Abu Zar Mishwani
OpenAI’s ChatGPT, the AI-driven chatbot, is set to introduce a new feature for Android users: a handy home-screen widget. This update coincides with a wave of major releases for generative AI technologies.
Google just updated Gemini to version 1.5, and there’s news that Copilot might become the default assistant on Android. OpenAI is making its app easier to use with a new widget.
Mishaal Rahman, who shares updates on X (formerly known as Twitter), revealed some news about this progress. He mentioned, “ChatGPT for Android now has a home screen widget. The widget has shortcuts to send a text/image/voice query or start conversation mode.”
It’s important to note that this feature is still in beta testing and isn’t accessible to everyone just yet.
Rahman also posted a screenshot of the widget, giving us more insights. The home-screen widget seems to be in a 4×2 grid style. To give you an idea, it’s as wide as the Google Search widget but twice its height.
The widget includes a text field where users can type queries or prompts. Below this text field, there are four icons. These icons let users upload an image, take a photo, activate speech input mode, and choose to receive verbal responses.
These features are the ones people use the most on the app. If users don’t need to dive into advanced GPT functions or use premium features, the widget should cover their needs.
The main advantage of the widget is that users can open the app quickly for a simple query without taking up the entire screen. This lets them do other things simultaneously while waiting for the response.
Recently, OpenAI introduced a new feature for ChatGPT that gives the AI app long-term memory. This means users can now ask the AI assistant to remember specific things like their preferred essay length, writing style, workplace, business ownership, and more.
OpenAI emphasized that users will have complete control over this feature. They can choose to turn the memory function on or off according to their preferences. When memory is off, ChatGPT won’t create or access any stored information.
Alternatively, users can opt for the temporary chat feature, which enables them to have a conversation without any memory or history being retained.