What Temperature Does in Chat, and When to Touch It

Next to the model picker in Chat mode there is a small thermometer-style button. It opens a slider from 0 to 1 that controls the model's temperature, which is basically how predictable or adventurous its answers will be.

Low temperature makes the model pick the safest, most likely words. High temperature lets it take more risks and produce less obvious phrasing. Neither is "better". They are just useful for different jobs.

The dialog splits the slider into three zones: Conservative (0.0 to 0.4) for factual and precise answers, Balanced (0.5 to 0.7) for a mix of accuracy and creativity, and Creative (0.8 to 1.0) for maximum variety, where facts may start to drift. Here is how that plays out in practice.

Case 1: You need facts, not flair

You upload a contract, a financial report, or a long PDF and ask the model to pull out specific numbers, dates, or clauses. Or you ask a direct question like "what does this error message mean".

Set the slider to around 0.2. At this range the model sticks to the most probable answer and is far less likely to improvise details or rephrase things in unexpected ways. If you have ever seen a model confidently invent a number that was not in your document, this is the setting that prevents it.

Case 2: Regular conversation and everyday tasks

You are drafting an email, asking for an explanation of a topic, or just chatting. You want answers that sound natural but still make sense.

Leave the slider in the middle, around 0.5 to 0.6. This is the balanced zone and it is a good default for most of what people do in chat. The model stays accurate but does not sound stiff or repetitive.

Case 3: Brainstorming and creative writing

You want twenty name ideas for a project, a plot twist for a story, slogans, or unusual angles on a topic. Predictable answers are exactly what you do not want here.

Push the slider to 0.8 or 0.9. The model will suggest more unexpected combinations and vary its style between attempts. The trade-off: double-check any factual claims it makes in this mode, because the same looseness that gives you fresh ideas can also produce confident-sounding nonsense.

A quick rule of thumb

If you are not sure, stay in the balanced zone. Lower the slider when accuracy matters, raise it when you are stuck and want the model to surprise you. The setting applies per chat, so you can keep one conversation factual and another one creative at the same time.