ChatGPT is taking the world by storm. Not only is it incredibly fun to use, it can actually be surprisingly useful. If you're a fan of OpenAI's powerful chatbot, you might be wondering if it has a smartphone app.

Is There an App for ChatGPT?

Yes, there is an official ChatGPT app, but it's only available for the iPhone as of May 2023. OpenAI says the Android app "will be coming to your devices soon!" Android users can access ChatGPT in a mobile browser and add a shortcut on the home screen. For now, that's the closest thing to an official "app" for ChatGPT on Android.

Download: OpenAI ChatGPT for iPhone

What About Unofficial ChatGPT Apps?

The long answer is that you can use ChatGPT in some apps---well, kind of. OpenAI released a public API for ChatGPT in March 2023. That means anyone can integrate ChatGPT's AI language model into apps and services. At the time of writing, it's being used in Snapchat, Quizlet, Instacart, Shop, and Speak for various things.

Snapchat is using ChatGPT for its "My AI" feature, which is essentially just ChatGPT in a direct message conversation. Quizlet is using the API for "Q-Chat," an AI tutor for students. Instacart's usage allows customers to ask about food and get shopping suggestions.

These official apps are currently the best way to use ChatGPT outside of the browser. However, they're utilizing the API in specific ways (learning, shopping, language, etc). The most open-ended method for asking anything you want is still through

        chat.openai.com
    

  in your browser.

Watch Out for Fake ChatGPT Apps

Unfortunately, since it took so long for OpenAI to release an official ChatGPT app, there was a big opening for fakes. Many apps claim to be "powered by ChatGPT," but they're clearly not. An app called "Genie," for example, says it's "powered by ChatGPT & GPT-3," yet it hasn't been updated since December 2022---four months before the API became available.

Related: ChatGPT: How to Use the AI Chatbot for Free

This is a big problem with ChatGPT apps. At the moment, it's difficult to differentiate between real and fake ChatGPT apps. There are hundreds of apps claiming to use the ChatGPT and other GPT APIs---and some may actually be true---but many of them are lying. Plus, they're full of ads and scummy subscription plans.

Unless you're using an app from a known entity---such as Snapchat or Instacart---or OpenAI creates a list of approved third-party clients, your best bet is to use the official app or the good 'ol browser. If that's not good enough, you can try one of ChatGPT's alternatives. Some apps using ChatGPT's API are worth a try, like Petey which lets you use ChatGPT on your Apple Watch. And if you really want to change the ChatGPT experience on your phone, we have a guide to setting up ChatGPT to work like Google Assistant on Android.

Related: 8 ChatGPT AI Alternatives (Free and Paid)