I changed ChatGPT's personality and it's 10x more useful now — here's how to do it

1. Choose from preset personality options

The quickest way to change how ChatGPT talks is by selecting one of the predefined personality presets. Click your profile icon in the bottom left corner, then select Personalization from the menu.

Look for the dropdown labeled "Base style and tone" and you'll see options including Default, Professional, Friendly, Candid, Quirky, Efficient, Nerdy, and Cynical. Each preset adjusts ChatGPT's tone, word choice, and overall vibe without changing the accuracy of information it provides.

Select whichever personality fits what you're working on, and you'll see a green pop up at the top of the screen confirming your changes. ChatGPT will use that tone in all future conversations until you change it again.

2. Use custom instructions for more control

If the preset options don't quite match what you want, custom instructions let you describe exactly how ChatGPT should respond. Just under the "Base style and tone" section you'll see a text field called "Custom instructions".

You can provide context about yourself like what you typically use ChatGPT for as well as describing your preferred response style by specifying tone, length, format, and any other preferences you might have.

For example, you might write "Be conversational but skip small talk. Keep answers under 3 paragraphs unless I ask for more detail. Use examples when explaining concepts."

Once filled out, click save and ChatGPT will apply these instructions to every new conversation.

3. Combine both personalization methods

You can use preset personalities and custom instructions together for even more tailored responses. Start by selecting a preset personality that gets you close to what you want, then add custom instructions to fine-tune specific aspects.

For instance, you might choose the Professional preset but add custom instructions like "Avoid corporate jargon and explain technical concepts simply." The preset handles the overall tone while your custom instructions address specific preferences the presets don't cover.

Combining gives you ChatGPT responses that feel natural and match your exact needs. Remember that you can change your preset personality anytime without losing your custom instructions, so experiment with different combinations until you find what works best.