After a long wait, OpenAI has finally launched the ChatGPT app on macOS for everyone to enjoy. I’ve been giving it a spin to see how it functions and what it’s truly capable of, and I must say I’m quite impressed thus far. It brings all the power of ChatGPT right to your handy desktop. What’s even better is that you don’t have to shell out any money to use it, as there’s no cost associated with downloading it, and it works seamlessly with a free OpenAI account (though, of course, free accounts do have certain usage limitations, just as they do on the web).

Contents

• It Starts with a Clever Keyboard Shortcut
• It Understands Files and Their Contents
• It’s Excellent at Working with Images
• More to Come Soon

After experiencing all that it can offer, I’ve discovered three things that I truly adore about the new ChatGPT Mac app. From the seamless way it launches to its remarkable capabilities, I believe you’ll also find these aspects of the app quite delightful.

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It Starts with a Clever Keyboard Shortcut

Seasoned Mac users are well aware that pressing the Cmd+Space keyboard shortcut brings up the Spotlight search bar, allowing you to launch an app, find a file, look up a definition, and much more. OpenAI has taken inspiration from Spotlight when it comes to the ChatGPT app, as it launches in a similarly quick and straightforward manner.
In the case of ChatGPT, you need to press Opt+Space. This activates a small Spotlight-like bar where you can input any query for the chatbot to tackle. Its familiarity as a shortcut makes it easy to learn and effortlessly accessible on your keyboard, ensuring ChatGPT is just a couple of button presses away.
And it’s not just a simple text-entry field; it’s essentially a condensed version of the full ChatGPT, all wrapped up in a small bar. If you select the paperclip icon, you can upload a file or photo for analysis, take a screenshot of an open app, capture a picture using your webcam, or open the full ChatGPT window. Having all these features accessible from a quick keyboard shortcut makes it an incredibly handy feature.

It Understands Files and Their Contents

One of ChatGPT’s standout strengths lies in its ability to analyze information, even when it’s contained within files. And this aspect of the Mac app is no different, making it an excellent tool for both work and leisure.
For instance, you can upload a set of diverse sales reports and ask it to uncover important trends. Or upload several assignments and request that it sorts the deadlines into a digestible list. You don’t have to manually extract and paste this information into ChatGPT, as the app can scan through your files and find the data on its own.
The fact that you can do this directly on your Mac app is significant. For one thing, you’re less likely to have documents like these on your iPhone. I also often find myself with several files and Finder windows open at the same time when working on my Mac; in such cases, I can simply drag and drop my files from the Finder right into ChatGPT, without the need to open a new browser tab and upload them there. And being able to keep ChatGPT on top of other windows enhances this use case further.

It’s Great at Working with Images

One of the coolest features of the ChatGPT Mac app is its ability to work with screenshots. Select the paperclip icon and choose Take Screenshot, and you’ll see a list of open apps and windows. Select one, and ChatGPT will automatically screenshot the entire window and load it into the query box, ready for your input.
This has a multitude of uses. You can grab an image of the code you’re working on and ask ChatGPT to refine it for you. Or screenshot an email response and see if it can rephrase it in a more concise way. It’s especially useful when speed is crucial – there’s no need to copy and paste any text or even switch apps, as ChatGPT takes care of everything for you.
Screenshots aren’t the only images that ChatGPT can work with. You can also upload images from your Mac or your Photos library, or use your webcam to snap a new image. Wondering what to make for dinner? Grab a photo of the ingredients you have on hand and ChatGPT will suggest a recipe.
Again, things become easier because it’s on the Mac. You can simply drag and drop images directly from the Photos app or the Finder into ChatGPT, which wouldn’t be nearly as straightforward in the iOS version. It makes working with images a breeze.

More to Come Soon

The ChatGPT app for macOS can do much more than what I’ve mentioned above. For example, if you’ve connected a microphone to your Mac, you can speak commands and queries to the chatbot, which might be more convenient for you than typing (you need to open the full app window for this, rather than using the Opt+Space query bar). And, of course, you can enter the standard text queries that are the bread and butter of ChatGPT.
OpenAI says that “GPT-4’s new audio and video capabilities” are “coming in the future,” along with Windows support. If you want to run it on your Mac, you’ll need to have macOS 14 Sonoma or later installed and an Apple Silicon chip (M1 or better).
One thing I don’t particularly like about the ChatGPT Mac app is that OpenAI uses your queries to train its chatbot, but you can turn this off by selecting the ChatGPT icon in your menu bar and going to “Settings > Data Controls” and disabling the “Improve the model for everyone” option. There’s also no offline mode, which would be handy. Some third-party apps do offer this feature.
Overall, though, the ChatGPT Mac app adds a great deal to your workflow, whether you aim to boost your productivity or simply perform tasks on your computer a bit quicker. It’s available on the OpenAI website, but isn’t yet in the Apple App Store.