How to Install ChatGPT as a Mac App on macOS Sonoma for Free

Apple’s macOS Sonoma has brought a plethora of features to enhance your computing experience, and one of these is the ability to easily create apps from your favorite websites. This is particularly useful for services like ChatGPT, where having quick, streamlined access to the website can be a real game changer. In this tutorial, we’ll walk you through how to install ChatGPT as a Mac app using Safari’s “Add to Dock” feature.

Step 1: Open Safari

First things first, open your Safari browser. This feature is specific to Safari, so using Chrome or Firefox won’t work in this instance.

Step 2: Navigate to the ChatGPT Website

Type in the URL for ChatGPT or search for it in your Safari browser. Make sure you are on the official ChatGPT page.

Step 3: Access the Share Menu

Once the ChatGPT page has fully loaded, look at the top of your Safari window. You’ll find the share icon in the toolbar (it looks like a square with an arrow pointing upward). Click on this icon to open the share menu.

Step 4: Choose “Add to Dock”

In the share menu, you’ll see several menu options; select the one titled “Add to Dock.” This essentially saves the website as a standalone app you can open from the Dock and/or from Launchpad just like regular Mac apps.

Install ChatGPT as a Mac app from the Share menu in Safari.

It’s worth mentioning that you can also perform the “Add to Dock” action from the menu bar by choosing File -> Add to Dock as demonstrated in the screenshot below.

Choose File -> Add to Dock to save ChatGPT as a Mac App from Safari.
You can also save ChatGPT as a Mac app from the menu bar on macOS Sonoma and later.

Step 5: Rename (Optional)

After selecting “Add to Dock,” you are given the option to rename the web app. You can keep it as ChatGPT or change it to something else that you’ll easily recognize.

The Add to Dock panel used to save ChatGPT as a Mac app.

Step 6: Locate the ChatGPT Icon in Your Dock

Once you’ve added ChatGPT to your Dock, you should see the icon appear. It’s usually at the end of your Dock, but you can click and drag it to change its position.

Step 7: Enjoy Your New ChatGPT Mac App

Congratulations, you now have ChatGPT installed as a Mac app! Just click on the icon in your Dock whenever you want to use ChatGPT. It will open in a window that’s separate from your main Safari browser, giving you an app-like experience.

    Additional Tips and Tricks

  • Internet Connection: Remember, since this is essentially a shortcut to the web version of ChatGPT, you’ll need an active internet connection to use it.
  • Customization: Feel free to customize the web app further by changing its icon. You can do this by opening the Settings window from the menu bar when you have the ChatGPT app opened. From there, you can replace the icon with any image you’ve prepared.

Install ChatGPT as a Mac App and get a More Native Experience

ChatGPT Mac app settings window.
Double click on the ChatGPT icon image in the Settings window to change it.

And that’s it! You’ve successfully turned ChatGPT into a convenient app on your Mac. This process can be used for virtually any website, making your most visited pages more accessible than ever. Enjoy the seamless integration of ChatGPT into your macOS Sonoma experience!