You won’t believe what THIS emoji does in ChatGPT– try it yourself with this simple method

All it took was a small post from OpenAI CEO Sam Altman to set off a guessing game online. A gift emoji. A short line saying, “Here is a little hint.” That was all. No context, no follow-up, nothing else. Still, people noticed. Within a few hours, the post had already crossed close to two million views, and the replies were full of users trying to work out what he was pointing to.

What began as a quiet tease quickly picked up pace and started trending. It was another reminder of how easily the tech world gets curious when someone like Altman drops even the smallest clue.

So what was the gift emoji really about?

The post was short, but it did not feel random. The gift emoji made many users think something was hidden inside ChatGPT. Maybe a new feature. Maybe a surprise update. Instead of waiting for an announcement, people decided to test things out themselves.

Users stumble on the answer

Before long, one user claimed they had figured it out. Their suggestion was simple. Open the ChatGPT mobile app and send the gift emoji in the chat. That was enough to unlock something unexpected, and quickly, others started trying it too.

ChatGPT turns into Santa

Sending the emoji triggers a prompt asking users to take or upload a selfie. After that, ChatGPT generates a short Santa-themed video using OpenAI’s Sora video model.

In the clip, Santa delivers a personalised message based on a user’s past chats. Some people get friendly praise and playful gift ideas. Others are jokingly called “naughty.” It is clearly meant to be light-hearted and fun, not serious.

Who gets access

The feature is available to both Free and Plus users. Plus subscribers may get higher limits, but OpenAI has not shared exact details. There was no big announcement either. The idea seems to be letting users discover it on their own.
Thumb image: Canva (for representative purposes only)