OpenAI Improves ChatGPT for Mac with Coding App Integration

OpenAI has announced a new feature for the ChatGPT app on Mac, allowing it to integrate with coding apps such as Xcode, VS Code, TextEdit, and Terminal. The “Work with Apps” update makes life easier by letting you skip the hassle of copying and pasting code between ChatGPT and your dev environment.

The new functionality lets ChatGPT to interact directly with supported coding applications when permission is given. Users can select code in their development environment, and ChatGPT will automatically receive this code as context along with the user’s prompt, as reported by MacRumors. The feature taps into macOS’s Accessibility API, letting screen readers read text from supported apps.

An OpenAI employee showed off the feature to TechCrunch by using a solar system project in Xcode. They asked ChatGPT to “add the missing planets,” and it nailed it by generating code for Earth that fit perfectly with the existing format.

ChatGPT can work well with coding setups, but it can’t directly write code in apps like Xcode. That’s more in line with what GitHub Copilot does, offering in-app coding help.

Additionally, as the feature relies on the Accessibility API, it is limited to interpreting text and cannot process images or videos.

The “Work with Apps” feature is currently available for ChatGPT Plus and Teams users. OpenAI plans to extend support to Enterprise and Education users in the near future. The company plans to expand this integration to other apps, especially those for writing tasks.