ChatGPT Might Add Watermarks To AI Photos However Paid Customers Might Bypass It

OpenAI seems to be making ready to introduce watermarks on AI-generated photos in ChatGPT, based mostly on findings from an APK teardown of the app’s newest beta model (v1.2025.196). The characteristic, at the moment in growth, could apply watermarks to all generated photos, notably for customers on the free tier. Nevertheless, indications recommend that paid customers may very well be given the choice to avoid wasting photos with out the watermark.

The APK teardown — a course of the place in-development app code is examined for unreleased options — revealed a string labeled “image-gen-watermark-for-free,” which means that watermarking could also be restricted to free accounts. This aligns with an earlier leak from April 2025, when a watermark characteristic labeled “ImageGen” was first noticed by a consumer on X (previously Twitter).

Screenshots from the activated characteristic shared by AndroidAuthority present the usual picture interplay choices — Edit, Choose, Save, and Share — together with a new possibility within the three-dot menu: “Save with out watermark.” Whereas this characteristic was momentarily enabled even for a free-tier account throughout testing, it’s probably that entry might be restricted to subscribers as soon as the characteristic is formally launched.

There may be nonetheless some uncertainty about how the watermarking system might be applied. One risk is that all customers will see watermarked photos by default, with solely paid customers in a position to take away the watermark. One other state of affairs might contain permitting all customers to avoid wasting unwatermarked photos, however via a extra sophisticated course of that daunts widespread informal use. This technique might assist OpenAI steadiness transparency and branding with consumer flexibility.

It’s vital to notice that this watermarking characteristic has not been formally introduced by OpenAI, and its inclusion within the remaining launch isn’t assured. APK teardowns supply insights into options that builders are experimenting with, however they don’t verify remaining implementation.

OpenAI continues to experiment with a variety of recent options for ChatGPT, together with Examine Collectively modes, Picture Types, and subscription modifications like a potential annual plan. The watermarking characteristic provides to this checklist of in-progress enhancements, probably signaling a broader effort to handle the traceability and use of AI-generated content material.

Till OpenAI makes an official assertion, these findings stay speculative. Additional updates are anticipated as growth progresses.

Filed in Cellphones >Robots. Learn extra about AI (Artificial Intelligence), ChatGPT and OpenAI.