OpenAI's ChatGPT App For Mac Is Worth The Wait, But You Can Skip The Line: Here's How I Got It Working

Last week, OpenAI announced its plans to release a desktop ChatGPT app for Apple Inc.’s Mac users. While it is not currently available for everyone, I had a ChatGPT Plus subscription and got it working immediately, but that doesn’t mean there aren’t some workarounds available.

What Happened: The new ChatGPT desktop app for Mac was announced at OpenAI’s GPT-4o event. It is currently only available to a select group of users with M-series chips in their Macs.

OpenAI has stated, “We have rolled out the macOS app to Plus and Team users, and we will make it more broadly available in the coming weeks. We also plan to launch a Windows version later this year.”

How To Download And Acess ChatGPT Desktop App On Mac For Free

Users who haven’t received an invite to download the app can manually download it. They can request a download link by logging into ChatGPT on the web, which will eventually provide the link. This workaround allows users to access the app without waiting for an official invite.

Another method to gain access to the app was shared on X and Reddit. It involves logging into the ChatGPT account and quitting the app at a specific point. After reopening the app, ChatGPT will be functional on the Mac. However, some users have reported issues with voice chat.

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How To Download And Acess ChatGPT Desktop App On Mac For People With Subscription

Take the simplest route. Open the ChatGPT web page. Now, click on your initials at the upper right corner of the screen. Once you scroll down, there will be a list of items including My Plan, My GPTs, Customize ChatGPT, and Settings. Just below the settings will the option to “Download the macOS app” or just “Download the App.”

Once you have downloaded the app, it is easy to install it. Now, click on the OpenAI icon and log in after a small window that offers you the option to do it via Gmail, email, or direct Log in.

Once all these steps are done, you can use the keyboard shortcut Option + Space to instantly bring up the app’s Launcher and ask the conversational AI for assistance with a task or project. It resembles the way Spotlight (Command + Space) works in macOS.

The window floats above any open applications and provides similar convenience. There is also a paperclip button that allows you to attach files or photos for assistance.

Here Are Some Use Cases I Found Interesting

The Option + Space shortcut allows users to simply click on the paperclip icon, and immediately options like upload files or photos and take screenshots of the current app or the entire screen will appear. There’s also an option to take a photo.

The Screenshot Assistance: I sent a screenshot of my Photo Library which included some photographs of sunset and sunrise. I asked the chatbot to give me negative and positive feedback on my photography skills, to which it said “rule of thirds is well applied,” but “some photos appear less thought-out compared to your stronger compositions.”

Take Photo And Get Information: By clicking on the “Take Photo” it automatically activates the current output from your Mac’s FaceTime camera or an attached webcam. This feature becomes quite handy when you just want to position an object in front of your Mac for inquiry. Alternatively, you have the option to choose the camera of your nearby iPhone, allowing you more flexibility to move around and precisely align the subject of your photo.

Voice Chat: To use this feature you will have to click on the headphone icon on the bottom right corner of the screen. After choosing one of the AI voice assistants, users can then start a two-way chat. I asked the chatbot to narrate to me the simplified version of Harry Potter stories but with certain twists. While it mostly worked well, the chatbot sometimes interrupted my query and started responding halfway.