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

OpenAI seems to be making ready to introduce watermarks on AI-generated pictures in ChatGPT, primarily based on findings from an APK teardown of the app’s newest beta model (v1.2025.196). The function, presently in improvement, could apply watermarks to all generated pictures, significantly for customers on the free tier. Nevertheless, indications counsel that paid customers may very well be given the choice to save lots of pictures 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 function labeled “ImageGen” was first noticed by a person on X (previously Twitter).

Screenshots from the activated function 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 function was momentarily enabled even for a free-tier account throughout testing, it’s seemingly that entry shall be restricted to subscribers as soon as the function is formally launched.

Picture by AndroidAuthority

There may be nonetheless some uncertainty about how the watermarking system shall be carried out. One risk is that all customers will see watermarked pictures 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 save lots of unwatermarked pictures, however via a extra difficult course of that daunts widespread informal use. This technique might assist OpenAI steadiness transparency and branding with person flexibility.

It’s vital to notice that this watermarking function has not been formally introduced by OpenAI, and its inclusion within the last launch is just not assured. APK teardowns provide insights into options that builders are experimenting with, however they don’t affirm last implementation.

OpenAI continues to experiment with a spread of latest options for ChatGPT, together with Research Collectively modes, Picture Types, and subscription modifications like a potential annual plan. The watermarking function 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 improvement progresses.

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