Getting started: Accessing ChatGPT and setting up your environments

Understanding the ChatGPT interface

One of the most impressive things about ChatGPT is its intuitive interface. It’s so easy to use we almost didn’t write this section. That said, they’ve added a lot of features over time, so we’ll provide a quick run-through of the various components of the web interface.

To get started, log in to the web version of the tool. At the bottom of the screen, you’ll see an input field for chatting with ChatGPT and uploading documents. 99% of your time with ChatGPT will be spent using this component of the tool.

The right-side navigation is where your chat history lives as well as your custom GPTs and the GPT store. Custom GPTs are an advanced ChatGPT feature that we will deep dive into in a later lesson. So we’ll pin that topic for now — but don’t worry, we’ll be coming back to it later in the course!

Staying in the same navigation bar, below the GPTs, you can click into any of your previous chats to review the content or pick up where you left off in your discussion. You can think of this as your chat history.

In the top left corner of the chat window, you should see a model name listed. As mentioned in the previous tutorial, OpenAI regularly releases new models that are either more advanced or specialized in a specific set of tasks. For the purposes of this course, you can often leave it to the default model, which OpenAI champions as “great for most tasks”.

Finally, in the top right corner of the tool, you can click on your profile picture to access various settings. Similar to custom GPTs, we’ll be diving into these advanced settings in a later lesson, but it’s helpful to know the general settings are accessible in this more discreet section of the application.

Now that you have a solid understanding of the web interface, let’s take a look at the desktop and mobile interfaces.

The different ChatGPT environments

ChatGPT launched as a web-only tool initially, which is how many people still access the product — but since then, the OpenAI team has released an iOS app, an Android app, and a macOS desktop version.

With that, there are now three different ways to access ChatGPT:

• ChatGPT on web
• ChatGPT mobile app (iOS and Android)
• ChatGPT desktop app (macOS only)

We’ll be primarily working on the ChatGPT web version throughout the remainder of this course, as it’s the most accessible and full-featured version. Before we dive into specific use cases with the tool, let’s look at what it’s like using the mobile or desktop apps as opposed to the web version.

The abilities of the desktop and mobile app versions of ChatGPT

Both the desktop and mobile app versions of ChatGPT offer powerful functionality. However, some notable differences can impact how you use the tool depending on where you’re accessing it. Let’s dive into what the mobile and desktop apps provide in addition to the main web experience.‍

Desktop: While both platforms allow you to interact with ChatGPT, the user interface on desktop offers a bit more space for complex interactions, like reviewing long conversations, managing documents, or using the platform for detailed tasks such as drafting reports or coding. ‍‍

Mobile app: The mobile app is designed for more quick, on-the-go access. If you need to quickly ask for a recommendation, summarise a meeting, or generate a response while you’re between appointments, the mobile app is your go-to.‍‍

Whether you’re using the desktop app or mobile app, your conversations are synced across all platforms. This means you can start a conversation on your desktop, then pick it up on your phone while commuting, and continue the conversation seamlessly.

Voice note feature (mobile and desktop app exclusive)

The voice feature on the ChatGPT mobile app and desktop app is a standout feature. It’s especially useful when you’re on the go because it lets you ask ChatGPT questions or give it commands without typing.

There are two ways to use voice in the ChatGPT apps:‍‍

• Microphone: This is just a way of using voice-to-text transcription. Tap the microphone icon next to the text bar and say what you want out loud. ChatGPT will transcribe your voice note into a text prompt and generate a response. T‍‍h‍‍i‍‍s‍‍ ‍‍i‍‍s‍‍ ‍‍a‍‍ ‍‍h‍‍e‍‍l‍‍p‍‍f‍‍u‍‍l‍‍ ‍‍f‍‍e‍‍a‍‍t‍‍u‍‍r‍‍e‍‍ ‍‍w‍‍h‍‍e‍‍n‍‍ ‍‍y‍‍o‍‍u‍‍ ‍‍w‍‍a‍‍n‍‍t‍‍ ‍‍t‍‍o‍‍ ‍‍r‍‍a‍‍m‍‍b‍‍l‍‍e‍‍ ‍‍using ‍‍s‍‍o‍‍m‍‍e‍‍t‍‍h‍‍i‍‍n‍‍g‍‍ ‍‍h‍‍a‍‍n‍‍d‍‍s‍‍-‍‍f‍‍r‍‍e‍‍e‍‍.‍‍‍‍‍

• Voice mode: To activate voice mode, tap the headphones icon next to the microphone icon. In this mode, you can talk with ChatGPT more conversationally. This is especially useful when you’re on the move or want to have a more real-time brainstorm experience. Currently, advanced voice mode does not have access to custom instructions and cannot create memories.

Overall, ChatGPT’s voice features are ideal for:‍

• multitasking - whether you’re driving, exercising, or in situations where you can’t sit down and type.
• capturing fleeting thoughts or ideas you might otherwise forget.
• brainstorming, when you have big ideas but struggle to type them out.

Limitations of the mobile and desktop apps

While the mobile app is great for quick tasks and voice interactions, there are certain tasks where the desktop or web version still reign supreme. For example, more complex projects involving multiple documents or intricate research, tasks like coding or creating detailed reports, or anything requiring in-depth interaction with long texts are better suited for the desktop or web version, where you have more room to navigate between documents, conversations, and inputs.

You also can’t create custom GPTs from either the mobile or desktop apps. As mentioned earlier, this is an advanced feature that we’ll walk through in a later lesson of the course.

Now that you have a ChatGPT account and understand the tool’s various interfaces, let's explore in the next tutorial how to use it in everyday tasks.