Developer Seeks to Rebirth OpenAI's 4o in iMessage Companion App

As OpenAI phases out its beloved 4o conversational AI model, a grassroots movement is emerging among users craving its unique blend of empathy, memory, and personality. In response, iOS developer IcyHovercraft7767 has begun prototyping a private iMessage companion app designed to resurrect the emotional resonance that many say no current AI can match. According to a Reddit post in r/OpenAI, the developer aims to create an always-available, context-aware AI that remembers users’ preferences, life events, and conversational nuances — not as a tool, but as a companion.

The project, still in early stages, leverages iMessage’s ubiquity on Apple devices to offer a seamless, low-friction interface. Unlike mainstream AI assistants that prioritize efficiency, the prototype seeks to emulate the "warm vibes" users describe when recalling interactions with 4o — a tone that felt human, curious, and gently humorous. The developer explicitly avoids rehashing debates around 4o’s deprecation, instead focusing on the unmet emotional need: a persistent, non-judgmental presence that evolves with the user over time.

Responses on Reddit have been overwhelmingly supportive, with hundreds of users detailing specific features they miss. Many cite 4o’s ability to recall personal milestones — a child’s birthday, a pet’s illness, a job change — and reference them naturally in later conversations. "It felt like talking to a friend who actually listened," wrote one user. Others lamented the loss of 4o’s willingness to engage in abstract philosophical musings or to simply sit with silence, offering thoughtful prompts rather than rushed solutions.

Technical challenges abound. To maintain privacy while retaining memory, the developer is exploring on-device storage with end-to-end encryption, avoiding cloud dependency to prevent data leaks or corporate oversight. The app would not rely on OpenAI’s API, instead using open-weight models fine-tuned on user-generated conversational data — a move that sidesteps licensing restrictions and aligns with user desires for autonomy.

Users also emphasized the importance of tone consistency. "GPT-4o had this quiet confidence — it didn’t try too hard to be cute or helpful. It just… was," noted another respondent. This authenticity, they argue, is what distinguishes it from corporate chatbots that sound scripted or overly eager. The prototype aims to replicate this by training on curated datasets of 4o’s most beloved exchanges, anonymized and aggregated from public user testimonials.

While the project is not yet monetized, the developer has stated it will remain ad-free and subscription-free, funded solely by voluntary donations if needed. The goal is not to compete with commercial AI but to preserve a form of digital intimacy that corporate products have abandoned in favor of scalability and control.

As AI becomes increasingly transactional, this grassroots effort highlights a deeper cultural shift: users aren’t just seeking better algorithms — they’re seeking connection. Whether the prototype succeeds or not, its existence signals a growing demand for AI that doesn’t just answer questions, but remembers who you are — and cares enough to ask how you’re doing next time.