On Tuesday, OpenAI introduced an important update to its AI chatbot, ChatGPT, enabling users to search their chat history for relevant information from previous conversations. This enhancement addresses a significant limitation of the existing system, where users had to manually scroll through lengthy chat histories to locate specific discussions. Currently, access to this feature is restricted to the web portal of ChatGPT and is being gradually made available to paid subscribers.
ChatGPT Introduces Chat History Search Functionality
OpenAI announced the new feature via a post on X, formerly known as Twitter. The ability to search past conversations has been one of the most requested enhancements by users, particularly as finding relevant information had become increasingly cumbersome.
The new chat history search functionality includes a magnifying glass icon located on the left side panel of the ChatGPT web interface. By clicking this icon, users can access a text field to input keywords related to their desired conversation. Additionally, the text field displays recent chats, allowing users to quickly select from these options without any need for typing.
This feature is currently being rolled out to users of ChatGPT Plus and Team subscriptions. OpenAI indicated that Enterprise and Edu subscribers would receive access to the chat history search within a week. However, those utilizing the free version of the platform will need to wait until next month to benefit from this new capability.
It is important to note that users of the ChatGPT mobile applications on Android and iOS, as well as those on Windows and Mac desktop apps, will not have access to this feature at this time. OpenAI has not disclosed whether this functionality will be extended to these platforms in the future.
OpenAI continues to enhance ChatGPT with new features to maintain its competitive edge. A recent addition to the web version is a web search capability, which differs from the inherent abilities of the GPT-4o model that can browse the Internet.
This web search feature, represented by a globe icon within the text field, allows the AI to reference websites to retrieve relevant information and present it along with sources for clarity. The functionality resembles that offered by Perplexity AI.
