10 Tips for Mastering Voice Conversations with ChatGPT

How to talk to ChatGPT on your phone

ChatGPT has had support for voice conversations since the end of 2023, but if you’re new to OpenAI’s chatbot, figuring out how to converse with it can be tricky since there are a couple of ways to go about it. In this guide, I'll explain the main differences between ChatGPT's two voice modes and how to use both of them.

Standard vs. Advanced Voice Modes

As of the writing of this article, OpenAI offers two different ways of interacting with ChatGPT using your voice: “Standard” and “Advanced.” The former is available to all users, with usage counting against one’s message limit. “Advanced,” meanwhile, has more granular restrictions.

Outside of those limits, the primary difference between the two modes is the sophistication of the underlying models powering them. In practice, this translates to Advanced Voice offering capabilities that aren’t possible with Standard Mode.

Using ChatGPT on Your Phone

The steps below will show you how to access them on your iPhone or Android device:

1. Download the ChatGPT app on your device (Android, iOS).
2. To use Standard mode, tap the microphone icon to the right of the Message bar.
3. 
4. To use Advanced Mode, tap the waveform icon to the right of the Message bar.
5. If you want to screen share with ChatGPT or share a photo or video with it, tap the three-dots icon and select Share Screen, Upload Photo or Take Photo.
6. The first time you use Advanced Voice Mode, you’ll be prompted to select a tone of voice for ChatGPT. Right now, OpenAI offers nine different options.

Customizing ChatGPT's Voice

If you want to change ChatGPT’s voice, follow these steps:

1. Bring up the sidebar by tapping the two-dash.
2. Open the Settings menu by tapping the three-dots icon.
3. Scroll down and tap Voice.
4. 
5. Select the voice you want ChatGPT to use.

Some Advanced Voice Mode features aren’t available in every country where OpenAI offers ChatGPT. Specifically, the video, screen share, and image upload capabilities OpenAI introduced in December aren’t available in certain regions.