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ChatGPT app arrives for Android, but there’s a catch

By Trevor Mogg July 25, 2023

OpenAI’s ChatGPT app is now available for Android, but not everyone can get it right away.

At launch, those in the U.S., India, Brazil, and Bangladesh can download the app from the Google Play Store, with “additional countries” being added “over the next week,” OpenAI said.

The rollout mirrors the one for the iPhone two months ago, which launched first in the U.S. before being made available more widely a few days later.

Until now, Android users could still use the popular AI-powered ChatGPT chatbot on their phones, but only via a mobile web browser. As you’d expect, the app offers a friendlier interface for improved ease of use.

The listing on the Google Play Store reveals that the app is free, syncs your history across devices, and will incorporate the latest improvements from OpenAI as and when they become available.

You can use the app to get answers to questions, find creative inspiration, learn stuff, create summaries, get advice, draft messages, and so on.

Just be careful what you do with its responses, however, as the AI-powered tech, while highly impressive for how it converses in a human-like way, is still in its relatively early stages and can be known to spit out erroneous information — with dire consequences — from time to time.

OpenAI signaled that the Android app was imminent when it added a listing for it on the Google Play Store a few days ago. And then on Tuesday, an “install” button showed up, allowing for downloads.

The ChatGPT app for iPhone saw a huge number of downloads upon its release, so OpenAI will be expecting to see the same for the Android version.

Not up to speed with ChatGPT? Digital Trends has a page featuring everything you need to know about the viral chatbot.

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Not so many moons ago, Trevor moved from one tea-loving island nation that drives on the left (Britain) to another (Japan)…

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