Just a little while, and you can download the ChatGPT app. The Android application of the popular chatbot will appear in the Google Play Store later this week. Anyone registering for the app now will automatically receive a notification when it is ready.
ChatGPT developer OpenAI announced this via Twitter.
The popularity of and concerns surrounding ChatGPT
It’s been a while since OpenAI presented ChatGPT. In November 2022, the chatbot was unveiled by the developer. The platform now has more than one billion users worldwide. The chatbot is also popular in the Netherlands: according to market researcher GfK, ChatGPT already had about one and a half million users in our country last April.
At the same time, there are concerns about the application. For example, D66 is afraid that artificial intelligence, and ChatGPT in particular, will affect the quality of education. Students using generative AI to complete homework assignments have been in the news.
The Party for the Animals (PvdD) is concerned that the chatbot affects our privacy and may even violate European privacy legislation. The party has therefore asked whether the Dutch Data Protection Authority can issue urgent advice to block ChatGPT in our country. Due to a privacy violation, the Italian regulator GPDP temporarily blocked the chatbot.
ChatGPT for Android will appear in the Play Store this week
Despite the concerns that exist about ChatGPT among critics, the chatbot remains as popular as mentioned. For a long time, ChatGPT was only available via the web browser. That is until the official ChatGPT app for iOS appeared in May. Free, without ads and with voice input support.
Whether and when an Android app from ChatGPT would be released was unknown. Last weekend, OpenAI provided more clarity on this. In a tweet, the developer announced that the Android application is on its way. The company announced via Twitter that Android users can download and install the app on their Android smartphone or tablet this week.
We still need to figure out exactly when to expect the Android app. But those who register now in the Google Play Store will receive a signal as soon as it is ready.
Make sure you download the right app
The question is whether ChatGPT for Android will be available in the Netherlands this week. The worldwide launch of a new app usually takes place in phases. This may mean that we have to wait a little longer for the app unless our country belongs to the first wave of countries where the app is released first.
Please note that you download ChatGPT from OpenAI. Several clones of the chatbot can be found in the Play Store, but they come from other developers. In some cases, they are downright rogue and unreliable apps that try to sell you an expensive subscription. We also call this category of apps fleeceware.
This is OpenAI’s official page on the Google Play Store, where you can download ChatGPT.Update (July 26, 2023): ChatGPT’s Android app is available today in four countries: Bangladesh, Brazil, India, and the United States. As with the chatbot’s iOS app launch, the Netherlands is not among the first wave of countries where you can download the Android app.
The developer promises that the Android version will be rolled out “in a few weeks” in “additional countries”. It may also be available for download in the Dutch Google Play Store. Signing up for the app will give you a signal when it is ready.