Master ChatGPT’s New Scheduled Tasks Feature: A Step‑by‑Step Guide

ChatGPT's scheduled tasks feature is a brand‑new capability that has caused a stir in the AI community. It is essentially a lightweight AI agent designed for everyone, requiring no API or custom agent code. Below is how to start using ChatGPT and its new tasks feature.

Things to know beforehand

Access to ChatGPT's scheduled tasks feature requires a Plus or Pro subscription. It is currently in testing, only available to paying users, and may be rolled out in phases, so immediate access might not be possible.

Once you have access, you will see an additional model option. Do not confuse it with "o3" or "o3‑mini"; those will be released later. The tasks feature uses the 4o model.

You can create unlimited tasks, but only ten can run simultaneously. Currently, you can access settings only in a desktop browser, where you can pause or delete tasks as needed.

How to enable the tasks feature?

After obtaining access, you will find a new "Notifications" option in Settings across all devices and browsers; turn it on.

Once notifications are enabled, the ChatGPT app (iOS, iPadOS, Android, or browser) will send you a notification or email each time a task runs.

How to create effective tasks?

Creating a task is simple because you use the same chat interface as any other prompt. The only difference is that you must explicitly specify what ChatGPT should do and when.

The basic structure is: "what to do + when to do".

For example, if you want it to send the latest AI news each morning, you can instruct it as follows:

Every morning at 8 am send me [the latest AI news].

As shown, this simple prompt combines the action (AI news) with the timing (every day at 8 am).

How to create better tasks?

Creating better tasks is not difficult; just make the prompt more specific. For instance, you can ask ChatGPT to send AI news with links, exclude weekends, or filter certain sites.

An example of a more detailed prompt:

Every morning at 8 am send me [the latest AI news], [excluding weekends], and [include links] to sources. For each news item [write a short summary] so I get a detailed report.

How to improve tasks?

After setting up a task, you can run it and observe the results. Since each task operates in its own chat window, you can interact by asking questions or modifying the task instructions.

For example, if you are not satisfied with the number of news items, you can tell it to change the quantity or shorten the summaries.

How to stay updated?

ChatGPT will notify you on the Web, iOS, iPadOS, Android, or macOS, and a new blue notification indicator appears on the Web interface.

How to edit, pause, or delete tasks?

The simplest way to manage tasks is through the new Settings page on the Web, hidden behind the user icon in the top‑right corner.

The page shows a list of all your tasks. Remember, you can run ten tasks simultaneously, but you can pause many more. Each item can be edited (pencil icon) or paused/deleted (three‑dot icon).

In the edit view, you can change the name, prompt, and schedule.

For complex schedules (as shown in the screenshot), you need to use the chat window, which you can open directly from the settings menu. For example, I instruct ChatGPT to send the latest AI news twice daily at 8 am and 7 pm.

What can you do with tasks?

Here are some effective ideas to try:

Practice application : Apply the guide’s points to real scenarios to deepen understanding.

Regular review : Revisit the guide periodically to reinforce memory.

Discussion : Share the guide’s content with others and gain new insights through discussion.

Note organization : Record important points and build your own note system.

Case analysis : Find related cases and analyze how the guide’s concepts apply in different situations.

These methods will help you master the guide’s content and apply it confidently in practice.

Although the scheduled tasks feature currently only handles time‑based automation, the newly released Pro‑only Operator can handle more advanced tasks (e.g., placing orders). Both are steps toward an agent‑AI future.

More content is coming soon.