OpenAI has announced a significant update to ChatGPT that addresses users’ privacy concerns by providing control over the app’s always-listening background feature.

Previously, ChatGPT’s voice conversation feature operated continuously, similar to a phone call, even when the phone was locked or another app was in use – unless the user had ended the ‘call’. This always-listening feature raised privacy concerns as it differed from other voice assistants, such as Google Assistant, which only activated for specific queries.

The latest update, version 1.2024.151, introduces a ‘Background Conversation’ toggle in the app’s settings. This new feature allows users to decide when ChatGPT can listen and respond in the background. By default, this setting is disabled for all users, including those who have previously used the feature, but it can be manually enabled.

The addition of background listening control is likely to be a welcome change for privacy conscious users. A screenshot of the new settings has been shared by Android Authority, illustrating the user-friendly interface.

In addition to this privacy update, OpenAI is reportedly developing a major improvement to ChatGPT. This upcoming update will introduce more natural sounding voices and a new ‘vision’ feature.

Powered by the GPT-4o model, the vision feature will enable ChatGPT to recognise emotions and adjust its voice accordingly, providing a more realistic interaction experience. However, this advanced feature will only be available to ChatGPT Plus subscribers.