In November 2022, OpenAI released ChatGPT to the public, which kicked off a heavy AI arms race quite crucial for the history books. To keep up the momentum, OpenAI launched the ChatGPT app for iOS in 2023.
If you’re an iPhone user, you’re probably curious about the features OpenAI has packed into its app. Below, we’ll discuss everything you can get in the ChatGPT iOS app that puts it a notch above its website.
1. Voice input
Voice input has probably been the most anticipated feature since the launch of ChatGPT and is finally available in the iOS app via OpenAI’s open source speech recognition system called Whisper. While you can already use Whisper in Windows to turn speech into speech, it’s new for iOS devices.
The benefits of voice input are endless, and the benefits are magnified even more when paired with the powerful capabilities of the AI-powered chatbot. You can chat with ChatGPT while performing other tasks using voice input.
It’s significantly faster and less tedious than typing long text, eliminates the need for punctuation and spelling, and better mimics a natural human conversation. It is also particularly beneficial for anyone with physical disabilities that prevent them from using their hands, promoting inclusiveness and equal access for all.
To use voice input in the app, all you have to do is tap the microphone icon in the Message bar and recording will start. Tap anywhere in the blue area to stop recording and the app will automatically convert your words into text. Then, tap the blue arrow to send your message.
2. Better user interface and accessibility
When using the ChatGPT website, you have to go through the cumbersome process of opening a browser, launching a website, and logging in over and over before you can actually use it. The ChatGPT iOS app eliminates the need for such a lengthy process as the app is available for one-tap use and is right at your fingertips, just like any other app.
In addition to the much-needed accessibility improvement, the app also features a sleek interface and clean layout, making your experience incredibly convenient. As soon as you tap the app icon, the first page that opens is the chatbot itself. There are no other tabs and pages to flip through and all the features are in plain view.
Thanks to its simplistic design, people of all ages can easily start using the app without much need for intensive learning and practice.
3. Change your preferred language for speech
If the introduction of voice input wasn’t enough to be one step ahead of everyone else in the AI race, this feature certainly seals the deal. Not only can you now use your voice to interact with ChatGPT, but you can do it in more than 35 different languages, with more to come as time goes on.
If your language isn’t listed, it may still be supported through auto-detect, so you might want to try anyway. You can use ChatGPT in other languages on the website as well, but not in voice form.
To change your preferred language in the ChatGPT iOS app, do the following:
- Tap the three horizontal dots in the upper right corner and choose Settings.
- To select Main language Under Speech. It will be set to Automatically found by default.
- Now choose your preferred language.
You can now use ChatGPT in your native language or learn a new one with the app. It can also help you overcome language barriers in a foreign location, promoting general accessibility and cultural diversity by reaching a wider target audience. A win-win, right?
4. Haptic feedback
Haptic feedback is a feature that uses touch to interact with its users. An app or device uses different vibration patterns and pulses to provide touch-based feedback to the user. This technology has various applications such as haptic feedback making games more engaging.
For iPhone users, haptics would primarily contribute to better app interaction and an innovative experience. Notifications and important alerts can also be channeled through haptic feedback instead of simple visual messages. However, most users find the constant vibrations quite annoying, and if you’re one of them, you can disable it from the app’s Settings menu.
If your iPhone is in Low Power Mode, it will be disabled by default to save battery.
The real importance of this accessibility feature is for people with visual and hearing impairments who can only rely on sensory input through touch as a source of communication. Haptic feedback will help them interact with the app by giving them tactile suggestions. The functionality may not be too extensive yet, but it has the potential to improve with time.
5. Access chat history even offline
While you can access your chat history on OpenAI’s website and app, you can only view it without a Wi-Fi or cellular connection on the app.
If you’re not connected to the internet, you obviously can’t open the website on a browser and log in. Even if you lose connection after logging in and the chatbot is open, you can only view the titles of past conversations in the sidebar. Once opened, messages will not load.
Luckily, on the ChatGPT app, all you have to do is tap the menu icon on the home page and select History from the context menu. You’ll see a search bar and the titles of all previous conversations appear on the screen. Select anyone and watch the entire conversation load whether you’re connected to the internet or not.
The ChatGPT app also syncs your chat history across other compatible Apple devices, like your iPad, allowing you to access them from anywhere. Deleting ChatGPT history is possible on both the website and the app.
6. Faster responses
It is common knowledge that apps generally offer better response times than their website counterparts and ChatGPT’s iOS app is no exception. However, please note that the response speed on both the app and website is entirely dependent on your device and internet connection at any given time.
OpenAI claims on its website that users with a ChatGPT Plus subscription get exclusive access to faster response times on the iOS app, so you can always upgrade if that’s something you’re after.
ChatGPT’s iOS app makes a statement
Ranked #1 in the App Store’s productivity charts just days after its launch, OpenAI’s ChatGPT app for iOS has been a smash hit among Apple users. You can download the app to your iPhone and iPad from the App Store and sync your conversations across all your devices.
However, if you downloaded a ChatGPT mobile app before the official one came out, it’s best to uninstall it, as third-party ChatGPT apps are generally insecure.
#reasons #ChatGPT #iOS #app #website