What is the new official ChatGPT app for iPhone, and what does it do?

Yesterday, May 18, 2023, OpenAI put ChatGPT on the iPhone. Until now, the only official way to use it was through a web browser at chat.openai.com. The new app, listed in Apple's App Store as OpenAI ChatGPT, brings the same chatbot to your phone, adds voice input, and keeps your conversations in step with the web version.

OpenAI says people kept telling it they wanted to use ChatGPT on the go. The app is free, carries no ads, and for now is offered only in the United States. OpenAI says it will reach more countries over the coming weeks, and it adds a note for Android owners: a version for their phones is coming soon.

What the app offers

Here is what the official announcement and the App Store listing describe on launch day.

By the evening of launch day, the US listing showed the app at number one in the Productivity category.

Who made it, and why now

The app comes from OpenAI, the company behind ChatGPT. ChatGPT Plus, the paid plan, started in February and now includes GPT-4, OpenAI's most capable model.

The timing matters for two reasons. First, TechCrunch notes that the App Store has been crowded for months with unofficial apps that use the ChatGPT name, some of them of doubtful quality. An official app gives people a clear choice and one account across phone and computer. Second, the race among big technology companies is fast this month. Google lifted the waitlist for its Bard chatbot after its I/O developer conference, and Microsoft is adding OpenAI's technology to its Bing search engine. A free, ad-free app puts ChatGPT one tap away on the iPhone home screen.

How voice input works

The most visible new feature is voice. Instead of typing, you can tap a button and speak. The app sends your recording to Whisper, OpenAI's speech-recognition system, which turns speech into written text. That text then goes to ChatGPT as if you had typed it. Whisper is open source, which means anyone can download and study it.

Think of it as two specialists working in a row: one writes down exactly what you said, and the other reads the note and answers. If the first one mishears a word, the second may answer the wrong question, so it is worth glancing at the transcribed text before you send it.

Why it matters

For many people, a phone is the main computer. Putting ChatGPT in an app, with voice input and synced history, lowers the barrier for anyone who never opened it in a browser. You can start a conversation at your desk and pick it up on the bus.

OpenAI's own list of uses is practical: quick answers without scrolling past ads, advice on cooking or travel plans, help wording a thoughtful message, gift ideas, summaries of notes, and practice with a new language. These are tasks people often do on a phone in the middle of the day.

Some cautions stay the same as on the web. ChatGPT can still state wrong facts confidently. And Apple's privacy label for the app lists the kinds of data that may be linked to you, such as contact information, the content you type and usage data, so read OpenAI's privacy policy and the app's settings before you share anything sensitive.

How do you get started with the ChatGPT app on your iPhone?

Open the App Store and search for OpenAI ChatGPT. Check that the seller is OpenAI, since many look-alike apps use similar names and icons. The app needs iOS 16.1 or later, so update your phone first if needed. For now, the app appears only in the US App Store.

Sign in with the same account you use on the web, and your earlier conversations appear in the history list. If you subscribe to ChatGPT Plus, you can choose GPT-4 in the app; if not, the free version works as it does in your browser. Try the microphone button for voice input, and edit the transcribed text before sending if a word came out wrong.

A good first habit on a phone is to keep requests short and specific, then follow up. Ask for a three-item list, a two-sentence summary or a single suggestion, and build from there. If you plan to use the answer for something important, such as a health question, a payment or a trip booking, check it against a trusted source before acting on it.