How to use ChatGPT Plus: From GPT-4o to interactive tables and data analysis
ChatGPT is a force to be reckoned with, and ChatGPT Plus is even more so. Here’s everything you need to make the most of your subscription.
You signed up for ChatGPT Plus to get more out of the artificial intelligence (AI) chatbot, but now OpenAI has launched GPT-4o, an all-in-one model, with the “o” standing for “omni.” The new GPT-4o model is available to free and paid users, as are most of the benefits that were previously included only with a ChatGPT Plus subscription. This means that Advanced Data Analysis, custom GPTs, and internet access all are available if you don’t pay for ChatGPT.
Also: How to use ChatGPT (and how to access GPT-4o)
So what’s the point of paying $20 per month for a Plus subscription? For starters, GPT-4o is only available to free users on the desktop, not in the ChatGPT mobile app. Generating interactive tables and charts is also only available for ChatGPT Plus subscribers. Free ChatGPT users also see intermittent GPT-4o availability, as OpenAI restricts its use during peak times, reverting free users to GPT-3.5. Finally, Plus users have up to five times the message limit of free users, with up to 80 messages every three hours on GPT-4o and 40 messages every three hours on GPT-4.
Let’s go through how to use all the benefits of your ChatGPT Plus subscription.
How to use ChatGPT Plus
ChatGPT Plus is easy to use, and OpenAI has made it even easier by combining many tools into GPT-4 and GPT-4o. To use ChatGPT Plus, you’ll need a Plus subscription, which gives you priority access to new features, and access to GPT-4. To upgrade to ChatGPT Plus, you can log in to your OpenAI account and click on Upgrade in the lower left corner of the screen.
Also: ChatGPT vs. ChatGPT Plus: Is it worth the subscription fee?
Navigate the table of contents on the left of this page if you’re looking for a specific feature.
Using GPT-4 and GPT4-o: Web browsing, DALL-E 3, and data analysis
A ChatGPT Plus subscription plan gives you access to GPT-4, which is the same model that powers Microsoft Copilot. OpenAI recently released GPT-4o, a multimodal model that has the combined functionality of multiple individual models. While GPT-4o has many of the same capabilities as GPT-4, it is faster and smarter.
1. Log in to ChatGPT
Once you upgrade to ChatGPT Plus, log in to your OpenAI account as usual.
Although you can use the free version of ChatGPT without an OpenAI account, you’ll need to log in to access your Plus subscription.
2. Select GPT-4
Click on the top left to switch between models from the default GPT-3.5 to GPT-4 on the ChatGPT window.
The ChatGPT Plus window will look slightly different than the free ChatGPT. You’ll see a dropdown at the top left where you can choose between GPT-4o, the latest multimodel LLM by OpenAI; GPT-3.5, the model behind the free version of the AI chatbot; GPT-4 with browsing, DALL-E, and analysis; and Temporary Chat. GPT-3.5 is fast, but GPT-4 is more thorough and accurate. Temporary Chat is available with GPT-3.5, GPT-4, and GPT-4o.
Screenshot by Maria Diaz/ZDNET
3. Start asking GPT-4 questions
Now, start asking away. You can try different prompts to test how GPT-4 performs versus GPT-3.5, take advantage of the more capable model to write code, or give it some text to summarize for you.
Screenshot by Maria Diaz/ZDNET
GPT-4 and GPT-4o: Attaching images and files
GPT-4 and GPT-4o can process images and files on all platforms for Plus users: the web, iOS, and Android. ChatGPT Plus’ Code Interpreter was recently renamed Advanced Data Analysis, an OpenAI plugin that lets users upload files to create and interpret code, analyze data, and more. Image and file analysis is now folded into GPT-4 and GPT-4o.
1. Select GPT-4 or GPT-4o
Image and file upload is only available using GPT-4 or GPT-4o, so you must select one of these models before uploading.
2. Click on the attachment icon
Click or tap on the attachment icon (the paperclip) within the text area.
Screenshot by Maria Diaz/ZDNET
3. Choose an image or file
Choose your image or file to upload.
Screenshot by Maria Diaz/ZDNET
4. Tell ChatGPT what you want from the file
When you add your image or file, you can also tell ChatGPT what you want to do with it. You can ask GPT-4 to transcribe, describe, or tell you something about the images you upload.
If you’re uploading a file, you can ask the AI chatbot to summarize it, give you the biggest takeaways in bullet points, or highlight what’s most important to your subject.
I uploaded an older ChatGPT Plus screenshot and simply asked GPT-4 to “tell me about this image.”
Screenshot by Maria Diaz/ZDNET
GPT-4: Image generation with DALL-E 3
ChatGPT Plus subscribers can ask the chatbot to create images at any time while using GPT-4 and GPT-4o — there’s no need to enable the AI image generator. Free users cannot generate images outside of GPT-4o using the custom DALL-E GPT, available in the GPT Store, which is subject to availability during non-peak times.
Also: DALL-E 3 in ChatGPT Plus is helpful but also gave me images of laptops from 1900
1. While using GPT-4, enter your prompt for an image
Give GPT-4 a prompt to create the images you want. You can say something like, “Create an image of a starburst in front of a rainbow-colored galaxy background,” or “Create a photo of a red octopus riding a blue cruiser bicycle along the California shoreline.”
Also: More fun with DALL-E 3 in ChatGPT: Can it design a T-shirt?
Try to be as clear and descriptive as possible with your prompt. The more detailed you are, the better the results.
Giving DALL-E 3 prompts works just like chatting with ChatGPT. Simply enter your prompt and send.
Screenshot by Maria Diaz/ZDNET
2. Download your image
Click on your image to download it. You can download the image or have GPT-4 create another one using your prompt. To regenerate an image, click on the refresh icon below the image created by DALL-E 3.
GPT-4 generated this image with the prompt, “Create a photo of a red octopus riding a blue cruiser bicycle along the California shoreline.” The hat was a nice touch.
Screenshot by Maria Diaz/ZDNET
Using GPT-4o: Generating interactive tables & charts
One of the few GPT-4o features exclusive to Plus subscribers lets you generate interactive tables and graphics in a chat. Here’s how to do that:
1. Select GPT-4o
From the dropdown list in the model selection, choose GPT-4o.
Screenshot by Maria Diaz/ZDNET
2. Upload a spreadsheet
You can upload a spreadsheet from your device, Google Drive, or Microsoft OneDrive. ChatGPT will import it and make it into an interactive table within your chat.
This is what your spreadsheet will look like after you upload the file.
Screenshot by Maria Diaz/ZDNET
3. Ask ChatGPT about your spreadsheet
After importing your spreadsheet, you can count on ChatGPT to be an expert on the data in your file. Ask the AI chatbot questions about the data — for example, “What is the average number of commissions per sale?”
Screenshot by Maria Diaz/ZDNET
4. Have ChatGPT create a chart
Asking ChatGPT to create a pie chart of this table should give you a customizable, downloadable graph that you can use in your own presentations and documents.
This newly added feature is a work in progress, so you may have issues interacting with data-heavy graphs for a few weeks.
ChatGPT creates interactive charts.
Screenshot by Maria Diaz/ZDNET
My GPTs
One of the biggest upgrades OpenAI has made to its ChatGPT Plus subscription is the ability to create custom GPT bots, dubbed My GPTs. The feature was so overwhelmingly popular that it forced OpenAI to temporarily halt new subscriptions. Since then, OpenAI has made GPTs and the GPT Store available to free users.
You can learn how to create your own custom GPT-4 bots here, but we’ll show you how to access this feature.
1. Click on Explore to browse GPTs
You can now browse for different GPT bots that are available for you to use.
OpenAI originally made an “app store-like” experience to browse custom GPTs. You can easily browse through OpenAI’s custom GPTs or access them organically with a link. While there’s no word on when custom GPTs will be available to search within ChatGPT, you can access your recently used GPTs on the left sidebar.
Screenshot by Maria Diaz/ZDNET
2. Click on your name to access My GPTs
Click on your name in the lower-left corner of the ChatGPT window to access your account. Then click on My GPTs from the menu. This will take you to where you can create your own GPT bots.
You can also create GPTs on the Explore page by clicking “Create” in the top-right corner.
Screenshot by Maria Diaz/ZDNET
Voice chatting with ChatGPT
ChatGPT can now also process voice inputs and respond in an astonishingly natural manner, filler words included. The voice feature is available for iOS and Android users with a Plus subscription using GPT-4o and GPT-4 and users in the free tier using GPT-3.5. OpenAI is launching a new Voice Mode for GPT-4o initially for Plus users over the coming months.
1. Go to ChatGPT’s mobile app
Open the ChatGPT mobile app to use the voice feature. It works on iOS and Android, although you do have to allow ChatGPT to access your microphone in your phone’s settings.
2. Tap on the headset icon
There is a headset at the top of the window, which you can tap on to begin talking to ChatGPT.
Screenshot by Maria Diaz/ZDNET
3. Start talking
Begin your conversation with ChatGPT’s voice version. All you need to do is start speaking, and ChatGPT will respond when it detects a pause in your speech.
Screenshot by Maria Diaz/ZDNET
4. Listen for ChatGPT’s response
ChatGPT’s voice is powered by Whisper, another OpenAI project, and is available in four voices: Cove, Juniper, Breeze, and Ember. To change your app’s voice, go to your settings and choose Voice under Speech.
ChatGPT will respond to you when there’s a gap in speech.
Screenshot by Maria Diaz/ZDNET
FAQ
What is a Temporary Chat?
Think of a Temporary Chat as opening an Incognito tab on Google Chrome (hopefully with less drama): Each is a one-off conversation that won’t appear in your chat history. OpenAI will also not use a Temporary Chat to train its models nor save its transcript to ChatGPT’s memory. You can start a Temporary Chat by clicking on the ChatGPT version in the top-left corner of the chat window and then choosing the Temporary Chat option.
What is included in ChatGPT Plus?
A ChatGPT Plus subscription gives you access to a higher limit for GPT-4o, the GPT-4o voice feature on mobile, the ability to generate interactive tables and charts, and priority access to new releases. Plus is different from a ChatGPT Team subscription and a ChatGPT Enterprise subscription, which are business services.
Also: ChatGPT Enterprise vs. ChatGPT Team: Which is the best for your business?
Here’s a breakdown of the different features for each tier:
What are Custom Instructions?
Custom Instructions are a way to tailor ChatGPT’s responses to your preferences. You can add instructions to your account that will determine how the AI chatbot will respond to each of your prompts.
Also: 6 helpful ways to use ChatGPT’s Custom Instructions
For example, I prefer getting my summaries in bullet points, highlighting the most important information, so I added this to my Custom Instructions. Each time ChatGPT responds to me with explanations or summaries, it does so in bullet points.
Custom Instructions was originally launched as a feature exclusive to ChatGPT Plus subscribers, but the capability is now available to all free users.
Where are the ChatGPT Plugins?
ChatGPT Plugins were removed from ChatGPT entirely after OpenAI added custom GPTs. GPT bots work very much like plugins, so OpenAI replaced them with GPTs.
When did OpenAI release an all-in-one GPT-4 experience?
OpenAI, the maker of ChatGPT, released an all-in-one experience for ChatGPT Plus subscribers, automatically switching tools for them after its DevDay developers conference.
Also: Can ChatGPT predict the future? Training AI to figure out what happens next
This experience means subscribers can now access DALL-E 3, Browse with Bing, and use Advanced Data Analysis by just selecting GPT-4 without having to switch between each tool before sending a prompt.