OpenAI has simplified access to ChatGPT within its Mac desktop app. Users can now open a companion window displaying the ChatGPT text prompt alongside other applications using the Option + Space shortcut. This enhancement streamlines the user experience, making interacting with the AI assistant more convenient.
The Mac app mirrors the functionality of the web-based version, offering a comprehensive suite of features. Users can engage in direct conversations with ChatGPT, submit queries using natural language prompts via text or voice, review past interactions, and analyze uploaded documents and images. The app even supports screenshot uploads, allowing users to capture and analyze content from their entire screen or a specific window.
OpenAI exemplifies this with a scenario where a user screenshots code and has ChatGPT analyze and suggest improvements. This feature highlights the app’s potential for assisting developers and programmers.
The desktop app for macOS now gives you side-by-side access to ChatGPT. Use Option + Space to open a companion window, which stays in front so you can use it more easily when working with other apps.
— OpenAI (@OpenAI) August 6, 2024
While the app resides locally, the underlying machine learning processes occur in OpenAI’s cloud, requiring an internet connection for operation. Compatibility is limited to macOS 14 and Apple Silicon M1 or later. A Windows version is anticipated later this year, expanding accessibility to a wider user base.
The desktop app offers distinct advantages over the web version. Users can analyze document excerpts without uploading entire files by highlighting the desired text and querying ChatGPT directly.
Although the Advanced Voice Mode is currently unavailable, the Standard Voice Mode remains accessible, hinting at future possibilities for voice-activated interactions. This feature brings us closer to a future where seamless communication with AI assistants becomes a reality.
While the desktop app doesn’t yet have Advanced Voice Mode, it does support Standard Voice Mode. This feature provides a glimpse into a future where initiating conversations with AI simply involves speaking commands.
A Windows version of the app is expected later this year. This expansion will make the ChatGPT desktop experience accessible to a broader range of users.
