How to Install and Run ChatGPT as a Windows App

ChatGPT is an Artificial Intelligence (AI) chatbot built on OpenAI big language models. It is available as a web and mobile app, so you need to visit the website every time to access it or download it from the Google Play Store or Apple App Store.

But what if you want to run ChatGPT as a Windows application? Although there is no official Windows version yet, Microsoft Edge and Chrome allow you to use ChatGPT just like a native Windows application. Here's how you can run ChatGPT as a Windows app using Microsoft Edge, create a Chrome shortcut for an AI bot, and pin the ChatGPT app to the taskbar.

Warning : At the time of writing, OpenAI has not released an official app for ChatGPT on the Chrome Web Store or Microsoft Store. Use caution when searching for any ChatGPT apps on these and other app stores.

How to run ChatGPT as a Windows app using Edge

Microsoft Edge provides the Install this site as an app feature . It allows you to run websites as standalone native Windows applications. Since ChatGPT is only available as a web app, you can install the AI ​​chatbot website as an app on your computer. It looks and works similar to the web version, except you don't see any web elements like bookmarks, tabs, etc.

To add ChatGPT as a Windows app using Edge:

1. Go to ChatGPT page on Edge browser and sign in with your account credentials.

2. Next, click on the three-dot menu to access the browser menu.

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3. Go to Apps and select Install this site as an app .

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4. In the Install App pop-up window , enter a name for the application. Example: ChatGPT. Entering a name makes it easy to find installed apps.

5. To add a custom icon, click the Edit button under Install App and select an icon from your local drive. For GPT, you can leave the default.

6. Click Install and wait for Windows to install the website as an application.

The ChatGPT application will automatically launch once the installation is complete. In the App installed dialog box , you can pin it to the taskbar and Start menu, create a desktop shortcut, and enable auto-start at device login. Choose your options and click Allow .

You can search for and launch apps from the Start menu just like any other application on your computer. Similar to the web version, ChatGPT will ask you to log in after the session ends. Once you're signed in, you can chat or discover some of the cool things you can do with ChatGPT.

Since it is essentially a PWA application, it also inherits some browser features. For example, click the three-dot menu in the app and go to More Tools to access printing, transferring media to your device, zooming, and copying links.

How to Add ChatGPT as a Windows App Using Chrome

Similar to Microsoft Edge, Chrome has a Create shortcut feature. You can add any website as a shortcut to use it as a native app. Here's how to add ChatGPT as a shortcut using Chrome.

1. In Google Chrome, navigate to the ChatGPT page and sign in with your account.

2. Click the three-dot menu in the top right corner.

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3. Select More Tools > Create Shortcut .

4. Enter a name in the Create shortcut pop-up window .

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5. Select the Open as window option . Without this option, the ChatGPT shortcut will open the website in a new Chrome window instead of in a standalone window.

6. Click Create to finish.

You can open the ChatGPT Chrome shortcut from the Start menu. Right-click the shortcut to add it to the Start menu and taskbar.

Run ChatGPT with an unofficial project

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A developer on GitHub has posted an unofficial ChatGPT project that runs on a Windows computer. To use the app, you need to log in with your ChatGPT credentials. It works similar to the AI ​​chatbot web app but offers some extra features.

Since this is a third-party project, the article recommends creating a restore point so that changes can be undone in case something goes wrong.

Here's how to run an unofficial ChatGPT project on Windows:

1. Visit ChatGPT's unofficial GitHub page.

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2. Scroll down to the Windows section and click the download link .msi installer for Direct download installer . On Microsoft Edge, Windows Defender Screen Filter can temporarily block the download and prompt you to confirm whether you trust the file. To allow downloads, tap Show more , then click the three-dot menu. Next select Keep to download the installer. To be on the safer side, you can scan the installer with an online virus scanner for any traces of malware.

3. Next, run the installer and follow the on-screen instructions to complete the installation.

4. Once installed, launch the app and log in with your ChaptGPT credentials and start generating feedback.

This unofficial app has a few handy features not found in the original app. For example, you can save and export any generated responses in Markdown, image, and PDF formats.

Samuel Daniel

Update 09 August 2023