Time to Bail · Boarding pass
Act. You can stay.
These families shut down January 20, 2027. Move to gpt-realtime-2.1 or gpt-audio-1.5 first.[1]
Act means: change a setting or plan before the date. You can stay.
OpenAI shuts down older realtime and audio models on January 20, 2027
OpenAI removes the gpt-realtime, gpt-audio, gpt-4o-realtime and gpt-4o-audio families on January 20, 2027. Their mini versions go too. Most move to gpt-realtime-2.1 or gpt-audio-1.5.
One email with the first steps. Nothing else.
Or add the date to your calendar: Apple or Outlook (.ics) · Google Calendar
Tick steps as you go. Your progress stays in this browser.
Search for gpt-realtime, gpt-audio, gpt-4o-realtime, gpt-4o-audio and their mini and dated versions. Check config files and connection URLs too.
Realtime goes to gpt-realtime-2.1 or gpt-realtime-2.1-mini. Audio goes to gpt-audio-1.5.
Check speech quality, delay and cost on the new model.
One email with the first steps. Nothing else.
Or add the date to your calendar: Apple or Outlook (.ics) · Google Calendar
| Shutdown date | January 20, 2027[1] |
|---|---|
| What shuts down | Whole model families and their snapshots[1] |
| Replacement | gpt-realtime-2.1 replaces gpt-realtime and gpt-4o-realtime[1] |
| Replacement | gpt-realtime-2.1-mini replaces gpt-realtime-mini and gpt-4o-mini-realtime[1] |
| Replacement | gpt-audio-1.5 replaces gpt-audio, gpt-4o-audio, gpt-audio-mini and gpt-4o-mini-audio[1] |
| Also on this date | gpt-4o-mini-transcribe-2025-03-20 → gpt-4o-mini-transcribe-2025-12-15[1] |
| Careful: the transcribe pick is short-lived | gpt-4o-mini-transcribe is on the February 26, 2027 shutdown list[1] |
| Announced | July 20, 2026[1] |
| After shutdown | The model can no longer be accessed[1] |
| Shutdown dates in the API | GET /v1/models lists each model's shutdown_date[1] |
| Apps that call these models | Stop working on January 20, 2027[1] |
Calls that name a model in these families, such as gpt-realtime or gpt-4o-audio-preview, stop working. OpenAI says the model is no longer accessible after the shutdown.
gpt-realtime-2.1 or gpt-realtime-2.1-mini, and audio calls to gpt-audio-1.5.GET /v1/models and read each model's shutdown_date.Source: [1] OpenAI API deprecations (OpenAI)
Check it yourself. Every fact above links here.
Time to bail on OpenAI API: older realtime and audio model families? Act. You can stay. These families shut down January 20, 2027. Move to gpt-realtime-2.1 or gpt-audio-1.5 first.
On our scale this is Act: change a setting or plan before the date. You can stay.
OpenAI removes the gpt-realtime, gpt-audio, gpt-4o-realtime and gpt-4o-audio families on January 20, 2027. Their mini versions go too. Most move to gpt-realtime-2.1 or gpt-audio-1.5.
Here are the facts we checked:
You can stay on OpenAI API. You have to change a setting or plan before the date.
Leaving is a choice here, not a must.
OpenAI is the main source for this page. OpenAI API has not said more than what is listed here. If a fact is not on this page, we do not know it yet.
Apps that call these models: Stop working on January 20, 2027.
The date to remember is January 20, 2027. Make the change before then.
A few tips:
If the change affects your members or team, send one short email. Say what changes for them and when. Put the most important line first.
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People on OpenAI API: older realtime and audio model families can stay if they make the change. Some would rather leave. Get the playbook for this change, and list your product here.
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