Sabrina Ortiz

In May, OpenAI was the first major company to unveil the idea of an AI-powered voice assistant that mimics a conversation with a human and can be interrupted, understand emotions, and take part in multi-turn conversations. As of last month, the public can try the tool -- OpenAI's Voice Mode -- for themselves.

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You may have seen videos of people having full-blown conversations with ChatGPT on social media -- and the real-life experience is impressive and amusing. ChatGPT Voice Mode completely changes the voice assistant experience, making conversation more natural, intuitive, and helpful.

Some lighthearted use cases include chatting with ChatGPT about your day, playing a trivia game, or talking about yourself. However, there are practical use cases, as the tool can do everything a regular voice assistant would, such as giving you information about the weather, current events, ideas for projects, and more. 

How to use ChatGPT's Voice Mode

To access ChatGPT's Voice Mode, you will need to subscribe to ChatGPT Plus for$20 per month. If you are a ChatGPT power user, the cost will likely be justified as you get access to all the latest and greatest features. 

Also: Gemini Live is finally available. Here's how you can access it 

However, if you want the experience without the cost, you can use Gemini Live and Copilot Voice, which are both free and offer something similar. 

1. Download the ChatGPT app

You can't access Voice Mode directly from ChatGPT on your browser. Instead, download the ChatGPT app for iOS, MacOS, or Android. The app is free to download, so look out for fake apps listed on app stores that require payments. You can reference the photo below to ensure you download the right app. 

Sabrina Ortiz

2. Create a ChatGPT account

If you don't have a ChatGPT account, you should create one because you will need an account to purchase the ChatGPT Plus subscription to access Voice Mode. Creating an account is easy because you can use your existing Google, Apple, or Microsoft account. 

Screenshot by Sabrina Ortiz

3. Subscribe to ChatGPT Plus

Even though most experiences are available to ChatGPT users for free, Voice Mode is one of the few perks limited to ChatGPT Plus users. The subscription costs$20 per user per month and comes with other perks like unlimited image generation, access to the o1 model, access to Canvas, and first access to other latest developments. It is worth noting that even with the subscription, you get an unspecified daily limit of minutes to talk to Voice Mode. 

Also: How to use ChatGPT to analyze PDFs (and more) for free

To make the upgrade, on the browser, click on the tab that says "upgrade" on the top of your name in the bottom left-hand corner. Then select "Upgrade to Plus" and complete the transaction. On the app, you select "Get Plus" and complete the transaction. 

OpenAI

4. Click on the waveform icon

You'll see a "waveform" icon next to the microphone icon in the textbox field. To activate Voice Mode, click on the waveform icon. When you click on it, the blue orb will pop up, which means you have activated Voice Mode. You can say anything to start the conversation and experience the magic. 

Screenshot by Sabrina Ortiz

5. Change Voices (optional)

ChatGPT has nine voice options to choose from, all of which have different expressions, tones, and characters. To toggle between them and pick one, click on the settings icon in the upper right-hand corner, and you'll see them all come up. 

6. View transcript

Once you end your call, you will see the transcript of your call in ChatGPT. This output could be useful to reference the advice or insights you receive. 

FAQs

Is ChatGPT Voice Mode free?

No, at the moment, ChatGPT Voice Mode is only available for ChatGPT Plus subscribers, which is a$20 per month membership. 

What can I do with ChatGPT Voice Mode?

ChatGPT Voice Mode can do everything an ordinary AI voice assistant can do, just in a much more conversational way. Some standout features include the fact that it can be interrupted, understand emotions, and have multi-turn conversations.

Are there ChatGPT Voice Mode alternatives?

Yes, there are two major alternatives: Gemini Live and Copilot Voice. To access Gemini Live, you need an Android device and the free Gemini app; no subscriptions are required. Copilot Voice is free to all users, and accessing is as easy as downloading the free app. 

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