ChatGPT update brings big improvements to multitasking on Mac – but getting it can be confusing

OpenAI’s ChatGPT chatbot runs in a web browser, but the company has also launched a version of its artificial intelligence (AI) helper for macOS desktop computers. Now, with a new version of the ChatGPT Mac app, OpenAI has made it easier to multitask with its popular AI chatbot.

With its latest update, OpenAI has changed the way ChatGPT works when you have other apps open. Previously, you could press the Option-Space keyboard shortcut to open ChatGPT’s search box, similar to Spotlight on your Mac. After typing in a request and pressing Return, the main ChatGPT window would appear on top, even if it was previously hidden behind another app’s window.

Now things work a little differently. Let’s say you’re working in a web browser, and then you press Option-Space to bring up the ChatGPT search box. After you type your request and press Return, you’ll see a small ChatGPT overlay that sits on top of previous windows, instead of the main ChatGPT window.

This means there’s no need to constantly switch between apps – just place the ChatGPT mini-window on top or next to everything else.

Oddities Update

ChatGPT Hero

(Photo source: Iryna Imago)

This change isn’t the only update in the latest version of ChatGPT. OpenAI says it’s also made improvements to data analysis, so that tables and charts generated by ChatGPT now have a new, expandable view that you can interact with. You can also “customize and download charts for presentations and documents,” OpenAI says, and select specific table cells for ChatGPT to perform further analysis.

The app has also received a number of bug fixes and other improvements, including the addition of several new keyboard shortcuts, additional customization options, performance and security improvements, and more.

It’s worth noting that we encountered a strange situation when updating to the latest version of ChatGPT. Downloading the app from the OpenAI website gave us version 1.2024.199, which included the new mini-window feature. However, updating the app to version 1.2024.212 apparently removed the new overlay.

The second time, downloading the app from the OpenAI website didn’t give us the new feature, but updating it fixed the problem. If you’re having trouble finding the feature after updating ChatGPT, it’s worth trying a few different ways to download and update the app.

OpenAI didn’t say when exactly the Windows version of ChatGPT will be available, but it’s scheduled for later in 2024. If you have a Mac and want to test out the new ChatGPT features, you can do so right now, as long as your machine has an M1 processor or better and is running macOS 14 (Sonoma) or later.