ChatGPT lands on iPad with Siri and Shortcuts

For the past few weeks, iPad owners using ChatGPT had to settle for awkward browser tabs or an ugly, stretched-out iPhone app. That changes today.

OpenAI just rolled out its first major update to the ChatGPT iOS app, bringing native iPad support alongside new integrations with Apple's Siri and Shortcuts.

Big screen native and drag-and-drop

The headline upgrade is a proper full-screen interface tailored for iPad. No more blown-up phone apps or weird scaling issues.

Even better, OpenAI added native drag-and-drop support. In iPad's Split View mode, you can now generate text in ChatGPT on one side of the screen and drag answers directly into your notes, emails, or docs on the other side. It completely eliminates the clunky select-and-copy dance.

Just like the iPhone version, iPad users can also subscribe to ChatGPT Plus right in the app for $20 a month, unlocking faster response times and peak-hour access.

Siri and Shortcuts join the mix

The update also plugs ChatGPT into Apple's automation stack. While OpenAI cannot replace Siri as your default voice assistant, you can now use Siri voice commands to launch ChatGPT.

More importantly, you can now build custom Shortcuts powered by ChatGPT. That means you can chain prompts into multi-step automations, like querying ChatGPT and instantly dumping the summary into a separate app.

The expansion comes as the app shows massive momentum. According to data.ai estimates, the iOS app has already racked up 7.3 million downloads globally, ranking No. 1 overall in 31 countries and sitting at No. 4 on the US App Store charts with a rare 4.8-star rating across 421,000 reviews.

Seeing the official app explode, Apple also updated its App Store rules this week to crack down on copycat apps that impersonate popular tools, warning developers of outright bans.

Why it matters

If you use an iPad for work or school, this update makes ChatGPT significantly more practical right away. Split View with drag-and-drop turns the chatbot from a novelty query box into a real side-by-side research partner.

It is also a clever tactical move by OpenAI. Instead of waiting around for Apple to eventually open up Siri's core engine, OpenAI leveraged existing Shortcuts plumbing to nestle itself into the iOS ecosystem.

For the broader app market, it completely guts the wave of sketchy, overpriced ChatGPT clones that filled the App Store over the past six months.

That said, Shortcuts is still a workaround. The integration feels like an external bridge rather than a deeply integrated assistant that understands your full device context, but for now, it is about as close to a built-in AI copilot as iPad users can get.