ChatGPT App

Description

ChatGPT is an artificial intelligence chatbot created and made available to the public by OpenAI on November 30, 2022 as a free research preview, and in five days, it had one million users. As of two months after launch in January 2023, it had crossed 100 million monthly users, making it the fastest growing consumer application in the history of the internet at the time. By late 2025, OpenAI claimed to have about 800 million active users every week.

The application works through a conversational interface: a user types or speaks a request, and ChatGPT responds with text, code, an image or a combination of these depending on what the user asks. It can explain concepts, write and edit documents, translate languages, analyze uploaded files, generate and debug software code, and have extended back-and-forth conversations that build on prior exchanges. All this runs through a web interface at chatgpt.com, through native apps on iOS and Android, and through desktop applications for Windows and macOS. The same account works on all platforms and conversations are automatically synced between devices.

ChatGPT was launched with GPT-3.5 and OpenAI updated it to GPT-4 in March 2023, adding the ability to analyze images along with text. GPT-4o followed in May 2024 with voice conversation in real time. GPT-5 was released in August 2025, replacing the GPT-4 family as the main model, followed by GPT-5.1 in November 2025, GPT-5.2 in December 2025 and GPT-5.3-Codex in February 2026.

MODELS AND REASONING

The model lineup in ChatGPT in early 2026 is around three tiers of GPT-5.2. The Instant tier is used to process everyday questions with fast replies. The Thinking tier uses extended reasoning for more difficult problems and takes more time working through the answer before responding. The Pro tier, which is only available to the top subscription level, is the one with the most capability available. A thinking level toggle introduced in September 2025 allows users to select the amount of reasoning time the model uses — more or less — with the setting adjusting automatically depending on the type of query.

OpenAI released GPT-5.3-Codex separately in February 2026 as a model specifically tailored for software development and available via a standalone Codex app for macOS.

CORE FEATURES

The basic experience in ChatGPT is conversation. A user describes what he or she needs, and ChatGPT generates a response based on both its training and, if applicable, live web search. Users can attach up to 20 files per message — including PDFs, images, spreadsheets, source code, and configuration files — and ChatGPT takes them into account in its responses.

The web search is automatic when a question needs up-to-date information. Results come in-line with visual highlights for key people, places, and topics. Tapping a highlight brings up a side panel with associated facts and links to sources.

Voice Mode is used to have real-time spoken conversation and is available on iOS, Android, Windows, and the web. On paid plans, the voice changes its tone, pace and length depending on the user’s instructions. OpenAI retired the separate macOS voice experience in January 2026 in favor of the unified system that is shared across all platforms.

OpenAI integrated image generation capabilities in ChatGPT using its image models. Users describe an image in natural language, discuss what ChatGPT generates, and refine it with additional conversation.

Memory enables ChatGPT to remember information from one session to another. When it is turned on, it constructs a record of preferences and background information about the user and uses that record in future conversations. Users can view, edit or delete individual memories at any time.

PRODUCTIVITY TOOLS

Projects are used to organize conversations, files uploaded to them, and custom instructions into persistent workspaces. Each project can have its own isolated memory from the user’s general memory. Business plan projects support up to 40 uploaded files.

Tasks allow users to schedule ChatGPT to perform automated tasks at specific times — a daily briefing, a periodic check-in, or a multi-step process that runs in the background without requiring any manual prompting.

Deep Research involves extended, multi-step research on a topic. ChatGPT uses the web to look up information, analyze the sources, and compile the findings into a long-form report with citations. Users can define a research plan before the research starts and redirect it in the middle of a run. Business and Enterprise users can also draw from internal tools such as Google Drive, SharePoint, Dropbox, Outlook, Gmail, GitHub, HubSpot, and Microsoft Teams.

Study Mode alters the way ChatGPT responds when a user is attempting to learn something. Instead of providing a direct answer, it asks guiding questions in the Socratic tradition and divides material into sections of increasing complexity, and adapts based on what the user already knows. Turning on memory makes the session even more personal using the user’s saved context.

Custom GPTs are ChatGPT variants that have been set up with specific instructions, uploaded reference material, and selected tools. Users can keep them private or share them through the ChatGPT app directory.

Apps in ChatGPT, which were introduced in late 2025, introduce interactive third-party experiences into the chat window. Launch partners included Zillow (for real estate listings), Canva (for slide decks), Coursera (for course content), and Spotify (for playlists). ChatGPT recommends relevant apps in the middle of a conversation or users can call them by name.

The Codex agent is available to Plus and higher subscribers and handles software development tasks that require extended autonomous work – running background processes, reviewing code changes and managing multi-step engineering tasks.

Shopping Research is used to assist users in making purchasing decisions. A user describes what he or she needs, ChatGPT asks clarifying questions, does some research across the web, and returns a buyer’s guide with options, tradeoffs and purchase links.

SUBSCRIPTION PLANS

ChatGPT is free to use with registered account. The free tier consists of access to GPT-5.2 Instant with daily usage limits, basic image generation, web search, and voice. OpenAI started testing limited sponsored messages for free-tier users in early 2026.

ChatGPT Go, at $8 per month, launched in India in August 2025 before launching worldwide. It includes approximately 10 times the usage of the free tier, extended image generation and file uploads, longer memory and access to projects, tasks, and custom GPTs.

ChatGPT Plus, at $20 a month, adds GPT-5.2 Thinking, expanded limits, deep research, agent mode, limited Sora video generation and the Codex agent. It is available since February 2023.

ChatGPT Pro, at $200 per month, offers GPT-5.2 Pro, its maximum memory and context window, and the highest usage limits for individual users.

ChatGPT Business, which starts at $25 per user per month billed annually, is designed for teams. It adds a shared workspace, admin controls, SOC 2 compliance and data privacy protections. By default, OpenAI does not use team conversations to train its models. Enterprise plans are offered to larger organizations at custom pricing, with enhanced security and compliance capabilities. Plus, Pro, Business, and Enterprise plans do not have ads.