How to use ChatGPT as a Siri shortcut on your iPhone or iPad
How to use ChatGPT as a Siri shortcut on your iPhone or iPad
Photo Illustration by Thomas Trutschel/Photothek via Getty Images
Want to access ChatGPT on your iPhone or iPad? You can always browse to OpenAI’s ChatGPT website in Safari every time you want to use it. But a more convenient option is to set up a Siri shortcut that works with the AI. And instead of trying to create your own such shortcut, a few custom predesigned ones are available for you to download and install.
Also: How to use ChatGPT to create an app
In my testing, I checked out three different ChatGPT Siri shortcuts — SiriGPT, ChatGPT Siri, and Siri Pro. All of them worked similarly to bring the power of ChatGPT to an iPhone and iPad.
After the shortcut is set up, you’re able to trigger it a few different ways. You can open the Shortcuts app and tap the icon for the shortcut. You can add the shortcut to your Home screen where it’s more easily available. Plus, you can run the shortcut by telling Siri to activate it.
1. Get API keys
Your first step is to get the necessary API keys from Open AI. These keys are used by a ChatGPT shortcut to send your requests to the ChatGPT service and receive the responses. The process for obtaining the keys is the same no matter which ChatGPT shortcut you use.
Also: Do you like asking ChatGPT questions? You could get paid (a lot) for it
On your iPhone or iPad, open Safari and head to the Open AI platform page. If you don’t already have an account with OpenAI, tap the button for Sign up. Otherwise, tap the button for Log in and sign in with your account. Tap the three line hamburger icon in the upper right, scroll to the bottom of the Settings menu, and select your profile. From the profile menu, tap View API keys.
Select the option for View API keys.
screenshot by Lance Whitney/ZDNET
2. Create new secret key
At the API keys screen, tap the button for Create new secret key. Press down on the key to select the entire string and then tap Copy. Open a note and paste the key. If you plan to try more than one ChatGPT shortcut, return to the Open AI platform page, tap OK, and then tap Create new secret key to generate another key. Repeat the copy and paste.
Copy and paste the API key.
screenshot by Lance Whitney/ZDNET
Now, let’s check out each of the three ChatGPT shortcuts.
How to use SiriGPT
1. Get the shortcut
Open the SiriGPT shortcut page on your device and tap the button for Get Shortcut. At the shortcuts screen, tap the button for Add Shortcut. The shortcut appears in the Shortcuts app.
Add the SiriGPT shortcut.
screenshot by Lance Whitney/ZDNET
2. Add the API key
Return to the note in which you pasted one or more of the API keys. Select and copy one set of keys. Back in the Shortcuts app, tap the three-dot icon for the SiriGPT shortcut. In the text field, remove the phrase ADD API KEY HERE and then paste the API key you just copied. Tap Done.
Paste the API key.
screenshot by Lance Whitney/ZDNET
3. Run SiriGPT
Tap the SiriGPT shortcut to run it. The first time you do this, you’ll be asked to allow it access to Speech Recognition. Tap Allow.
Run the shortcut and allow the necessary permissions.
screenshot by Lance Whitney/ZDNET
4. Ask a question
Type or speak your request. Tap Allow when asked to connect to api.openai.com. SiriGPT then displays and speaks the response. Tap Done at any point. Tap Done to stop the chat. Tap Ask Again to ask another question.
Read and listen to the response.
screenshot by Lance Whitney/ZDNET
How to use ChatGPT Siri
1. Get the shortcut
Open the ChatGPT Siri shortcut page in Safari and tap the button for Get Shortcut. At the shortcuts screen, tap the button for Add Shortcut. The shortcut then pops up in the Shortcuts app.
Add the shortcut.
screenshot by Lance Whitney/ZDNET
2. Add the API key
Tap the three-dot icon for the shortcut. In the text field, delete the phrase “Replace this with your own API key!” and paste one of the API keys you copied from Open AI. Tap Done.
Paste the API key.
screenshot by Lance Whitney/ZDNET
3. Ask a question
Tap the ChatGPT shortcut. Type your request in the text field or speak it by tapping the keyboard’s microphone icon. Allow ChatGPT to connect to api.openai.com. The response then appears on the screen.
View the response.
screenshot by Lance Whitney/ZDNET
How to use Siri Pro
1. Get the shortcut
Open the Siri Pro shortcut page in the browser and tap the button for Get Shortcut. At the shortcuts screen, tap the button for Add Shortcut. The shortcut pops up in the Shortcuts app.
Add the shortcut.
screenshot by Lance Whitney/ZDNET
2. Add the API key
Tap the shortcut’s three-dot icon. In the text field, delete the phrase “GENERATE & ADD YOUR API KEY HERE” and paste an API key that you copied from Open AI. Tap Done.
Paste the API key.
screenshot by Lance Whitney/ZDNET
3. Ask a question
Tap the Siri Pro shortcut. Type your request in the text field or speak it by tapping keyboard’s microphone icon. Allow Siri Pro to connect to api.openai.com. By default, the shortcut only speaks the response and doesn’t display it. But if you’re skilled enough with Siri shortcuts, you may be able to tweak this one to display a response on the screen as well.
Listen to the response.
screenshot by Lance Whitney/ZDNET
How to trigger a shortcut from the Home screen
Instead of launching a shortcut through the Shortcuts app, you can more easily trigger it from the Home screen.
1. Add to Home screen
To set this up, press down on the icon for one of the ChatGPT shortcuts and select Share. From the Share menu, tap the option for Add to Home Screen. Preview the name and icon for the shortcut and then tap Add.
Add the shortcut to the Home screen.
screenshot by Lance Whitney/ZDNET
2. Ask a question
Tap the icon on the Home screen and then speak or type your request to receive a response.
Run the shortcut from the Home screen.
screenshot by Lance Whitney/ZDNET
How to trigger a shortcut through Siri
An even quicker way is to run a shortcut through Siri. Simply say: “Hey Siri [name of shortcut].” If Siri doesn’t understand that you want it to run a shortcut due to confusion with the name, then your best bet it to rename the shortcut.
To do this, press down on it in the Shortcuts app and select Rename from the menu. Choose a name that won’t conflict with an existing command. Try calling on Siri again. Speak or type your request and wait for the response.
Tell Siri to run the shortcut.
screenshot by Lance Whitney/ZDNET
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