ChatGPT’s Study Mode hasn’t been removed — its menu entry moved, which is why so many people think it disappeared. On the web you can type @study in the message box or go to chatgpt.com/studymode; on the phone and tablet apps, tap + and choose Study. Below: what Study Mode actually does, how useful it is for children of different ages, how it compares with Gemini’s Guided Learning, and how to get the same behaviour with a prompt in any AI.
Where did Study Mode go? How to turn it on now
According to OpenAI’s Study Mode help page (checked on the date at the top of this guide):
- Web: type
@studyin the message box and choose Study, or click +, type “study” to search the menu and select it. You can also go directly tochatgpt.com/studymode. - Phone and tablet apps: tap + and choose Study. If it isn’t listed, search for it in that menu.
Study Mode only works in a regular conversation. It isn’t available inside Temporary Chats, custom GPTs or Projects — a common reason it seems to be “missing”. OpenAI says it is available on all ChatGPT plans, including free.
What Study Mode actually does
OpenAI describes Study Mode as a learning experience that, instead of only giving a final answer, asks questions, guides thinking, explains ideas step by step and checks understanding as you go. In practice, when a student asks a question in Study Mode, ChatGPT tends to:
- ask what they already know or what level they’re at,
- break the topic into smaller parts,
- ask questions and give hints rather than leading with the answer,
- offer short quizzes or checks along the way.
It’s a sensible default for students studying on their own. It isn’t a hard lock: a student can switch it off, open a normal chat, or keep pushing for an answer.
Is Study Mode good for kids?
For teenagers: a solid starting point
For 13–17-year-olds using ChatGPT with a parent’s permission (as OpenAI’s terms require), Study Mode is a reasonable way to revise a topic or work through something they don’t understand. It’s designed with secondary and university students in mind.
For younger children: not on their own
Children under 13 shouldn’t have their own ChatGPT account (see our age rules guide). If you use Study Mode on your account with a younger child, expect its explanations and questions to be pitched older than ideal unless you tell it the child’s age.
Where it falls short for homework
- It doesn’t know your child. Without being told, it doesn’t know the age, school year or method the class uses.
- It’s guidance, not a rule. It leans towards questions, but it isn’t built to absolutely refuse answers the way a strict tutor prompt can instruct.
- It’s general purpose. It doesn’t switch into specific roles like “find the error in my child’s working” or “essay coach who never writes a sentence” unless asked.
How to get more out of Study Mode
Study Mode works better when you give it context in the first message. Turn Study Mode on, then paste:
What to ask for: give your age and school year, the topic and your class’s method, then ask for no final answers and one question at a time.
Study Mode vs Gemini Guided Learning vs a tutor prompt
| ChatGPT Study Mode | Gemini Guided Learning | Tutor prompt (any AI) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| How to start | @study on web; + → Study on mobile | Choose Guided Learning in the Gemini app or at gemini.google.com | Paste the prompt into a new chat |
| Cost | Free plan included | Free plan included | Free |
| Style | Questions, hints, step-by-step checks | Questions plus rich responses: images, diagrams, videos, quizzes | Whatever you specify |
| Knows child’s age/method | Only if told | Only if told | Built into the prompt |
| Refuses answers | Leans towards not giving them | Leans towards not giving them | As strict as you write it (not foolproof) |
Google describes Guided Learning as a learning companion that asks questions, adapts to your level and can include images, diagrams, videos and quizzes. Both modes share the same core idea as a good tutor prompt. For how to set up any free assistant as a tutor, see our guide to a free AI tutor for kids.
Getting Study Mode–style help in any AI
If your child uses Gemini, Copilot, or a ChatGPT chat where Study Mode isn’t available, a tutor message pasted at the start gives similar behaviour.
Our free patient-tutor message in the tutor prompt guide gives similar behaviour in any assistant, with stricter rules and your child’s age built in.
Study Mode is one general behaviour. The AI Tutor Vault has 40 specific ones — from “find the mistake in my child’s working” to a debate opponent for teens. See the AI Tutor Vault.
Common problems and fixes
- “Study” isn’t in the menu. Make sure you’re in a regular chat, not a Project, custom GPT or Temporary Chat. Try typing @study on the web, or search the + menu on mobile.
- It still gives answers. Add “please don’t give me final answers; ask me questions instead” to your first message.
- It’s too advanced. State the age and school year in the first message.
- It asks too many questions at once. Ask it to ask one question at a time.
- It teaches a different method from school. Name the method your child’s class uses.
Frequently asked questions
Is ChatGPT Study Mode free?
Yes. OpenAI says Study Mode is available across ChatGPT plans, including the free plan, on the web and in its phone and tablet apps.
Was ChatGPT Study Mode removed?
No. It moved into the tools menu and the web shortcut became @study. It’s not available in Projects, custom GPTs or Temporary Chats, which can make it look missing.
Can my child turn Study Mode off?
Yes. It’s a mode, not a parental control. That’s why a family agreement and supervision for younger children still matter.
Is Gemini Guided Learning better than Study Mode?
They have the same goal. Guided Learning leans on visuals such as diagrams, images and videos; Study Mode is more conversational. Try both with the same topic and see which your child prefers.
Next steps
Try Study Mode with your teen on a topic they’re revising, using the context message above. For younger children, or for homework where you want strict no-answer rules, set up a tutor prompt instead, following our guide to using ChatGPT for homework.