OpenAI Follow ZDNET: Add us as a preferred source on Google. ZDNET's key takeaways ChatGPT Free can now access Projects. Allows users to stay more organized, serving as a hub for content. Updates also include larger file uploads, memory controls, and more. Since its popularity exploded, ChatGPT has undergone many upgrades, including a sleek UI redesign. However, one terribly pesky thing that has remained the same for free users is how chats are organized, automatically populating the left-hand bar with no real organization options -- until now. Also: ChatGPT speak is creeping into our everyday language - here's why it matters During its 12 Days of OpenAI holiday campaign, the company launched a Projects feature, which helps users organize and customize their chats in ChatGPT. However, at the time, the feature was only available to Plus, Pro, and Teams users, with the company claiming it was coming to free users as soon as possible. (Disclosure: Ziff Davis, ZDNET's parent company, filed an April 2025 lawsuit against OpenAI, alleging it infringed Ziff Davis copyrights in training and operating its AI systems.) Nine months later, that day has arrived, with Projects being rolled out to free users starting today. How Projects work Each Project serves as a hub, or as OpenAI calls it, "a smart workspace" for your chats and the content you want the chat to reference. When creating a Project, you can include a title, a customized folder color, relevant project files, and custom instructions for ChatGPT on how it can best help you with the project in one place. So, for example, if you are a student, you could start a red folder named "Intro to Machine Learning," upload your notes, PDFs, PowerPoint, and other class materials, instruct it to answer each question you input in the workspace as if it were a tutor, and then ask away. It can then answer your questions using your context in a regular chat format. Also: How OpenAI is reworking ChatGPT after landmark wrongful death lawsuit You can also add previous chats from the sidebar to your Project. The chats can be saved in the Project, making it easier to pick up your conversations later and know exactly what to look for where. Beyond becoming available to free users, Projects also got some other helpful updates, including larger file uploads per project, the ability to select colors and icons for a clearer distinction, and project-only memory controls. The file upload limits vary per the plan you have, with up to five for Free users, 25 for Plus, and 40 for Pro, Business, and Enterprise accounts. How to access Projects OpenAI said that the update is live on the web and Android and will roll out to iOS users over the coming days. Of course, all the users who could previously access it will continue to be able to do so. Also: ChatGPT is reportedly scraping Google Search data to answer your questions - here's how To launch the feature, just click on "Projects" on top of the chat history on the left-hand bar and you should be set.