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

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

Generic iOS 19 Feature Mock Light

iOS 19 Will Bring Biggest Design Overhaul Since iOS 7

Monday March 10, 2025 12:17 pm PDT by
Apple is planning for a major design overhaul of the iPhone, iPad, and Mac interfaces with the introduction of iOS 19, iPadOS 19, and macOS 16 later this year, reports Bloomberg. The update will "fundamentally change" the look of Apple's operating system, introducing a more consistent cross-platform experience. Apple plans to update the style of icons, menus, apps, windows, and system...
ios 18 4 carplay

Apple Upgrades CarPlay in Two Ways

Wednesday March 12, 2025 6:05 am PDT by
The upcoming iOS 18.4 update for the iPhone includes a smaller but meaningful improvement for Apple's in-car iPhone mirroring system CarPlay. Specifically, CarPlay now shows a third row of icons, up from two rows previously. However, this change is only visible in vehicles with a larger center display. For example, a MacRumors Forums member noticed the change in a Toyota Tundra with a...
Apple One Apps Feature 2

Apple One's Best Plan Now Includes Two More Perks For Free

Monday March 10, 2025 6:40 am PDT by
Apple One allows you to subscribe to up to six Apple services for one discounted monthly price. There are three Apple One tiers: Individual, Family, and Premier. Over the last month, the highest-end ‌Apple One‌ Premier plan has gained two additional perks. Here is what Apple One Premier already included, for $37.95 per month:Apple Music Apple TV+ Apple Arcade Apple News+ Apple Fitness+...
airpods pro 2 gradient

AirPods Pro 3 Launch Now Just Months Away: Here's What We Know

Tuesday March 11, 2025 3:26 am PDT by
Despite being released over two years ago, Apple's AirPods Pro 2 continue to dominate the wireless earbud market. However, with the AirPods Pro 3 expected to launch in 2025, anyone thinking of buying Apple's premium earbuds may be wondering if the next generation is worth holding out for. Apart from their audio and noise-canceling performance, which are generally regarded as excellent for...
iOS 18

12 New Things Your iPhone Can Do in iOS 18.4

Monday March 10, 2025 9:28 am PDT by
Apple is set to release iOS 18.4 in early April, bringing further refinements to Apple Intelligence features, a neat new capability to iPhone 15 Pro devices, new emoji, and more. While not quite as packed with new features as Apple's preceding iOS 18 point releases, iOS 18.4 still introduces enhancements that aim to make your iPhone smarter and more intuitive. Below, we've listed 12 new...
iphone 17 mockups idevicehelp

Video Shows iPhone 17 Mockups Based on 'Internal Documents'

Monday March 10, 2025 4:41 am PDT by
YouTuber iDeviceHelp on Friday posted a video that shows off mockups of Apple's forthcoming iPhone 17 models that are purportedly based on "internal documents." We're sharing the video here since it was made in collaboration with leaker Majin Bu, who last month published similar iPhone 17 renders that were widely corroborated by separate leakers with links to Apple's Chinese supply chain....
iOS 18

iOS 18.3.2 Update Coming Soon for iPhones

Monday March 10, 2025 7:25 am PDT by
Apple employees are internally testing iOS 18.3.2 for iPhones, according to our website's visitor logs, which have been a reliable indicator of upcoming iOS versions. The software update should be released in the next week or two. iOS 18.3.2 will be a minor update that addresses software bugs and/or security vulnerabilities. Don't expect any new features. iOS 18.3.2 will be an interim...
Apple Maps vs Google Maps Feature

iOS 18.4 Adds a Highly-Requested Setting to iPhones — But Not in U.S.

Wednesday March 12, 2025 1:05 pm PDT by
iPhones are finally getting a much-requested setting, but availability is limited. The upcoming iOS 18.4 update introduces an option to set a default navigation app, other than Apple Maps, but unfortunately this new setting is limited to users in the EU. There, you can now set an app like Google Maps or Waze as your default navigation app on the iPhone by opening the Settings app and tapping ...
iOS 18

Apple Releases iOS 18.3.2 With Bug Fixes

Tuesday March 11, 2025 10:33 am PDT by
Apple today released iOS 18.3.2 and iPadOS 18.3.2, minor updates for the iOS 18 and iPadOS 18 operating systems that came out last September. iOS 18.3.2 and iOS 18.3.2 come a month after Apple released iOS 18.3.1 and iPadOS 18.3.1. The new software can be downloaded on eligible iPhones and iPads over-the-air by going to Settings > General > Software Update. According to Apple's release...