ChatGPT, an impressive artificial intelligence (AI) tool, shocked the world with its human-like responses. Recognizing its potential, some tech giants have already integrated this software into their products, making it easier for users to access its features and functionality. However, Apple is unlikely to provide native support for ChatGPT in macOS.
Fortunately, there is a workaround. If you are a Mac user, you can still use ChatGPT on your device. In this post, we will discuss how to use ChatGPT on Mac easily.
- What can you do with ChatGPT on Mac?
- How to use ChatGPT on Mac from a browser
- How to Access ChatGPT from Mac Menu Bar
What can you do with ChatGPT on Mac?
Think of ChatGPT as a cooler version of your favorite search engine. Here are some of the many things you can do with ChatGPT on your Mac:
- Help brainstorm and generate ideas
- Offer personal recommendations
- Deal with complex topics
- Write original songs
- Develop an application
- Write code in any programming language
- Extract data from text
- Solve math questions and other homework
- Creating resumes and cover letters
- Summarize recent research and articles
- Complete Essays
- Translate a text
- Make a quiz
- Create posts and captions for social media accounts
- Help plan your travel itinerary
- Find Datasets
- Help with job search
How to use ChatGPT on Mac from a browser
There is no official ChatGPT app for Mac – at least not at the time of this article’s publication. If you have an iPhone or Apple Watch, you might be interested in how to use ChatGPT on iPhone or Apple Watch.
While there is some speculation that OpenAI is about to develop and release a ChatGPT app soon, the original and traditional way to access ChatGPT is through its website. Here is how you can use it:
- Open Safari or any browser of your choice.
- Go to openai.com → click “Try ChatGPT”.
- Select Sign in if you already have an account. If you don’t have one, click Register.
- Enter your email address or use your Google or Microsoft account to create an account. You will be prompted to click on a captcha to verify that you are a human. Click “Next.
- OpenAI will ask you to verify your email. Just click the button to be redirected to your email, or enter your email and confirm.
- Next, you will be asked to enter your name and verify your phone number. Enter your phone number and select Send code. Check your phone and enter the received code in the browser field.
- You will see a welcome screen that says This is a free study preview. Follow the instructions on the screen and click Finish.
That’s all! You can now use ChatGPT on your Mac using your preferred browser.
If you always need ChatGPT, it can be problematic to keep your browser open to log in to ChatGPT. There is actually a more intuitive and easier way to access ChatGPT: through the MacGPT application.
What is MacGPT for Mac?
MacGPT is an application developed by Geordie Bruin. It reproduces all the options of the ChatGPT website, so you can chat with the chatbot right from the chat window on your Mac without logging into ChatGPT through a browser.
You just need to install MacGPT on your Mac and access the application from the menu bar or create a keyboard shortcut to make it easier to use ChatGPT features.
However, you must be logged in via a browser before launching a chat window via MacGPT.
How to Download MacGPT on Mac for Free
- Visit the Bruin’s Gumroad page.
- Enter a fair price for the application. You can get MacGPT for free by putting 0 in the fair price box, but you can always send a donation of between $1 and $100,000,000,000 to the developer.
- Click I want this.
- Enter your email address and select Get. You will receive a receipt by email.
- Once you have accessed your mailbox, click View Content → Download. If you receive a download permission request from app.gumroad.com. Click Allow.
- Once the download is complete, select the MacGPT application → click Open when prompted.
- Login to your OpenAI account with MacGPT and start using it!
Note. To run MacGPT, you need a Mac to run macOS Monterey or macOS Ventura.
How to use MacGPT
As mentioned above, MacGPT simply mirrors ChatGPT, so it works just like ChatGPT in your browser. You should see similar examples of hints that you can use to get started.
You have the option to choose Web or Native. The “Web”option is similar to what ChatGPT looks like on its website.
MacGPT says the Native option gives you a much smoother experience. To do this, you will need to enter your OpenAI API key.
- Click How do I get an API key? option that will redirect you to ChatGPT. Some users may be redirected to a page where they need to click “User Settings”.
- Log in and click +Create a new private key.
- Click the green button to copy the API immediately.
- Paste this code into the API key field in MacGPT Preferences/Settings → click Submit.
That’s all! Now you can use MacGPT in native mode.
You can also enter your own request in the text box below. After you click Submit, you should see the chatbot type out its response. If you want it to stop, just click the Stop generation button. You can also select Regenerate Response if you want it to try to answer your request in a different way.
Features of MacGPT
While it mostly mirrors ChatGPT, it does have some special features that are unique to the app. For starters, you can set a keyboard shortcut to access the app with a keyboard shortcut.
- To assign a keyboard shortcut, open MacGPT → Preferences/Preferences → click on the text field next to “Open Chat”→ then press the keyboard shortcut for the keyboard shortcut. Note that the shortcut only works if the MacGPT application is running in the background.
- You should also see its icon in the menu bar. The next time you want to use it, just click the MacGPT icon in the menu bar and start typing.
- You also have the option to keep the MacGPT window on top so that it floats above all your other windows. Just open MacGPT → Preferences → check Always On Top.
Completion…
ChatGPT is already a great conversational AI tool, but having MacGPT makes it more intuitive and easier to use. With MacGPT, you no longer need to open your browser whenever you want to chat with ChatGPT.
Have you downloaded MacGPT? What was this experience like for you? Share it below!