How to Access Apps on ChatGPT, Claude, and Gemini

Your favorite AI chatbots – ChatGPT, Claude, and Gemini – have recently supercharged their capabilities by integrating with other applications. This advancement allows these AI models to seamlessly interact with various apps, and help with tasks like code editing, data retrieval, and more, directly. This enables effortless multitasking without switching between tabs or downloading extra apps. Notably, ChatGPT and Claude offer these features on their desktop applications, while Gemini integrates them into its web interface. In this article, we’ll explore how to access apps on ChatGPT, Claude, and Gemini chatbots, and examine their unique approaches.

ChatGPT’s ‘Work with Apps’ Feature

ChatGPT has now introduced a ‘Work with apps’ feature, allowing it to read and directly edit content in external apps. As of now, ChatGPT can access coding tools like integrated development environments (IDEs), terminals, and text editors on macOS. This integration enables ChatGPT to provide context-aware assistance, streamline coding workflows, and enhance productivity. Currently, the feature is available to Plus, Pro, and Team users, with plans to extend access to Free, Enterprise, and Edu users in the future.

How to Use ‘Work with Apps’ on ChatGPT

Here’s how you can use ChatGPT on external apps on your MacBook.

1. Launch ChatGPT: Open the ChatGPT desktop application on your macOS device.
2. Access Settings: Navigate to the settings menu to enable the “Works with Apps” feature.
3. Manage App Integrations: Go to Settings > Work with Apps > Manage Apps, to view compatible applications and their integration requirements.
4. Enable Accessibility Permissions: For most compatible apps, ChatGPT requires macOS Accessibility permissions to access content. Ensure these permissions are granted for ChatGPT in your system settings.
5. Install Necessary Extensions: Some applications, like VS Code, require specific extensions for integration. Follow the prompts to install these extensions as needed.
6. Activate ChatGPT with Apps: Press Option + Space or click the ChatGPT menu bar icon to open the Chat Bar. If ChatGPT detects an active compatible app, it will display a banner indicating the app it is working with and the content recognized.
7. Interact and Confirm Actions: When you type a prompt, ChatGPT includes the app’s content as context. For actions like code edits, ChatGPT generates a diff for your review before applying changes. You can choose to apply these edits automatically or manually.

By following these steps, ChatGPT can effectively integrate with your coding environment, providing tailored assistance and streamlining your workflow. Here’s a demo to show you how it works.

Claude’s Computer Use and Access to External Apps

Anthropic developed the Model Context Protocol (MCP) in 2024 to standardize how external applications provide context to large language models (LLMs). It is an open-source protocol that facilitates seamless integration between AI systems and various data sources, enabling more accurate and contextually relevant interactions.

Using MCP, Anthropic first launched a ‘Computer Use’ feature allowing Claude to take control of personal devices to some extent, and autonomously do tasks such as typing text, creating files, taking screenshots, etc.

Recently, the company has built a new app store named Fleur, giving the chatbot access to a wide range of external apps. This enhancement allows Claude to perform tasks such as creating GitHub repositories and managing pull requests efficiently. It enhances the chatbot’s capabilities, particularly for users needing to integrate productivity tools and other utilities into their chat interface.

How to Access External Apps on Claude

Here’s how you can integrate and call external apps into the Claude chatbot interface.

1. Download the DMG for Fleur: Start by downloading the Fleur installer.
2. Install Fleur: Drag the Fleur application into Claude.
3. Initialize Communication: Open Claude and type “Hello Fleur” to initiate the connection.
4. List Available Apps: Next, type “Open Fleur” to display the list of apps that you can integrate.
5. Select and Configure: Click on the app you wish to use and follow the prompts to set up any required API keys or configurations.
6. Relaunch Claude: Once the setup is complete, relaunch Claude to update it with the new MCP integration.
7. Monitor Integrations: You’ll notice a counter at the bottom right of the prompt box showing the number of MCP tools installed.
8. Authorize Application Access: When Claude attempts to use an integrated application, it will request your permission. Here, you can grant access for a single prompt or for the entire session.

Here’s a video demonstrating the above steps on how you can install Fleur and use it to enhance Claude’s functionality.

Gemini Chatbot’s Integration with Google Apps

Gemini has integrated various Google services into its AI chatbot, allowing users to access applications like YouTube, Maps, and Search directly within its web interface. This integration streamlines tasks such as retrieving information, navigating locations, and accessing multimedia content without leaving the chat environment. The seamless access to Google’s suite of applications enhances user experience by providing quick and efficient interactions. Recently, this integration has expanded to other tools such as YouTube Music and Google Workplace apps like Gmail, Google Calendar, and Docs, further increasing its applications.

How to Access Google Apps on Gemini

Follow these steps to start using Google applications on your Gemini chatbot’s web interface:

1. Initiate App Access: On the Gemini chat interface, type the “@” symbol in the prompt box to reveal a list of accessible Google apps
2. Select an App: Choose the desired Google app (e.g., YouTube or Google Maps) from the list to grant Gemini access. Note that certain apps such as Google Flights, Google Hotels, Google Maps, and YouTube are enabled by default.
3. Enable Additional Apps: To access other available applications, go to ‘Settings’ > ‘Apps’ and toggle the desired Google apps to enable them.
4. Configure Permissions: Some applications may require additional permissions or authentication. In such cases, follow the prompts to grant necessary access.
5. Use the Integrated Apps: Once enabled, you can interact with these Google applications directly within the Gemini chat interface. With these integrations, you can use the chatbot for tasks like writing emails, watching videos, searching for flights, and a lot more.

External App Use on ChatGPT vs Claude vs Gemini

Here’s a comparison of the integration of external apps on ChatGPT, Claude, and Gemini.

Future Prospects of App Use on AI Chatbots

The advent of external app integrations into AI chatbots marks a significant shift in how they operate. By enabling these tools to access and manipulate data from external applications, we are witnessing the early stages of their agentic AI capabilities. This means that in the near future, AI chatbots might autonomously perform complex tasks across multiple platforms – ranging from coding and data analysis to managing schedules and travel plans.

The introduction of MCPs further amplifies these possibilities. With MCPs, chatbots can recall past conversations, reference external data sources, and execute multi-step tasks with a deeper contextual understanding. This shift makes AI-driven automation not just more powerful but also more intuitive and personalized.

Interestingly, all major AI companies have introduced these integrations within a short timeframe. One can’t help but wonder if they already had a beta version in the works and were simply waiting for the right moment or competitive pressure from other releases. Such simultaneous rollouts signal an industry-wide recognition of the demand for deeper, more context-aware AI integrations.

As these capabilities grow, we can expect further expansion to a broader range of applications and even more sophisticated interactions. Such integration of external apps with LLMs could revolutionize productivity, digital collaboration, and user experience in both professional & personal settings.

Conclusion

The integration of apps via MCP and other techniques marks a transformative leap in the capabilities of AI chatbots like ChatGPT, Claude, and Gemini. ChatGPT’s ‘Work with Apps’ feature, Claude’s ‘Computer Use’ and Gemini’s integration with Google apps – all show the first steps of agentic AI in everyday chatbots. These innovations not only boost productivity but also hint at a future where AI agents can perform a myriad of tasks autonomously. The nearly simultaneous release across these platforms further underscores the rapid evolution and convergence of AI and external application ecosystems. With all these features readily available, you must surely try them out yourself and see how they can make your life easier.

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K.C. Sabreena Basheer

Sabreena is a GenAI enthusiast and tech editor who's passionate about documenting the latest advancements that shape the world. She's currently exploring the world of AI and Data Science as the Manager of Content & Growth at Analytics Vidhya.