You can now search using ChatGPT on the web and in the desktop and mobile apps without signing in with your OpenAI account.
“ChatGPT search is now available to everyone on chatgpt.com — no sign up required,” OpenAI announced in a post on X, in a move obviously designed as a response to China’s DeepSeek threat and Googles search engine.
But will it grow the usage of OpenAI’s AI search feature? Probably. Should Google be worried? Not until AI chatbots are perfected will they solve the hallucination and bias issues and be relied upon for everyday web searches.
OpanAI drops the sign-in requirement for ChatGPT search
Searching with ChatGPT without creating an account removes a huge barrier for first-time users or anyone who wants to perform quick research.
To use ChatGPT’s chatty search, point your web browser to chatgpt.com, hit the search icon in the text box and enter your search query using conversational language. If its model has sufficient data, ChatGPT will either produce an answer right away or search the web if your question requires information on the web.
Results include links to sources so you can fact-check the information. To get more details about the references used to answer the question, hit the sources button. To refine your results, ask follow-up questions (ChatGPT remembers context). Searches are also available in ChatGPT’s mobile and desktop apps.
Works like a traditional search engine
Recent updates have made ChatGPT work more like a traditional search engine. For example, search results on ChatGPT may include a map and images of local attractions with a brief description of each result, like on Google. OpenAI’s data providers for ChatGPT enable the AI chatbot ro deliver accurate information for queries related to maps, news, sports, stocks and weather.
With iOS 18.1, iPadOS 18.1 and macOS Sequoia 15.1, ChatGPT is available via Siri. ChatGPT can also be used in Writing Tools to create new text and in Messages and other apps to create AI images using DALL-E instead of Image Playground.
Watch out, Google!
ChatGPT search arrived in October 2024 but was restricted to paid subscribers before expanding to non-paid users with an OpenAI account the following month. ChatGPT search now being freely available to all without the sign-in requirement will help OpenAI compete directly with search engines like Google and Bing.
Other AI chatbots are aiming for their slice of the web search pie. Perplexity, for example, also lets you search without an account. Like ChatGPT, Perplexity has partnered with providers like TripAdvisor for hotel information and ratings.