Want your dot one tap away on iPhone? Add the new Home Screen widget, then run it from the Action button

#What changed

Your dot now has an iPhone Home Screen widget. Gavin Nelson, a designer at OpenAI, shared it on X on October 16. His screenshot shows the dot's avatar and name with two buttons, one to message it and one to call it. In replies he said it needs the ChatGPT iOS app update that is rolling out today. Another post shows a dot set to run from the iPhone Action button.

#Who is affected

People who already have a dot (dots are rolling out to eligible Pro and Business Premium users) and use the ChatGPT app on iPhone. Nelson said it is iOS only for now. He gave no Android date.

#What to do now

• Update the ChatGPT app on your iPhone. If the widget isn't there yet, the update may not have reached you.
• Add the ChatGPT widget from the Home Screen widget gallery like any other widget.
• If you don't see the message and call buttons, long-press the widget, choose Edit Widget, and turn on Show buttons.
• For the Action button, Nelson says the current route is a Shortcut. Make a Shortcut that uses the ChatGPT dot action, then set the Action button to run that Shortcut in Settings.
• Use the call button for quick check-ins on long-running work, and the message button when you want a written record of what you asked your dot to do.

#What is not confirmed

This comes from an OpenAI designer's posts and replies, not an OpenAI help article. We haven't tried it. The exact widget sizes, the name of the Shortcuts action, and whether there will be a direct Action button control later aren't documented. Nelson also mentioned that better CarPlay support is in the works, with no date.

#Sources

• Gavin Nelson on X, "Dots, now on your Home Screen": https://x.com/Gavmn/status/2111136119945396436
• Nelson's reply on Edit Widget > Show buttons: https://x.com/Gavmn/status/2111183931655799288
• Nelson's reply on the Action button Shortcut: https://x.com/Gavmn/status/2111184325953855757
• Nelson's reply that it needs today's iOS update: https://x.com/Gavmn/status/2111172924719907224
• Victor Nunez's demo with the Action button: https://x.com/victornunez/status/2111156832269996164
• OpenAI Help Center, Getting started with your dot: https://help.openai.com/en/articles/20001530-getting-started-with-your-dot