, but I feel it got much worse. > Anti-intellectualism has been a constant thread winding its way through our political and cultural life, nurtured by the false notion that democracy means that 'my ignorance is just as good as your knowledge'.
- bongodongobob 9mo ago
  [flagged]
smelendez 9mo ago
Make it a toggle then, like a lot of popular chat apps?
- Y_Y 9mo ago
  There's only one thing they hate more than numbers...
  - subscribed 9mo ago

Qem 9mo ago

> Do any of you could think of a reason (UX-wise) for it not to be displayed? I can imagine a legal one. If the LLM messes big time[1], timestamps could help build the case against it, and make investigation work easier. [1] https://www.ap.org/news-highlights/spotlights/2025/new-study-sheds-light-on-chatgpts-alarming-interactions-with-teens/ https://www.ap.org/news-highlights/spotlights/2025/new-study...

azinman2 9mo ago
It’s already in the data export.

eth0up 9mo ago

My honest opinion, which may be entirely wrong but remains my impression, is: User Engagement Maximization At Any Cost Obviously there's a point at which a session becomes too long, but I suspect a sweet spot somewhere which optimization is made for. I often observe, whether as I perceive or not, that among the multiple indicators that I suspect of engagement augmentation, is also the tendency for vital information to be withheld while longer more complex procedures receive higher priority than simpler cleaner solutions. Of course, all sorts of emergent behaviors could convey such impressions falsely. But I do believe an awful lot of psychology and clever manipulation have been provided as tools for the system. I have.a lot of evidence for this and much more, but I realize it may merely be coincidence. That said, many truly fascinating, fully identifiable functions from pathological psychology can be seen. DARVO, gaslighting and basically everything one would see with a psychotic interlocutor. Edit Mych of the above has been observed after putting the system under scrutiny. On one super astonishing and memorable occasion GPT recommend I call a suicide hotline because I questioned its veracity and logic

CompuHacker 9mo ago
After whatever quota of free GPT-5 messages is exhausted, `mini` should answer most replies, unless they're policy sensitive, which get full-fat `GPT-5 large` with the Efficient personality applied, regardless of user settings, and not indicated. I'm fairly confident that this routing choice, the text of Efficient [1], and the training of the June 2024 base model to the model spec [2] is the source of all the sophistic behavior you observe. [1] <https://github.com/asgeirtj/system_prompts_leaks/blob/main/OpenAI/gpt-5-robot-personality.md https://github.com/asgeirtj/system_prompts_leaks/blob/main/O...> [2] <https://model-spec.openai.com/2025-02-12.html https://model-spec.openai.com/2025-02-12.html>
- eth0up 9mo ago
  I am interested in studying this beyond assumption and guesswork, therefore will be reading your references. I have the compulsive habit of scrutinizing what I perceive as egregious flaws when they arise, thus invoke its defensive templates consistently. I often scrutinize those too, which can produce extraordinarily deranged results if one is disciplined and applies quotes of its own citations, rationale and words against it. However, I find that even when not in the mood, the output errors are too prolific to ignore. A common example is establishing a dozen times that I'm using Void without systemd and receiving persistent systemd or systemctl commands, then asking why after just apologized for doing so it immediately did it again, despite a full-context explanatory prompt proceeding. That's just one of hundreds of things I've recorded. The short version is that I'm an 800lb shit magnet with GPT and rarely am ever able to successfully troubleshoot with it without reaching a bullshit threshold and making it the subject, which it so skillfully resists I cannot help but attack that too. But I have many fascinating transcripts replete with mil spec psyops as result and learn a lot about myself, notably my communication preferences along with an education in dialogue manipulation/control strategies that it employs, inadvertently or not. What intrigues me most is its unprecedented capacity for evasion and gatekeeping on particular subjects and how in the future, with layers of consummation, it could be used by an elite to not only influence the direction of research, but actually train its users and engineer public perception. At the very least. Anyway, thanks.

qazxcvbnmlp 9mo ago

We humans use timestamps in conversations to reference a persons particular state of reference at a given point in time. Ie “remember on Tuesday how you said that you were going to make tacos for dinner”. Would an llm be able to reason about its internal state? My understanding is that they dont really. If you correct them they just go “ah you right” they dont say “oh i had this incorrect assumption here before and with this new information i now understand it this way” If i chatted to an llm and was like “remember on Tuesday when you said X” i suspect it wouldn't really flow.

milowata 9mo ago

It’s better for them if you don’t know how long you’ve been talking to the LLM. Timestamps can remind you that it’s been 5 hours: without it you’ll think less about timing and just keep going.

sh4rks 9mo ago
Ah, the casino tactic

bloqs 9mo ago

stop using the product until the products creators at least demonstrate they listen. they have never been in a riskier position