Dall-E3 Model retirement and it's upgrade

Question

Dall-E3 Model retirement and it's upgrade

Bipin Kadam 40

We are currently using the DALL·E 3 model with version 3.0. Its retirement date is 18-Feb-2026, and the Version Upgrade Policy is set to “Once a new default version is available.”

When we try to edit the deployment, we only see the default version 3.0, with no option to upgrade to another version.

According to the documentation, the replacement model for DALL·E 3 is gpt-image-1-mini.

Question: Given the current version upgrade policy:

Will the deployment be automatically upgraded to the latest default model, managed by Microsoft?
OR
Do we need to make application changes and explicitly migrate from DALL·E 3.0 to gpt-image-1-mini going forward?

Answer accepted by question author

0 additional answers

Your answer

Answer 1

SRILAKSHMI C 15,030 Microsoft External Staff Moderator

Hello Bipin Kadam,

Welcome to Microsoft Q&A and Thank you for reaching out.

I understand that you’re navigating the DALL·E 3 retirement and the associated upgrade process. Here’s the complete and accurate picture to help you plan confidently.

Automatic upgrades

Although your deployment’s Version Upgrade Policy is set to “Once a new default version is available”, this policy only applies within the same model family. In this case:

DALL·E 3 (v3.0) is being retired, not upgraded.

gpt-image-1-mini is a different model family, not a newer version of DALL·E 3.

Because of this Microsoft will not automatically upgrade your deployment.

There is no newer default version of DALL·E 3 to roll forward to.

If no action is taken, the deployment will stop working after 18-Feb-2026.

This is why, when editing the deployment, you only see version 3.0 and no upgrade options.

Manual migration

You will need to explicitly migrate your application from DALL·E 3.0 to gpt-image-1-mini. This involves:

Creating a new deployment using gpt-image-1-mini

Updating application code:

Model name / deployment reference
Request parameters (image generation schema differs)
Response handling

Validating output behavior (style, quality, safety)

Switching traffic to the new deployment

Retiring the old DALL·E 3 deployment

Microsoft intentionally does not perform cross-model automatic upgrades to avoid silent behavior, output, or pricing changes.

Please refer this DALL·E 3 Model Retirement and Upgrade Documentation

I Hope this helps. Do let me know if you have any further queries.

If this answers your query, please do click Accept Answer and Yes for was this answer helpful.

Thank you!

SRILAKSHMI C 15,030 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator

2026-02-04T05:28:25.22+00:00

Hello Bipin Kadam,

Following up to see if the above answer was helpful. If this answers your query, do click Accept Answer and Yes for was this answer helpful. And, if you have any further query do let us know.

Thank you!
SRILAKSHMI C 15,030 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator

2026-02-06T04:58:26.24+00:00

Hi Bipin Kadam,

Just checking in to see if you have got a chance to see my response to your question in resolving the issue.

If you are still facing any further issues, please don't hesitate to reach out to us. We are happy to assist you.

Looking forward to your response and appreciate your time on this.

If you feel that your quires have been resolved, please accept the answer by clicking the "Upvote" and "Accept Answer" on the post.

Thank you!
Radosław Raszewski 15 Reputation points

2026-02-24T07:33:44.88+00:00

DALL·E 3.0 model didn't require submitting an access request, but from what I read gpt-image-1-mini or any other gpt-image-X model require.

Please correct me here if I am wrong, but the manual migration process is not only deploying the new resource, but first obtaining access to the resource.
SRILAKSHMI C 15,030 Reputation points Microsoft External Staff Moderator

2026-02-27T06:13:18.3466667+00:00
Hi Radosław Raszewski,

DALL·E 3 did not require a gated access request for most subscriptions because it was generally available under standard Azure OpenAI access.

However, gpt-image-1-mini (and other gpt-image- models)* may require model access approval depending on:

Your subscription type

Region

Whether your tenant already has image model access enabled

So the migration process can involve two steps, not just deployment:

Access Validation

Before you can deploy gpt-image-1-mini, your subscription must have access to the GPT Image model family.

If the model does not appear in: Azure AI Foundry → Model catalog

or shows as unavailable, then:

You may need to submit an access request.

Or request quota enablement for the GPT Image model family.

This depends on your subscription’s current approvals.

Deployment & Application Migration

Once access is granted, you must:

Create a new deployment using gpt-image-1-mini

Update application code

Validate request/response format differences

Test output behavior and safety filters

Switch production traffic

Clarification

The retirement of DALL·E 3 does not automatically grant access to GPT Image models.

These are different model families with separate lifecycle and access governance.

Recommended Action

Check whether gpt-image-1-mini is visible in your model catalog.

If not visible, submit an access request as early as possible.

Begin migration testing before the DALL·E 3 retirement date

Thank you!

Share via

Dall-E3 Model retirement and it's upgrade

0 additional answers

Your answer