ChatGPT can now virtually try on clothes for you. OpenAI launched a “Try On” button in ChatGPT’s shopping results on October 1, 2026, letting you upload a selfie and see a photo of yourself wearing an item before you buy it.
Dateline: October 3, 2026. It’s the most consumer-facing shopping feature ChatGPT has rolled out yet — and it arrives with a privacy catch worth knowing before you upload a photo of your face.
What happened
OpenAI announced two new global shopping features: virtual try-on and Favorites. Tap “Try On” on an eligible clothing or accessory listing in ChatGPT’s shopping results, upload a selfie or full-body photo, and ChatGPT generates an image of you wearing the item. It also works in reverse — upload a screenshot of a garment from any store and ask ChatGPT to put it on you. Favorites lets you save products to a Library in the app, creating a virtual wardrobe alongside your try-on images.
Both features run on ChatGPT Images 2.5, OpenAI’s newest image model. The company claims it produces more natural lighting and richer textures, follows editing instructions more reliably across multiple turns, and generates images faster. The features work on mobile and web.
The privacy part to read before you tap “Try On”
Here’s the fine print that matters most. OpenAI saves the selfie you upload as a reference photo for future try-ons — it doesn’t disappear after one use. You can change or delete it in Settings > Personalization > Reference photos, but nothing is automatic.
Training is the bigger question. OpenAI’s data policy says it “may use your content to train our models” on personal ChatGPT accounts. If you’d rather your face not become training data, turn off “Improve the model for everyone” under Settings > Data controls. That’s the one toggle privacy-minded shoppers should check before uploading.
Why it matters
ChatGPT is quietly morphing from a chatbot into a shopping companion, and try-on is the most aggressive step yet — moving past text recommendations into territory Google Photos staked out last year. This is classic OpenAI strategy: make the assistant indispensable for everyday decisions, then let commerce flow through it. The previous instant-checkout experiment flopped, so OpenAI is leaning into discovery and visualization instead. For subscribers, the honest read: the feature looks genuinely useful for online shoppers who hate returns — just handle the privacy settings first, because a saved face photo plus AI training defaults is exactly the kind of trade nobody should make by accident.
FAQ
How does ChatGPT’s virtual try-on work?
A “Try On” button appears on clothing and accessory listings in ChatGPT’s shopping results. Upload a selfie or full-body photo and ChatGPT generates an image of you wearing the item, powered by ChatGPT Images 2.5.
Is it available to everyone?
OpenAI launched it globally on October 1, 2026, on both mobile and web.
Does OpenAI keep my photo?
Yes — your reference photo is saved for future try-ons. You can replace or delete it under Settings > Personalization > Reference photos.
Can OpenAI use my selfie for AI training?
On personal accounts, OpenAI’s policy allows it. Turn off “Improve the model for everyone” under Settings > Data controls to opt out.
What is the Favorites feature?
A way to save products you discover in ChatGPT to a Library in the app and organize them into folders — essentially a virtual wardrobe.
Sources: TechCrunch; Gadget Review; The Shortcut; WebProNews; TechMyMoney.