ChatGPT just released a beta update that lets you replace the default voice assistant on your Android phone. Although the ChatGPT for Android app has been around since 2023, this update makes it more convenient to use its capabilities without diving into the app.
Join the ChatGPT Beta to Make It the Default Digital Assistant on Your Phone
If you want to use ChatGPT as your primary voice assistant, you must first install the latest beta version of the app. To join the beta program, go to theChatGPT appon the Google Play Store, scroll down to the bottom until you find theJoin the betasection, and tapJoin.
When theJoin beta program?window pops up, tapJointo confirm. It may take a few minutes for you to get signed up, but once you’re confirmed, go ahead and tapInstallto get the beta ChatGPT app on your phone.
From there, tap on themenu iconon the upper left corner of the main page, and then tap on yourname to reveal the settings menu. From there, tap onAbout, and it should sayChatGPT for Android (1.2025.070).
Now that you have the latest app version, you need to head into your phone’s settings to activate the digital assistant option. Go toApps > Choose default apps > Digital assistant app. Once you’re in the Digital assistant app settings, tap onDigital assistant appand choose ChatGPT.
Note that this feature isn’t available in all regions and devices yet, so you might not be able to see and use it.
But if it’s available for you, you should be able to use ChatGPT when you launch your phone’s voice assistant feature — either by long-pressing the home or power button or by swiping from the corner of the screen. Unfortunately, ChatGPT doesn’t have a voice recognition feature yet, so you cannot launch it by voice unlike Gemini (which turns on when you say, “Hey, Google”) or Bixby.
Using ChatGPT as your primary voice assistant can help you get the most out of it, especially if you know how touse ChatGPT search like a pro. However, you’ll also miss out on several Google integrations (like smart home control), so you might want to retain Gemini on your Android phone for tasks like these.
OpenAI has recently been releasing updates to make ChatGPT much more useful for daily life. Aside from this latest release for Android devices, it also introduced anew creative model that’s supposed to make the LLM good at writing. But you still shouldn’t rely on it for everything, asit still gets some of the easiest questions wrong.
