Two months after launching the iOS application for iPhone users, OpenAI, owner of ChatGPT will launch its Android App sometime this week.
The app is free and will sync your preferences and chat history across your devices. So, it doesn’t matter whether you're at home or at work, all your information will be there. Even if you use an iPhone for work and an Android for personal use, your data will still be available.
Anyone could previously access ChatGPT via their phone’s internet browser. However, the app is a much slicker and easier-to-use solution for use on the go. The app has all the same functionality as the desktop version, just like the iOS app.
How to Get the ChatGPT App
The organization announced the app on Twitter last Friday, saying the app “will be rolling out to users next week,” presumably in the US first.
To get the app, head to the Google Play Store on your Android device. Hit the “pre-register” button in the Google Play Store to get notified when the app is available for download.
The iOS ChatGPT app made a splash when it was released on May 18th, garnering an impressive half a million downloads in its debut week. The Android version is expected to reach similar download levels.
The Apple app has a respectable 4.4 star rating out of 5 on the Apple App Store with mostly positive reviews.
However, one disgruntled frequent user pointed out on May 31st that the inconvenience that the app doesn’t run in the background. They said:
“Why does the app not work in the background? If I send a request, I have to stay in the app to wait for it. That’s just horrible, and it’s completely unnecessary because you’re doing everything in the cloud anyway. Just finish processing and send a notification when you’re done.”
The apps won’t be exactly the same due to the core differences in the two operating systems, but they will have largely the same functionality. One obvious difference will be the lack of Siri and Shortcuts, which are native to iOS, but it's thought that Android users will get something similar in its place.
Is the ChatGPT App Safe?
OpenAI has been hit with a torrent of privacy concerns and copyright infringement accusations in recent months. Therefore, against this backdrop, users might be right to question whether the app is safe to use.
According to the Google Play Store Data Safety description provided by ChatGPT, the app will not share your data with third parties, data is encrypted in transit, and you can request your data be deleted. More information on exactly how this looks will surface once the app is released.
However, as LLMs require data to keep feeding the AI, it will collect approximate location, personal info, messages, App activity and App performance.
