[HN Gopher] ChatGPT for Android - Pre-orders
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       ChatGPT for Android - Pre-orders
        
       Author : myitis_
       Score  : 71 points
       Date   : 2023-07-21 20:19 UTC (2 hours ago)
        
 (HTM) web link (play.google.com)
 (TXT) w3m dump (play.google.com)
        
       | hughesjj wrote:
       | Awesome, about time! Tired of logging into my web browser on
       | mobile lol
        
         | version_five wrote:
         | Why? What does an app give you over the browser? I get the
         | feeling I'm in a minority not caring so I'm trying to
         | understand. Do you specifically mean you don't like entering
         | your login info once on a while (granted I have no idea why we
         | have to log in so often)?
        
           | philshem wrote:
           | I removed the instagram app on my phone to minimize my usage.
           | It works. The experience of the mobile website makes it easy
           | to use the platform much less. And I never need to re-login
           | to the mobile website.
        
           | politelemon wrote:
           | I don't think you are mistaken, looking at the screenshots
           | this seems to be a slimmer version of the web version. The
           | web version has more features.
        
       | version_five wrote:
       | Does this mean they're going to nag you to use the app or get rid
       | of their web interface e all together? Is there any point in this
       | beyond personal data spying?
        
         | minimaxir wrote:
         | Most normal people (the target market for these ChatGPT
         | releases) do not use webapps or PWAs. The success of ChatGPT on
         | iOS proves that.
        
           | willsmith72 wrote:
           | A web app is literally just a website, but otherwise true
        
         | koolba wrote:
         | > Does this mean they're going to nag you to use the app or get
         | rid of their web interface e all together?
         | 
         | This is OpenAI. Not Reddit.
         | 
         | > Is there any point in this beyond personal data spying?
         | 
         | Alternatively, this would limit the eyes on your inputs /
         | outputs to just OpenAI instead of them and N random app
         | vendors.
        
           | blibble wrote:
           | > This is OpenAI. Not Reddit.
           | 
           | Altman was on the reddit board for a long time until
           | relatively recently
        
             | heartbreak wrote:
             | He ran this place too and we still have a mostly-
             | serviceable web interface. And no app.
        
               | blibble wrote:
               | this place has a very specific purpose and audience
               | 
               | and it would never be expected to cover its costs (let
               | alone make a profit)
               | 
               | completely different to reddit
        
               | version_five wrote:
               | It will be interesting to see what happens to HN in the
               | long run. I hope it's shut down and archived if it no
               | longer serves it's purpose as opposed to either being
               | left to decline or shamelessly monetized like what
               | happened to slashdot.
        
         | notatoad wrote:
         | Just like the iOS app, i think the only point here is that the
         | app stores are terrible at filtering out imitators or
         | fraudulent apps so if your product is as popular as ChatGPT is,
         | unless you make a first-party mobile app then all the users
         | searching for you in the app store will be finding and
         | installing some other scammy apps that claim to be your
         | product.
         | 
         | their customers expect an app. not having one is a risk.
        
         | yreg wrote:
         | Don't know what's the Android experience, but on iOS the app is
         | much more comfortable/usable than the website.
         | 
         | Keeps you logged in, copy&paste is better, doesn't close the
         | session with no way to continue the current completion when you
         | lock your phone, etc.
        
           | wenc wrote:
           | I prefer the iOS app to the website too.
           | 
           | Plus you can use Siri to Ask ChatGPT stuff. Can't do this
           | through the web interface.
           | 
           | https://help.openai.com/en/articles/7993358-chatgpt-ios-
           | app-...
        
           | gunapologist99 wrote:
           | Says more about the website than about the app.
        
             | yreg wrote:
             | In the end that can be said about almost any app.
             | 
             | I for one like installing and using native apps of services
             | I use often. But if you prefer to do everything in the
             | browser that's fine as well.
        
           | tunesmith wrote:
           | You can also search your own chat history on iOS. I don't see
           | how to do that on the website.
        
         | [deleted]
        
         | thewataccount wrote:
         | Are we suddenly against native mobile apps altogether?
         | 
         | I get the cynicism with apps like threads, being mobile-app
         | only.
         | 
         | But OpenAI's business model is selling API access to a LLM -
         | chatGPT is just a basic consumer front end. They've given no
         | indication that they would want to deprecate the very actively
         | developed web front end - and I see no motivation for them to
         | do that.
         | 
         | Unlike social media platforms - OpenAI doesn't need to control
         | the consumer UI - they make money either way. Alternative UI's
         | and adblockers aren't a threat to them. They also don't have
         | "engagement stats" to worry about.
         | 
         | I'm just saying we shouldn't get pitch forks out just yet,
         | "native app" is often a selling point.
        
           | version_five wrote:
           | I'm not saying and app shouldn't exist, I couldn't care less.
           | I'm concerned based on a precedent that I've seen of either
           | harassing or forcing users onto an app as I personally don't
           | want to use one nor be constantly dismissing modal windows
           | telling me how much better it is.
        
             | pedroma wrote:
             | There's a plethora of UIs available already. Really you
             | just need to accept user text input and output text input,
             | so it's not that complicated to build a UI for their API
             | (which appears to be their main product).
        
           | lolinder wrote:
           | My concern with native apps is only sometimes about privacy.
           | Mostly it's that they're typically bloated and take up a huge
           | amount of space. If I install every 50-500MB app that every
           | single company wants me to install, I run out of space on my
           | phone pretty fast.
           | 
           | With a web app I can pretty much trust the browser to keep
           | the cache at around 500MB for _all_ pages I visit.
        
             | scarface_74 wrote:
             | So exactly how is an app more invasive of privacy than a
             | website? What information vs they get about you that you
             | don't explicitly allow?
             | 
             | In fact, it's easier to be tracked across the web than by
             | individual apps without permission
        
               | lolinder wrote:
               | I think you missed the point of my comment, which is that
               | my concern about apps is mostly about bloat, not privacy.
               | I'm sure there are plenty of people here who will be
               | happy to explain why an app is more invasive (it is), but
               | this is an odd reply to my comment.
        
               | scarface_74 wrote:
               | Your words
               | 
               | > My concern with native apps is only sometimes about
               | privacy
               | 
               | An app at least on iOS has no more access to information
               | on your phone than a website unless you give it
               | permission.
        
           | unethical_ban wrote:
           | Suddenly? When haven't HNers had skepticism about native apps
           | when the mobile experience is sufficient?
           | 
           | What does a native app bring to the table?
        
           | JohnFen wrote:
           | > Are we suddenly against native mobile apps altogether?
           | 
           | Not suddenly. I turned against mobile apps a long time ago,
           | for privacy reasons. That said, I'm not upset about OpenAI
           | releasing one. They can do whatever they like, obviously.
        
             | scarface_74 wrote:
             | How can apps invade your privacy without explicitly giving
             | them permission?
        
               | JohnFen wrote:
               | In a bunch of ways. Even ignoring that the Android
               | permissions system is full of holes, apps don't need
               | permission to engage in telemetry.
               | 
               | Of course, web sites or web apps aren't really any better
               | when it comes to Android.
               | 
               | On a desktop, I prefer native applications over web sites
               | or web apps because I can at least firewall off native
               | applications.
        
               | scarface_74 wrote:
               | > apps don't need permission to engage in telemetry.
               | 
               | What type of "telemetry" is available to an app
               | connecting to remote servers without your permission that
               | isn't available to a website?
        
           | charcircuit wrote:
           | >They also don't have "engagement stats" to worry about.
           | 
           | ChatGPT's engagement stats are the whole reason the latest
           | LLM hype cycle began.
        
             | classified wrote:
             | Not the only reason, they also want to sell shovels to gold
             | diggers. Keeping the hype alive helps with that.
        
           | scarface_74 wrote:
           | > they make money either way
           | 
           | I mean I wouldn't say they make money. They are losing
           | millions and only surviving because of subsidies from
           | Microsoft
        
           | webstrand wrote:
           | > Are we suddenly against native mobile apps altogether?
           | 
           | Yeah, pretty much. The privacy controls on Android, at least,
           | are very poor and you leak tons of private data to native
           | apps that doesn't leak to web apps.
        
           | joshmn wrote:
           | > Are we suddenly against native mobile apps altogether?
           | 
           | I personally am only against apps that give me zero utility
           | or value over what a website can do. If I want to add you to
           | my home screen, I will; if I care enough I'll certainly
           | remember the website.
        
             | scarface_74 wrote:
             | Well, on my iPhone being able to activate Siri and saying
             | "Ask ChatGPT" is utility.
        
             | cglong wrote:
             | I too would've preferred a PWA, but in its absence, at
             | least now I'll have easy access from my apps list.
        
         | ape4 wrote:
         | My first thought too. Its not going to do any LLM computing on
         | your phone/tablet.
        
         | ben_w wrote:
         | Such cynicism.
         | 
         | Look, if you don't like the app or the website, you can ask the
         | LLM to write you a new one.
        
       | transformi wrote:
       | No thanks. I'll run privately self-hosted llama on my phone.
       | 
       | Sharing data with OpenAI it's *irresponsible step* at this time
       | of development.
        
         | brunoqc wrote:
         | > I'll run privately self-hosted llama on my phone.
         | 
         | any guides on how to do that?
        
           | transformi wrote:
           | Yes!
           | 
           | You have two options:
           | 
           | 1- Find some port for it to run locally on GitHub (it will be
           | quantized and not that useful right now, till 2024-till
           | Qualcomm will ship their phones). - see
           | https://github.com/Bip-Rep/sherpa
           | 
           | *The better one* 2- Host the version on a server on the cloud
           | (or locally on your computer with tunneling) using ooga-booga
           | (with --api flag), and communicate with that self-hosted
           | llama, directly. This way you won't be limited to 7/13B
           | versions but can run the 70B...
        
       | hobo_mark wrote:
       | There is no install button, it asks me to "Pre-register"? Is this
       | another everywhere-but-Europe thing?
        
         | mwint wrote:
         | USian here, I see the same thing.
        
         | mcsofake wrote:
         | ChatGPT for iOS is available here in Germany, so I doubt they
         | would restrict the Android version.
        
       | dr_dshiv wrote:
       | Why cant you edit your prompts in the app? Such an important part
       | of usage -- so strange to not have in the app.
        
       | amanzi wrote:
       | Still says "coming soon..." for me.
        
         | mdaniel wrote:
         | There's a rule against editoralizing submission titles and thus
         | OP just randomly finding a Play Store link is not an
         | _announcement_ in any way. Doubly so when no one can install
         | the app, apparently
        
       | hassanahmad wrote:
       | Great news. It will make my working faster now.
        
       | tananaev wrote:
       | It's a pre-registration. The app will start rolling out next
       | week. https://twitter.com/OpenAI/status/1682480558545461249
        
         | dang wrote:
         | Ok, I've added that to the title above. Thanks!
        
       | kernal wrote:
       | Just in time to capitalize on its waning popularity.
        
       | NLPaep wrote:
       | Is this any different than ChatGPT that's been on iOS for awhile
       | now?
        
         | JimtheCoder wrote:
         | Yes, this one runs on Android...
         | 
         | No need to thank me...
        
           | flangola7 wrote:
           | But what does it do that the website doesn't?
        
             | scarface_74 wrote:
             | On iOS there is Siri shortcut
        
             | JimtheCoder wrote:
             | Run natively on Android?
        
             | drexlspivey wrote:
             | It saves you having to login and solve a captcha every time
             | you use it
        
             | mritchie712 wrote:
             | The iOS version has whisper built in for voice to text and
             | it's nearly flawless in my experience.
        
       | propercoil wrote:
       | When the hell are they going to open the gpt4-32k to everyone?
        
       | kernal wrote:
       | It's kind of hilarious that OpenAI has an app available on
       | Android before Google. They're probably working on more important
       | things like a social justice wallpaper app.
        
         | cglong wrote:
         | Generative AI is now built into every Google search result I
         | do, including via the search bar permanently available on my
         | home screen.
        
           | cft wrote:
           | Interesting. I was done with Google search since GPT/Bing
           | came out. With their SEO spam, wokeism and didactics. Have
           | been paying for GPT-4
        
       | atum47 wrote:
       | I'm willing to give it a try.
       | 
       | From time to time I've been chatting with hey pi [1] which you
       | can add as a WhatsApp contact. It's pretty fun
       | 
       | 1 - https://heypi.com/talk
        
         | fieryskiff11 wrote:
         | Blocked by my ad blocker. This seems to be a sign...
        
         | scarface_74 wrote:
         | I'm impressed. I had it simulate a conversation with my wife
         | about being a "digital nomad". It's something we are already
         | doing. I didn't use those words. It did pretty well.
        
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       (page generated 2023-07-21 23:02 UTC)