Soon after a report claimed that Apple would release iOS 18.2 earlier than expected, the iPhone maker put out iOS 18.2 beta 2. The software release will bring additional Apple Intelligence features to iPhone 15 Pros and iPhone 16 devices, including ChatGPT integration.
The best part about ChatGPT access is that it is free of charge. You don’t even need an OpenAI account to run it within your Apple Intelligence experience. Apple also made sure users get great ChatGPT privacy when accessing it through the Siri interface.
However, Apple also lets you use your existing ChatGPT account. This might be a better option for some users, especially those on a paid subscription.
Interestingly, Apple will also let you subscribe to ChatGPT Plus from the Settings app on the iPhone, which is an unusual approach for content purchases on the iPhone.
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If you already have a ChatGPT Plus subscription, you won’t worry about this option unless you want to resubscribe through Apple’s payment system. If you’re new to the genAI game and aren’t using ChatGPT much, you might want to reconsider your options. There are cases where the $20/month subscription will be worth it, but don’t hurry to get it.
Found by 9to5Mac in the latest iOS 18.2 beta, the Upgrade to ChatGPT Plus option is available in Settings, Apple Intelligence & Siri, and ChatGPT.
As a ChatGPT Plus owner, I won’t need the purchase option unless I cancel my subscription and then decide to resubscribe. Also, I’ll be waiting for Apple Intelligence in Europe at least until April. I won’t get ChatGPT integration in iOS 18 on my iPhone 16 Plus anytime soon.
Why purchase a ChatGPT Plus subscription
But as a ChatGPT Plus user, I think the premium access is worth it. I get access to all the new ChatGPT features almost as soon as OpenAI releases them. (Like Apple Intelligence, this is an EU limitation for some features).
More importantly, ChatGPT Plus has higher limits for anything you want to do with the AI, whether it’s Advanced Voice Mode access or using the best ChatGPT models for longer.
Apple highlights some of the ChatGPT Plus features for users in an upgrade screen that will appear in the Settings app:
5x more messages on GPT-4o and access to even more advanced models
Higher limits for photos and file uploads, image generation, and web browsing
More natural, real-time conversations with ChatGPT’s advanced voice mode
This comparison from OpenAI’s pricing website shows the advantages of ChatGPT Plus over the Free tier:
ChatGPT Free vs. ChatGPT Plus features. Image source: OpenAI
If you’re about to discover ChatGPT via Apple Intelligence, the chances are you won’t need a Plus subscription that early, especially if you’re more reticent about using AI.
When to get ChatGPT Plus
But as you start getting the hang of it and use ChatGPT more and more, you might hit those limits. You might want better access to OpenAI’s more sophisticated models. These are cases when the Plus subscription becomes a good option.
Interestingly, the Settings app will tell you if you’re reaching your ChatGPT Free limits. That should help you decide whether an upgrade to Plus is warranted.
It’s important to remember that once you get a ChatGPT Plus subscription, you will lose some of the privacy protections that the free ChatGPT integration in Apple Intelligence offers. That’s because OpenAI will be in charge of handling your privacy. You can protect your privacy when using ChatGPT with a subscription though. OpenAI makes it easy to opt out of model training.
As for what entity handles your payments, I suspect ChatGPT Plus subscription payments bought via the Settings app will go through Apple Pay. I’d also expect Apple to get a commission.
Word on the street is that the ChatGPT deal for Apple Intelligence involves no money. OpenAI receives access to a potentially massive influx of customers. Apple gets a great crutch for Siri, which can’t match ChatGPT when answering questions.
Once that becomes clear, you might care where you send your $20/month for ChatGPT Plus. You might prefer to have Apple handle your payments or just go directly through OpenAI.
Also, I’ll point out the obvious. You can cancel ChatGPT Plus anytime if the premium subscription lacks value.
Finally, remember that the ChatGPT app for iPhone still exists, regardless of whether you have access to Apple Intelligence. That might be an even better way of using ChatGPT on iPhone than Apple Intelligence.
