ChatGPT already supports a voice mode that allows users to interact with the AI using voice commands. However, it is a standard voice mode with limited features. Now, OpenAI is rolling out the much-anticipated advanced voice mode, featuring an improved tone, new UI, more voices, and additional features. Here’s everything you need to know about the advanced voice mode in ChatGPT, how it differs from the standard voice mode, the features it brings, and its limitations.
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What is Advanced Voice Mode?
Standard Voice Mode transcribes your speech to text, generates result, and then converts the text back into speech. In contrast, Advanced Voice Mode is based on GPT-4o’s native audio capabilities, meaning it directly processes the audio itself. So, the Standard Voice Mode is not truly multimodal in its AI capabilities like Advanced Voice Mode.
As a result, the advanced voice mode can sound more natural in its tone, understand accents, and even catch on to verbal cues such as talking speed, and respond with emotion. While not all these features are currently available, the advanced voice mode still offers much better understanding and response capabilities than the standard voice mode.
How Advanced Voice Mode is Different from Standard Voice Mode
Currently, the advanced voice mode is available for Plus (ChatGPT Plus offers few extra features) and Team users. However, it is not yet available in the EU, the UK, Switzerland, Iceland, Norway, and Liechtenstein. Also, for now, you can only access it from ChatGPT’s iPhone and Android app version 1.2024.261 or later. That being said, here are all the capabilities and features that advanced voice mode offers beyond the standard voice mode.
1. New UI for Advanced Voice Mode
The first thing you’ll notice when switching to Advanced Voice Mode is the updated interface. Instead of the old black dots, you’ll see a dynamic blue sphere that pulses as the conversation flows. A small change that helps determine if you are using advanced voice mode or the standard one.
2. Improved Accents and Tone
The Advanced Voice Mode now handles accents far better than before and supports a few other languages than English . It’s more than just understanding words though—it adjusts tone and prosody to deliver responses that feel natural and human. The AI’s ability to modulate its pitch and emphasize key phrases means you can have smoother, more engaging conversations, regardless of your accent.
3. Interruption Support
One of the most exciting features is real-time interruption support. Just like in a normal conversation, you can cut in mid-sentence without waiting for ChatGPT to finish its response. This makes discussions with the AI more fluid and human-like, especially during long-winded answers. The ability to interrupt is one feature I liked in Gemini Live more than ChatGPT, but now with advanced voice mode, it’s available on ChatGPT too.
4. New Voices
OpenAI has introduced five new voices: Arbor, Maple, Sol, Spruce, and Vale, bringing the total to nine. Here’s how OpenAI describes its voices:
- Arbor – Easygoing and versatile
- Breeze – Animated and earnest
- Cove – Composed and direct
- Ember – Confident and optimistic
- Juniper – Open and upbeat
- Maple – Cheerful and candid
- Sol – Savvy and relaxed
- Spruce – Calm and affirming
- Vale – Bright and inquisitive
To change the voice, open ChatGPT, go to Settings > Voice, and choose the one you prefer.
5. Background Play
Here is another new feature. Advanced Voice Mode now supports background play, allowing you to continue conversations while using other apps on your phone or even when the phone is locked. This is useful if you want to open a webpage for research or use a notes app to jot down thoughts during a conversation with the AI. To enable background play, open ChatGPT > Settings and enable the toggle for Background Conversations.
6. Custom Instructions and Memory in Voice Conversations
Your chats with ChatGPT can be personalized with custom instructions and memory features. These allow you to specify how ChatGPT responds, the tone it should use, and things it should remember about you. While these do not work with standard voice mode, advanced voice mode fully supports custom instructions and memory. To set them up, open the ChatGPT app, go to Settings > Personalization, and configure your preferences.
7. Control Your Voice Recordings Data
OpenAI has placed user privacy front and center with this update. You now have more control over your voice recordings and can delete audio recordings of your conversations. You can also choose whether your audio recordings should be used for training ChatGPT. To delete a voice recording, simply delete the conversation made through voice mode, and the associated audio will be deleted automatically.
How Long You Can Chat with Advanced Voice Mode
There is a daily limit for how long you can use the advanced voice mode, although OpenAI has not provided specific details. When you only have 15 minutes remaining for the day, you will receive a notification. Once you reach the daily limit, you will be switched back to the standard voice mode. The standard voice mode also has a daily limit tied to your message limit per day. Once your daily 40-message limit is reached, you will no longer be able to use the standard voice mode either.
Can You Have Advanced Voice Conversations with Your GPTs?
No, you cannot have advanced voice conversations with GPTs, whether you created them or are using ones from the GPTStore. When you click on the voice icon in a GPT, it will open Standard Voice Mode instead of advanced. You can tell the difference as the standard voice mode uses a black-and-white bubble UI, whereas the advanced mode uses the new blue animated UI.
Advanced Voice Mode vs Standard Voice Mode
OpenAI’s Advanced Voice Mode is a significant leap forward in making AI conversations more natural and user-friendly. Whether it’s the ability to interrupt, the range of voice options, or the control over your data, this update offers a more personalized, human-like experience. If you’re a ChatGPT Plus or Enterprise user, it’s worth trying out the feature to see how it can enhance your interactions.
