ChatGPT says its dots now get faster replies, less jargon and better follow-through, and that they can now follow custom instructions set in the thread or in a settings menu. The post is dated November 12, 2026.

Where to set custom rules

The dot controls docs list custom rules as their own setting. On desktop and web, go to Settings, then Personalization, then Permissions. On iOS and Android, open the sidebar, tap Customize, then Custom rules.

The post gives a different mobile path: Customize > Behavior. The docs list Custom rules under Customize and do not mention a Behavior screen.

What a custom rule controls

Custom rules set when a dot may take an action. The docs describe four behaviours:

  • Act without asking
  • Act only when you asked for that action
  • Ask before acting
  • Hand the action back to you

A saved rule applies to the dot within the same account. It can grant permission for an action, require a check-in, or block an action. The post's email example, asking to see a draft before any email is sent, is the ask-first kind of rule.

Tone is handled differently. The docs say writing-style preferences belong in the conversation, while custom rules govern when a dot may act. The post's example 'always talk in lowercase' is a style instruction, so the docs point toward setting it in chat.

The docs also warn that rules are instructions the dot tries to follow, and that it can still make mistakes.

The post does not say which plans or regions get the update, or how the faster replies and plainer language were achieved.

Our read: custom rules control permission, not voice. They are the tool for limiting what a dot does on its own, and tone belongs in the chat. For background on what dots are, see our explainer on the agents announced with Astra.

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