ChatGPT has taken the world by storm. It is an AI chatbot developed by OpenAI that can answer questions about science, math, philosophy, or just about anything you throw at it. Sounds interesting, doesn’t it? Read along to learn about ChatGPT and how you can use it on your iPhone for free. To top it off, we also have a less-known trick that will let you use ChatGPT on your Apple Watch. 

What Is ChatGPT?

ChatGPT is an AI-trained chatbot designed to respond to your questions in a conversational style. The dialogue format helps ask follow-up questions that are contextual to the conversation. Moreover, you can correct the mistakes the AI makes or even challenge incorrect facts. It even accepts feedback and makes the necessary changes. 

For the uninitiated, OpenAI is responsible for developing ChatGPT. It is the same company behind the famous AI tool, DALL-E, which generates images from text. It is estimated that OpenAI spends around $3 million per month to run ChatGPT. And this ushers the question, “Is ChatGPT free to use?”

Can You Use ChatGPT for Free?

Yes, ChatGPT is free to use. However, several users receive the “at capacity” notice when using the tool. The primary reason for this is that the user base of ChatGPT is growing at an unprecedented rate, and OpenAI is incurring high costs to keep the servers running. 

To address these issues, OpenAI announced ChatGPT Plus. It is a paid version of the chatbot that costs $20 per month. It offers features like access to the tool during peak hours, faster response times, and priority access to new features and improvements. 

While the company has announced the paid subscription, do note that it is only available to customers in the United States through an invite system. If you live in the US and have already joined the waitlist, check your inbox if you’re keen on subscribing to the service. OpenAI has plans to expand access to the paid subscription to more countries and regions soon.

How To Use ChatGPT on iPhone

ChatGPT is an AI tool you can access through the official OpenAI website on any device. You must register for an OpenAI account using an email address to use the service. You can also directly sign up using a Google or Microsoft Account. Only after you have an OpenAI account can you use ChatGPT or any other services it offers. 

Additionally, you need an active phone number to register for OpenAI. You will receive an OTP on this number, after which you can complete the registration process. Virtual phone numbers are not supported. However, there’s an option to receive the OTP on WhatsApp. 

Now that you know the requirements to use ChatGPT, read along to learn how to use ChatGPT on your iPhone. 

1. Open Safari on your iPhone (You can use any alternative web browser too).
2. Head to the OpenAI website.
3. Tap the Try ChatGPT banner.
   
4. Now, select Sign up if you are using the service for the first time.
5. Enter your email address, tap Continue, or sign in using your Google or Microsoft account.
6. Fill in your name and tap Continue.
   
7. Enter your phone number with the correct country code and select Send code via WhatsApp or Send via SMS.
8. Enter the OTP and select Continue.
9. You can now start using ChatGPT and ask questions about anything and everything. 

Please note that ChatGPT can only be accessed through the official OpenAI website. It is not available as an app on the App Store. Several users are falling prey to scams and knock-off apps trying to imitate ChatGPT and make quick money. Ensure to stay away from anything that is not available on OpenAI’s website. 

Use ChatGPT on Your Apple Watch Using the Shortcuts App

Using the Shortcuts app on your iPhone, you can create a ChatGPT shortcut to access the bot on your phone or Apple Watch. You can even map it to the Action button on the Apple Watch Ultra. Before we proceed to create this shortcut, you will need to retrieve your API Key from the OpenAI website. After this, you must paste the API Key in the pre-configured shortcut. 

How To Retrieve API Key From Open AI

The API Key is a prerequisite for the shortcut to function as intended. Follow the steps below to learn how to generate and retrieve your API Key from OpenAI. 

1. If you have already registered for an OpenAI account, head to the API Keys page and log in to your account.
2. Tap the Create new secret key option displayed below the API Keys section.
3. Now, copy the API Key and paste it somewhere secure. Note that the key begins with “sk-“. Ensure you copy the key immediately, as OpenAI will not display the secret key again after generating it. Also, refrain from sharing it anywhere for security reasons. 

Configure the ChatGPT Shortcut

Now that you have the API Key, you can create and configure the ChatGPT shortcut on the Shortcuts app. Since we already have the ChatGPT Shortcut, open the link below, and it’ll redirect you to the Shortcuts app. All you need to do is paste your API Key in the Text section of the Shortcut. 

1. Tap on this link, which will redirect you to the ChatGPT shortcut in the Shortcuts app.
2. Tap + Add Shortcut and allow all the privacy pop-ups.
   
3. Tap and hold on to the ChatGPT shortcut you just added and select Edit.
4. Scroll down to the Text section and paste the API Key you copied in the previous step.
   
5. Tap Done at the top right corner. 

Now, you can add a ChatGPT shortcut on your iPhone or Apple Watch. Moreover, you can remove any one input method option to accelerate the process of retrieving answers from ChatGPT. 

For example, suppose you want the ChatGPT shortcut to replace Siri for searching for answers on the internet. In that case, you can remove the Typing option from the first shortcut configuration called “Choose from menu with Input Mode?” Next time you access the shortcut, it will directly display the Now Listening pop-up. 

If going through so many steps to use ChatGPT on your Apple Watch seems like a hassle to you, there’s an easier way to use ChatGPT on Apple Watch. 

Enjoy Easy Access to ChatGPT

I hope this article helped you learn what ChatGPT is and how you can use it. Additionally, using the ChatGPT Shortcut helps prevent the “At Capacity” error as you are not logging in to the website to use the service. It is an easy hack to always have access to ChatGPT even without subscribing to the premium service. Do you think ChatGPT is factually correct and can replace voice assistants like Google Assistant and Siri for answering questions from data available on the internet? Let us know your thoughts in the comments below. 

FAQ’s

Q. Is there a ChatGPT iPhone App?

A. No. You can access ChatGPT only through the OpenAI website; no iOS application is available on the App Store. The same applies to Android and the Google Play Store.

Q. Why does the ChatGPT website display an “At Capacity” error?

A. Suppose you’re trying to access ChatGPT, and the website displays the “At Capacity” error. In that case, it is because the server is busy, and too many people are trying to access the service simultaneously.