Apple’s iOS 18 update changed — in relative terms — the way we search on mobile. Users can set OpenAI’s ChatGPT as the default search engine inside Safari. Well, sort of. While Apple hasn’t officially added ChatGPT to the list of default search providers in Settings, a new Safari extension from the ChatGPT app gets the job done, giving users an LLM-powered way to handle queries right inside the browser.
To make this work, you need to install the official ChatGPT app (free) from the App Store. Once that’s done, the rest of the setup is buried in Safari’s settings. Here’s how to do it:
- Open Settings on your iPhone.
- Scroll down and tap on Safari.
- Navigate to Extensions, then select ChatGPT Search.
- Turn on the toggle for ChatGPT Search, and optionally for Allow in Private Browsing if you want it available in incognito mode too.
- Under Permissions, tap on google.com and switch it to Allow.
That’s it. Now when you type in Safari’s address bar, your query will get routed through the ChatGPT app instead of your usual search engine—Google, Bing, or otherwise.
It’s a clever workaround, tapping into Apple Intelligence’s OpenAI integration without replacing the traditional search engine at the OS level. While not seamless, it’s another sign that generative AI is increasingly being woven into the core experience of iOS.
Just keep in mind: you’ll need to have the ChatGPT app installed and updated to keep this running smoothly.
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