OpenAI has finally released an early version of a dedicated ChatGPT Windows app for its AI-powered chatbot. But you shouldn’t get too excited. Although anyone can download the app preview from the Microsoft Store, only paid users can do anything with it for now.
ChatGPT Windows app plays catchup
Similar to the ChatGPT app on macOS, the Windows app is a dedicated chat window where you can ask the bot your questions, upload an image or document for it to analyse or summarise, or generate a ‘new’ image. It even has a nifty shortcut for easy access, open it by pressing Alt + Space.
You’d achieve the same results by accessing the service from your browser. Or better results, in some cases, as OpenAI says “a subset of features available in the macOS and web version may not be available on this early version [of the Windows app].”
Also different from the version of the app that launched on macOS in June, OpenAI has thankfully fixed a gaping security issue where the app would store a user’s conversations in plain text. Both the macOS and Windows apps now encrypt locally stored data.
While only paying ChatGPT Plus, Enterprise, Team, and Edu subscribers are allowed to ask ChatGPT on Windows any questions, OpenAI says it plans to make the ChatGPT Windows app more widely available “later this year” – when that will be exactly, is a mystery for now.