OpenAI seems to be getting ready to introduce watermarks on AI-generated photographs 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 improvement, might apply watermarks to all generated photographs, notably for customers on the free tier. Nonetheless, indications recommend that paid customers might be given the choice to avoid wasting photographs 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 suggests 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 choice 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 doubtless that entry can be restricted to subscribers as soon as the characteristic is formally launched.
Picture by AndroidAuthority
There’s nonetheless some uncertainty about how the watermarking system can be carried out. One risk is that all customers will see watermarked photographs by default, with solely paid customers capable of take away the watermark. One other situation may contain permitting all customers to avoid wasting unwatermarked photographs, however via a extra sophisticated course of that daunts widespread informal use. This technique may assist OpenAI stability transparency and branding with consumer flexibility.
It’s essential to notice that this watermarking characteristic has not been formally introduced by OpenAI, and its inclusion within the closing launch shouldn’t be assured. APK teardowns supply insights into options that builders are experimenting with, however they don’t affirm closing implementation.
OpenAI continues to experiment with a spread of latest options for ChatGPT, together with Examine Collectively modes, Picture Kinds, and subscription modifications like a potential annual plan. The watermarking characteristic provides to this record 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 improvement progresses.
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