When using ChatGPT, what most often trips people up isn’t not knowing how to use it, but suddenly being unable to send messages, not receiving a verification code when logging in, or seeing a prompt that access is restricted. Below is a ChatGPT FAQ organized by the most common scenarios, using the shortest possible steps to help you pinpoint the issue and get back to using it.
Unable to send messages: keeps spinning or shows “request failed”
When ChatGPT won’t send messages, first check whether it’s a browser issue: if refreshing still doesn’t work, clear the site cache and cookies, then log in again. Many cases where “it opens but can’t send” happen because an old session or cached data is blocking the request.
If you have ad blockers, script managers, or privacy-related extensions installed, try temporarily disabling them all and testing again—especially plugins that modify request headers or block scripts. Finally, test with a different browser or an incognito/private window to quickly determine whether it’s an account issue or an environment issue.
Verification code not received: no email, no SMS
If you don’t receive a verification code when logging in to ChatGPT, first check the spam folder, promotions tab, and email filtering rules—many emails are automatically categorized or blocked. Add the sender domain to your allowlist, then click “Resend” once; this is more effective than repeatedly refreshing.
If you use a corporate or school email account, security policies may delay or outright block external verification emails; switching to a commonly used personal email is usually more reliable. If you’re not receiving SMS codes, confirm your signal is normal, that SMS blocking isn’t enabled, and avoid retrying too frequently in a short period, which can trigger risk controls.
