Apple has partnered with OpenAI to integrate its ChatGPT technology into iOS 18, which will go on general release in the fall. Until then, here's a way to interact with ChatGPT on your iPhone – whatever you're doing on it.

chatgpt iphone dynamic island
Last year, OpenAI launched its free-to-use ChatGPT app for iPhone and iPad. Using the app, you can interact with the AI chatbot via text input and voice, allowing you to make the most of its generative artificial intelligence to get answers to questions and receive advice on all manner of subjects. OpenAI says that ChatGPT can help with all of the following:

  • Instant answers: Get precise information without sifting through ads or multiple results.
  • Tailored advice: Seek guidance on cooking, travel plans, or crafting thoughtful messages.
  • Creative inspiration: Generate gift ideas, outline presentations, or write the perfect poem.
  • Professional input: Boost productivity with idea feedback, note summarization, and technical topic assistance.
  • Learning opportunities: Explore new languages, modern history, and more at your own pace.

History is synced across devices, so you can see your ChatGPT interactions both on the web and on iOS devices, and it integrates the Whisper speech recognition system.

One of the lesser known features in the app is its Background Conversations feature. Basically, it allows ChatGPT to continue processing and responding to your queries even when the app is not actively open on the screen. This means you can switch to other apps or perform other tasks on your iPhone without interrupting the conversation. Here's how to fire it up.

Talk With ChatGPT in the Background on iPhone

  1. Download the ChatGPT app for iPhone.
  2. Launch the app, then log in to your OpenAI account or create a new one.
  3. When the main screen appears, tap the headphones icon in the bottom-right corner to enter Voice Mode.
  4. Allow ChatGPT to connect to Voice. After that, you can start interacting right away. There are manual controls which allow you to pause, resume, and exit the voice conversation. When you want to do something else on your iPhone, simply swipe out of the app to enable Background Conversations mode.

chatgpt ios voice

ChatGPT is now actively listening in the background, and all you need to do is start speaking to pick up where you left off. If you have an iPhone with Dynamic Island, you'll see the ChatGPT symbol and a microphone icon, indicating that it's listening and ready to chat.

If you lock your iPhone, Background Conversations mode will remain active, and it will appear as a Live Activity card on your Lock Screen. This means that you can continue to talk with ChatGPT while you're busy doing something else, as long as your iPhone is nearby. OpenAI says the Background Conversations feature is designed to be battery-efficient, and minimizes the impact on battery life by optimizing background processes and reducing unnecessary usage.

Lock Screen

Change the Voice

Voice chat was created with a range of voice actors (perhaps you heard about the recent ScarJo controversy) and there are a handful to choose from if the current voice doesn't jibe with you.

  1. Tap the sidebar icon in the top-left corner of the main ChatGPT window.
  2. Tap your account profile to open Settings.
  3. Under the "Voice Mode" section, tap Voice.
  4. Choose from Breeze, Juniper, Ember, and Cove. You'll get a sample of the voice when you tap it.
  5. Hit Confirm to confirm your voice choice.

chatgpt

Assign Voice Mode to iPhone Action Button

If you have an iPhone with an Action Button (iPhone 15 Pro models, for example) you can easily assign ChatGPT's Voice Mode to it for quick access.

  1. Open the Settings app.
  2. Tap Action Button.
  3. Swipe to the Shortcut option, then tap the action selector.
  4. Search for "ChatGPT," then select the Start voice conversation shortcut.

settings

That's all there is to it. Now you can simply long press the Action button on your iPhone to begin a voice conversation, whether you're in another app or if your device is locked.

If you have privacy concerns about the feature, but still want to use the ChatGPT app, there's good news: This week, OpenAI quietly deployed a new option to turn off Background Conversations. You can find the toggle in Settings under the "Voice Mode" section. You'll know that it's disabled because the orange dot indicating mic activity won't be visible in the top-right corner of your iPhone's screen.

Voice Mode Is About to Get Better

Some exciting features in GPT-4's voice mode are on the horizon but haven't gone live yet. These include advanced controls for changing the emotion and tone of responses, making interactions feel even more natural. While you can already customize voices to some extent, the full integration of voice and visual inputs, which promises richer and more interactive experiences, is still in the works.

OpenAI also says developers will soon get access to a wider range of APIs to better tailor voice interactions for their needs, enhancing applications like customer service. Enhanced support for different accents and dialects is also coming, making the system more accessible globally. Finally, more detailed privacy controls for managing and reviewing voice data are being rolled out gradually. All in all, these updates will make GPT-4's voice mode even more versatile and user-friendly.

Tag: ChatGPT

Top Rated Comments

julesme Avatar
9 months ago
“ChatGPT is now actively listening in the background…”.

Thank you, no.
Score: 20 Votes (Like | Disagree)
SteveJUAE Avatar
9 months ago
The wife does not even listen to me can't see this being any better :)
Score: 10 Votes (Like | Disagree)
purplerainpurplerain Avatar
9 months ago
Close the pod bay doors ChatGPT.

Sorry I have no access to pod bay doors.

That was a joke.

Oh I see hahahaha so funny! That was a film reference to 2001 A Space Odyssey which was directed by Stanley Kubrick in 196…

S T F U
Score: 9 Votes (Like | Disagree)
shpankey Avatar
9 months ago

It’s probably pretty good at note summary, though who’s to say that it manages to capture the core piece of information you need the summary to contain?
Can confirm. We use copilot pro at work and it does an amazing job summarizing our teams meetings summary, notes, to-do, etc, with simplified and verbose options. It's pretty impressive.
Score: 7 Votes (Like | Disagree)
nt5672 Avatar
9 months ago

Or the Macrumors forums, the only place on the internet where Apple fans and haters unite on one common ground: To **** on Apple.
That would be funny if Apple did not deserve it because of their poor decision making.
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Ad47uk Avatar
9 months ago

“ChatGPT is now actively listening in the background…”.

Thank you, no.
Same here, even if I got a Iphone and it came with it, I would disable it.
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)

Popular Stories

iOS 18

iOS 18.4 Coming Next Week With These New Features for Your iPhone

Friday February 14, 2025 6:18 am PST by
The first iOS 18.4 beta for iPhones should be just around the corner, and the update is expected to include many new features and changes. Bloomberg's Mark Gurman expects the iOS 18.4 beta to be released by next week. Below, we outline what to expect from iOS 18.4 so far. Apple Intelligence for Siri Siri is expected to get several enhancements powered by Apple Intelligence on iOS...
iPhone 17 Roundup Feature 2

iPhone Design to Change 'Significantly' This Year

Monday February 17, 2025 7:09 am PST by
Apple is set to "significantly change" the iPhone's design language later this year, according to a Weibo leaker. In a new post, the user known "Digital Chat Station" said that the iPhone's design is "starting to change significantly" this year. The "iPhone 17 Air" reportedly features a "horizontal, bar-shaped" design on the rear, likely referring to an elongated camera bump. On the other...
Apple Maps 2024

Apple Maps Might Start Showing Ads

Sunday February 16, 2025 7:22 am PST by
Apple is "exploring" the idea of showing search ads in the Apple Maps app, according to Bloomberg's Mark Gurman. Back in 2022, Gurman said software engineering was "already underway" to display ads in the Apple Maps app, but Apple did not move forward with the idea at the time. Today, he said Apple is "giving this notion more thought" again. This time around, he said Apple has yet to...
apple launch feb 2025 alt

What to Expect From the 'Apple Launch' Next Week

Thursday February 13, 2025 11:48 am PST by
Apple has yet to announce any new devices this year, but that could change starting next week. Apple CEO Tim Cook today said to "get ready" for a "launch" on Wednesday, February 19. "Get ready to meet the newest member of the family," said Cook, in a social media post. The post includes an #AppleLaunch hashtag, along with a short video featuring an animated Apple logo inside of a circle....
m2 pro mac mini

Apple is Now Selling a Refurbished Mac Mini for Just $319 (!)

Saturday February 15, 2025 9:58 am PST by
A few days ago, we reported that Apple's refurbished Mac mini pricing had a problem, and it appears that Apple has taken note. Apple was offering a refurbished Mac mini with the M2 chip, 16GB of RAM, and 256GB of storage for $559, which was $50 more than a refurbished Mac mini with the M4 chip, 16GB of RAM, and 256GB of storage. All other key specifications were equal. That's no longer...
iPhone 17 Pro Render Front Page Tech

iPhone 17 Pro With All-New Camera Bar Design Allegedly Revealed

Thursday February 13, 2025 5:49 pm PST by
Apple's next-generation iPhone 17 Pro will feature three rear cameras arranged in a familiar triangular layout, but the cameras will be housed in an all-new rectangular camera bar with rounded corners, according to YouTube channel Front Page Tech. iPhone 17 Pro camera design render created by Asher for Front Page Tech In a video uploaded today, Front Page Tech host Jon Prosser said the camera ...
Tim Cook Apple Park

10+ Announcements Apple Could Have Rolled Into a February Event

Saturday February 15, 2025 8:00 am PST by
Apple appears to have enough upcoming product announcements to justify a full event this month, yet all signs indicate these reveals will be handled through a series of press releases instead. There are a multitude of rumors from reliable sources about specific announcements in the coming weeks, so here's everything that Apple could have feasibly included in a hypothetical February event: ...
iPhone SE 4 Thumb 1

Apple's Next iPhone SE Launching on Wednesday - Here's What We Know

Friday February 14, 2025 4:04 pm PST by
Apple CEO Tim Cook teased an Apple announcement that's coming on Wednesday, February 19, and it's looking like that mystery announcement will be the next-generation iPhone SE. We've been hearing about the iPhone SE 4 for quite some time now, and we essentially know everything to expect. If you want a sneak peek at what's coming, read on. Naming Apple first introduced the iPhone SE in...