OpenAI has released an official iPhone app for its ChatGPT, after many fake versions emerged online. These programs, which posed as the original ChatGPT, charged users excessive subscription fees. The official app is currently only available in the US, but will become available in other countries over the next few weeks. The app requires iOS version 16.1 or later and there is no version yet available for iPads. Android users can expect the app “next to it,” according to OpenAI.
The app offers only one in-app purchase, which is the official subscription to ChatGPT+. This subscription provides faster responses, more features and access to the latest models of the chatbot system. The subscription is priced at $19.99 per month, the same price as on the OpenAI website. OpenAI does not pass on the 30% commission charged by Apple’s App Store to users.
Users should search for the app by its full name to avoid downloading any unofficial programs, as these are rampant on the App Store. The app requires an account, which can be created directly via the “Sign in with Apple” service integrated in iOS. Users are warned that ChatGPT may be inaccurate and that they should not share sensitive information with it, as anonymous chats may be reviewed by AI trainers to improve the systems.
Turn off the saving of chats or deleting the data is not possible in the standard account, only a complete deactivation of the account. There are no ads and all data from chats on other devices on the same account is carried over. Since there is a significant fraud problem that Apple and OpenAI cannot seem to overcome, the release of an official iPhone app is long overdue.
