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The official ChatGPT app for Android finally launches

The new Android flavor of OpenAI's popular chat app works the same as its iOS counterpart, which rolled out in May.
Written by Lance Whitney, Contributor
The official ChatGPT app in Google Play
OpenAI

Android users who want some AI-infused help can now snag the official ChatGPT app for their phones and tablets. Following news on Friday that OpenAI's ChatGPT app would arrive for Android this week, the program landed in the Google Play store today, free to use just like the iOS edition.

In a tweet, OpenAI confirmed the app's Android debut, noting that it's available for download in the U.S., India, Bangladesh, and Brazil with plans to expand to other countries over the next week.

Also: How to use ChatGPT: Everything you need to know

With this new release, ChatGPT is now accessible on iPhones, iPads, and Android devices as well as on the website. The experience is similar across all those platforms, though the Android app sprinkles in a couple of bonus features just like the iOS flavor.

In the app, you can type your request and then ask follow-up questions to pursue the same topic. Otherwise, simply tap the + icon at the top to start a new chat.

A typed query in the ChatGPT Android app
screenshot by Lance Whitney/ZDNET

You're also able to speak your request. Just tap the microphone icon in the Message field, dictate your question or request, and then tap the circle when you're done. Your speech is transcribed into text for you to submit.

A spoken query in the ChatGPT Android app
screenshot by Lance Whitney/ZDNET

The app keeps track of all your chats on the website and across your mobile devices. To access a previous chat, just tap the hamburger icon at the top and select History. You're able to browse through your past chats or search for a specific one by keyword. Tap any chat to display it.

A history of your chats
screenshot by Lance Whitney/ZDNET

With a chat on the screen, tap the three-dot icon at the right and you can delete it or rename it.

Rename or delete a chat
screenshot by Lance Whitney/ZDNET

Like the website and iOS version, the Android app is geared toward both free ChatGPT users and those with a paid ChatGPT Plus subscription. At the top of the screen, subscribers just tap GPT-3.5 or GPT-4 depending on which mode they want to use. GPT-4 offers several advantages over its predecessor, including better training, longer memory, and greater multi-language proficiency.

From the Android app's hamburger icon, you can access the Settings menu where you're able to export your chat data into a viewable HTML file, clear your chat history, and even delete your account. You can also change the color scheme, switch the default language, and access help information.

Also: The 10 best ChatGPT plugins right now

The popularity of AI has led to a slew of third-party apps both for iOS and Android, most of them powered by OpenAI's ChatGPT model. However, many of them are freemium apps. That means you get a limited number of chats for free and then have to shell out money for a subscription if you want more. OpenAI's official mobile apps are fully free, so you can keep chatting throughout the day without having to cough up more cash.

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