ChatGPT Computer History on Mac Explained: How to Enable, Use and Manage the New Feature

OpenAI has introduced Computer History, a new feature for its ChatGPT desktop app on macOS that can remember users' activity across applications and websites. The feature is designed to provide ChatGPT with additional context from a user's previous desktop activity, reducing the need to repeatedly explain what they were working on.

Computer History is disabled by default, giving users control over whether ChatGPT can access this additional context. Users can also decide which applications are included, pause activity tracking or permanently delete their saved history.

How Computer History Works

Computer History replaces OpenAI's earlier experimental Chronicle feature, which relied on screenshots to understand desktop activity. The new system instead uses native macOS accessibility capabilities to record interactions and activity.

Key points include:

• Tracks activity across supported Mac applications and websites.
• Uses macOS accessibility features rather than continuously capturing screenshots.
• Records interactions such as clicks, keyboard inputs, shortcuts and app switching.
• Allows users to pause tracking whenever required.
• Lets users exclude specific applications from tracking.
• Provides an option to permanently delete stored activity history.
• Remains turned off until the user manually enables it.

How to Enable and Use Computer History

If the feature is available on your Mac and subscription, users can follow these general steps:

1. Open the ChatGPT desktop app on your Mac and make sure it is updated.
2. Open Settings from the ChatGPT app.
3. Find Computer History in the relevant settings section.
4. Turn on Computer History after reviewing the available privacy controls.
5. Select the applications you want ChatGPT to include or exclude from activity tracking.
6. Use ChatGPT normally across supported apps and websites so the assistant can build relevant context.
7. Ask ChatGPT about previous activity, such as finding a document you opened earlier or summarising what you worked on during the day.
8. Pause tracking whenever you do not want additional activity to be recorded.
9. Delete saved history if you want to remove previously stored activity.

The exact settings and controls may vary depending on the ChatGPT version and account type.

Benefits of Computer History

Computer History could make ChatGPT more useful for users who frequently switch between applications during their workday.

• Less repetition: ChatGPT can use previous activity as context instead of requiring users to explain tasks again.
• Find previous work: Users can ask about documents, websites or applications they accessed earlier.
• Task summaries: ChatGPT can potentially summarise work completed across multiple applications.
• Workflow assistance: The feature can help identify repetitive activities and suggest ways to automate them.
• Better continuity: Conversations can retain more context about what users were doing before asking a question.
• User control: Tracking can be paused, individual apps can be excluded and saved history can be deleted.
• Availability and Privacy

Computer History is currently available to ChatGPT Pro, Business and Enterprise subscribers on Mac. Business and Enterprise users may require administrator approval before the feature can be enabled for their organisation.

The feature is also subject to regional restrictions and is currently unavailable in the UK, Switzerland and the European Economic Area.

With Computer History, OpenAI is moving ChatGPT closer to becoming a desktop-level assistant that understands a user's broader workflow. However, because the feature involves tracking activity across applications and websites, its optional design and user-controlled privacy settings remain an important part of the experience.