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Earlier this year, I tried out OpenAI’s free ChatGPT app for Mac. And, to be honest, it was pretty good: Exclusive features, like the dedicated launcher and integrated screenshots, made using the desktop app much better than the traditional web app.
Unfortunately, free ChatGPT users didn’t get the same treatment on PC. While macOS’ ChatGPT app has been available to all users since June, Windows only got its first official ChatGPT app last month. Like its macOS variant, this app rolled out initially for paid subscribers (ChatGPT Plus), so free users still didn’t have access. That is, until Friday.
The ChatGPT app is now available to all users on PC
As of Nov. 15, OpenAI has finally rolled out its ChatGPT app for all users on Windows. Whether you pay for ChatGPT or don’t, or run Windows 10 or Windows 11, you can use the dedicated ChatGPT experience on your PC. To get it, head to OpenAI’s download page, and click the Download for Windows option. Or, head directly to the app’s page in the Microsoft Store.
As with the Mac app, the Windows ChatGPT app does more on your PC than ChatGPT on the web does. You can hit Alt + Space to access the ChatGPT launcher; you can use Advanced Voice Mode, which lets you have a more natural conversation with ChatGPT; and you can use the native screenshot option to share images of your windows with the bot.
What’s new on ChatGPT for macOS?
Just because ChatGPT is now on PC, doesn’t mean it’s the exact same experience as on Mac. In fact, OpenAI updated the macOS version of the app to be able to work with other apps on your machine, a feature aptly named “Work with Apps.”
As of now, this feature is limited to coding apps: That includes VS Code, Xcode, TextEdit, Terminal, and iTerm2. If you’re not a coder, you won’t be able to use ChatGPT within your other apps. However, if you are a developer, this feature could be quite useful: You’ll be able to prompt ChatGPT with the code you’re writing directly in the app, rather than pasting over your written code to the ChatGPT app each time.
For the most part, this feature works with macOS’ built-in accessibility protocols. However, certain apps may require another program involved in order to work. As TechCrunch notes, VS Code (a Microsoft app) requires an extension to function with Work with Apps. It doesn’t work when simply relying on macOS’ screen reader feature.
As someone who doesn’t know how to write any code, this feature obviously won’t be of much use to me at this time. However, it’s the first step towards the ChatGPT app working with more apps on Mac. To be honest, I’m not sure I want that integration all that much either, even as Apple is set to roll out its initial ChatGPT integration with Apple Intelligence next month. We’ll just have to see where all this tech leads.