Using ChatGPT on macOS just got supercharged thanks to MacGPT 3

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Move over Spotlight - there's a new bar in town.

MacGPT 3 on macOS, both in Spotlight and in the menu bar
(Image credit: iMore)

A great macOS app that uses ChatGPT has seen a huge update today (March 27), letting you access the AI in a menu that looks like Spotlight, Apple's feature to help you search for content on your Mac.

MacGPT is made by Jordi Bruin, who also developed MacWhisper, an AI transcription app. MacGPT version 3 brings the ability to enable ChatGPT-4, alongside being able to enable the chatbot in the Spotlight-like menu. The app has also seen some design tweaks to make it easier to return to previous queries.

We've spoken about MacGPT before - it's well-designed and feels like it's been a part of Mac for years, thanks to the global shortcuts it offers. However, version 3 looks like its best improvement yet, and could help make ChatGPT's information more accessible to those who use it.

To ChatGPT and beyond

MacGPT 3 on macOS

(Image credit: Jordi Bruin)

There are two new features in MacGPT 3 that I love already. First, I can set CMD+O as a global shortcut to use the AI as a Spotlight-like view, so having that appear when I needed to see the Latin word for 'Avion' was very helpful.

But there's also an 'Inline' feature, which enables ChatGPT in many apps, like Notes. So, for example, I opened up a new Notes sheet and entered the '+GPT' prompt, followed by a request on how to make chocolate pancakes.

In an instant, the answer was being typed in this Notes sheet, formatted like a list, ready to go. It felt like magic like the future had arrived on my Mac - without Apple lifting a finger.

I see ChatGPT as the 2023 more intelligent cousin of Ask Jeeves - an assistant that can help you in some instances and streamline your errands without the fear of an AI completely taking over the task.

While ChatGPT is available on iPhone and iPad thanks to a Siri Shortcut, alongside Petey on Apple Watch, MacGPT feels like the winner out of these methods. It's powerful, has a great design, and takes advantage of what macOS offers.

If you have not tried out Bruin's app, version 3 could be the best introduction to ChatGPT. In no time, the chatbot could help you make a pancake or get through Resident Evil 4 Remake right from within macOS.

Daryl Baxter
Daryl Baxter
Features Editor

Daryl is iMore's Features Editor, overseeing long-form and in-depth articles and op-eds. Daryl loves using his experience as both a journalist and Apple fan to tell stories about Apple's products and its community, from the apps we use every day to the products that have been long forgotten in the Cupertino archives.

Previously Software & Downloads Writer at TechRadar, and Deputy Editor at StealthOptional, he's also written a book, 'The Making of Tomb Raider', which tells the story of the beginnings of Lara Croft and the series' early development. His second book, '50 Years of Boss Fights', came out in June 2024, and has a monthly newsletter called 'Springboard'. He's also written for many other publications including WIRED, MacFormat, Bloody Disgusting, VGC, GamesRadar, Nintendo Life, VRV Blog, The Loop Magazine, SUPER JUMP, Gizmodo, Film Stories, TopTenReviews, Miketendo64, and Daily Star.