Desktop ChatGPT Application Vs. Online Platform: Understanding Key Distinctions

Key Takeaways

• OpenAI has released a Mac desktop app for ChatGPT, with a Windows version promised.
• The desktop app is not offline but more convenient than the web version for heavy users.
• App features like photo sharing and quick access make it a compelling upgrade.

OpenAI has released a Mac desktop app for ChatGPT, with a Windows version promised at some point in the future. What’s so special about this app compared to the convenience of simply using the ChatGPT website?

What Is the ChatGPT Desktop App?

Unlike the ChatGPT web page, the desktop app is software that you install on your computer. In other words, you don’t have to open your browser to use ChatGPT if you have the app installed.

However, this is not an offline version of ChatGPT. The app is still just a frontend for the cloud service provided by OpenAI. The vast majority of home computers wouldn’t have the processing power to run the ChatGPT Large Language Model (LLM), even if OpenAI let us do it.

Think of it as similar to the Spotify desktop app. The app and website give you broadly the same experience, but some things are more convenient with a dedicated app.

Which Platforms Support the App?

As I mentioned before, as of this writing, the desktop app is only available for Mac users. A Windows desktop app is undoubtedly on the way, but there was no official timeline from OpenAI when I tried the app out myself.

RIght now, you have to be a paid subscriber, and can access the app download from the ChatGPT website account menu. Just click on your profile picture and select “Download the macOS App.”

Then install the app just like any other Mac app. The app will eventually roll out to free users as well, but it seems OpenAI is taking a staggered approach.

Once you’ve opened the app, log in with your username and password, or with your Google account. Then you’ll be presented with an app window like this.

Click here

The first thing you should know, is that there are several promised features planned for the desktop app which are not part of the initial release. For example, the ability to give ChatGPT access to your webcam for live video isn’t yet available as of this writing, though you can take photos with it. Likewise, the desktop app can’t see a live feed of your screen, only manual screenshots. There’s a more advanced version of the conversational mode on the way too.

Which brings me to the first major difference between the desktop app and the website. Until the release of the desktop app, only the Android and iOS apps supported voice questions or the dynamic conversational mode. With the desktop app, you can use either the microphone or headphone buttons to use your voice with ChatGPT. The headphone button will activate conversation mode, which is a hands-free conversational way to use ChatGPT.

The app also makes it easier to upload files from your computer, and to take screenshots directly into ChatGPT to use them in your prompts. These are things that you can already do using the website and your browser, but the app simply removes a few in between steps. If you use ChatGPT a lot, and make use of screenshots and file uploads all the time, then this simplified workflow will add up as saved time quickly.

For me, the headline feature of the app on Mac is its integration with macOS. By pressing Option+Space you’ll bring up a prompt window, which means you can ask ChatGPT anything within a second no matter what you’re doing on your Mac.

When to Use the App vs Website

I think, as it stands, most people will be fine just using the existing ChatGPT web interface. If you are a heavy user of ChatGPT, the app is a definite improvement to your workflow. Also if, like me, you have a bajilion tabs open in your browser, the desktop app is a godsend since you can access ChatGPT with a keystroke or instantly find it on the dock, instead of combing through tabs.

It’s important to emphasize that while the web version and the desktop version are essentially the same at this point, there will be features coming to this version of ChatGPT which will undoubtedly make it much more compelling. I also wonder whether OpenAI can integrate the Windows version of this app as well as the macOS version seems to be, but we’ll all have to wait until it’s released to the public before we can test it.

I think the desktop app is a great option, and there’s no reason for macOS users to avoid trying it out if they’re eligible to use it. Maybe it’s the polish you needed to make ChatGPT a proper part of your workflow, rather than a stone in your shoe.