The ChatGPT app just got a big upgrade on iOS and Android to stop your chats spiraling out of control

ChatGPT on mobile
(Image credit: Getty Images/ Cheng Xin)

  • iOS and Android users can now use Branched chats in the ChatGPT app
  • The feature allows users to move messages into new conversations
  • Branched chats initially launched on web in September

When OpenAI launched Branched chats on web earlier this year, my messy AI conversations became a thing of efficient beauty. Now, ChatGPT iOS and Android users can use the Branched chats functionality, which allows them to continue chats elsewhere, rather than having one overly long AI discussion.

Branched chats initially arrived in September this year, but it has taken nearly three months for OpenAI to incorporate the functionality into its iPhone and Android apps.

The new mobile feature allows users to quickly long-press a message and select 'Branch in new chat', opening the message outside of the current chat and allowing you to compartmentalize different conversations.

It might not sound like a big deal, but I'm constantly opening up new chats on the iOS app of ChatGPT, so now I can have a more efficient workflow just like on my PC version of the AI.

Why did it take this long?

I'm getting increasingly frustrated with OpenAI's inability to launch features on all of its platforms at once.

Whether it's ChatGPT Atlas launching on Mac or Branched Chats on the web, the company's launch strategy is overly complicated and disjointed.

When I read about the launch of a new feature, I want to be able to access it wherever I use ChatGPT, not only on one device, and not based on specific criteria. OpenAI is a big enough company to update all of its platforms at once, and no one should need to wait three months to use a simple feature that's been available for almost a quarter of the year.

Using Branched chats on iOS and Android is a great example of what I'm talking about. Why has it taken this long to launch? If OpenAI has a reasonable answer, I'm all ears; otherwise, stop killing the hype for your features with terrible launch strategies, poor naming schemes, and boring livestreams.


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John-Anthony Disotto
Senior Writer AI

John-Anthony Disotto is TechRadar's Senior Writer, AI, bringing you the latest news on, and comprehensive coverage of, tech's biggest buzzword. An expert on all things Apple, he was previously iMore's How To Editor, and has a monthly column in MacFormat. John-Anthony has used the Apple ecosystem for over a decade, and is an award-winning journalist with years of experience in editorial.

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