Within a year and a half, ChatGPT has grown from an AI prototype to a broad productivity assistant, even sporting its text and code editor called Canvas. Soon, OpenAI will add direct web search capability to ChatGPT, putting the platform at the same table as Google's iconic search. With these fast updates, ChatGPT is now sporting quite a few features that may not be noticed at first glance but are deepening the user experience if one knows where to look.
This is the article that will teach you how to tap into ChatGPT, features from customization settings to unique prompting techniques, and not only five must-know tips will be useful in unlocking the full range of abilities of ChatGPT to any kind of task, small or big.
1. Rename Chats for Better Organisation
A new conversation with ChatGPT begins as a new thread, meaning that it will remember all details concerning that specific exchange but "forget" all the previous ones. This way, you can track the activities of current projects or specific topics because you can name your chats. The chat name that it might try to suggest is related to the flow of the conversation, and these are mostly overlooked contexts that users need to recall again. Renaming your conversations is one simple yet powerful means of staying organised if you rely on ChatGPT for various tasks.
To give a name to a conversation, tap the three dots next to the name in the sidebar. You can also archive older chats to remove them from the list without deleting them entirely, so you don't lose access to the conversations that are active.
2. Customise ChatGPT through Custom Instructions
Custom Instructions in ChatGPT is a chance to make your answers more specific to your needs because you will get to share your information and preferences with the AI. This is a two-stage personalization where you are explaining to ChatGPT what you want to know about yourself and, in addition, how you would like it to be returned. For instance, if you ask ChatGPT for coding advice several times a week, you can let the AI know what programming languages you are known in or would like to be instructed in so it can fine-tune the responses better. Or, you should be able to ask for ChatGPT to provide more verbose descriptions or to skip steps in order to make more intuitive knowledge of a topic.
To set up personal preferences, tap the profile icon on the upper right, and then from the menu, "Customise ChatGPT," and then fill out your preferences. Doing this will enable you to get responses tailored to your interests and requirements.
3. Choose the Right Model for Your Use
If you are a subscriber to ChatGPT Plus, you have access to one of several AI models each tailored to different tasks. The default model for most purposes is GPT-4-turbo (GPT-4o), which tends to strike the best balance between speed and functionality and even supports other additional features, including file uploads, web browsing, and dataset analysis.
However, other models are useful when one needs to describe a rather complex project with substantial planning. You may initiate a project using o1-preview that requires deep research and then shift the discussion to GPT-4-turbo to get quick responses. To switch models, you can click on the model dropdown at the top of your screen or type in a forward slash (/) in the chat box to get access to more available options including web browsing and image creation.
4. Look at what the GPT Store has available in the form of Mini-Apps
Custom GPTs, and the GPT Store enable "mini-applications" that are able to extend the functionality of the platform. The Custom GPTs all have some inbuilt prompts and workflows and sometimes even APIs to extend the AI capability of GPT. For instance, with Canva's GPT, you are able to create logos, social media posts, or presentations straight within the ChatGPT portal by linking up the Canva tool. That means you can co-create visual content with ChatGPT without having to leave the portal.
And if there are some prompts you often need to apply, or some dataset you upload most frequently, you can easily create your Custom GPT. This would be really helpful to handle recipes, keeping track of personal projects, create workflow shortcuts and much more. Go to the GPT Store by the "Explore GPTs" button in the sidebar. Your recent and custom GPTs will appear in the top tab, so find them easily and use them as necessary.
5. Manage Conversations with a Fresh Approach
For the best benefit of using ChatGPT, it is key to understand that every new conversation is an independent document with its "memory." It does recall enough from previous conversations, though generally speaking, its answers depend on what is being discussed in the immediate chat. This made chats on unrelated projects or topics best started anew for clarity.
For long-term projects, it might even be logical to go on with a single thread so that all relevant information is kept together. For unrelated topics, it might make more sense to start fresh each time to avoid confusion. Another way in which archiving or deleting conversations you no longer need can help free up your interface and make access to active threads easier is
What Makes AI Unique Compared to Other Software?
AI performs very differently from other software in that it responds dynamically, at times providing responses or "backtalk" and does not simply do what it is told to do. Such a property leads to some trial and error to obtain the desired output. For instance, one might prompt ChatGPT to review its own output as demonstrated by replacing single quote characters by double quote characters to generate more accurate results. This is similar to how a developer optimises an AI model, guiding ChatGPT to "think" through something in several steps.
ChatGPT Canvas and other features like Custom GPTs make the AI behave more like software in the classical sense—although, of course, with personality and learning. If ChatGPT continues to grow in this manner, features such as these may make most use cases easier and more delightful.
Following these five tips should help you make the most of ChatGPT as a productivity tool and keep pace with the latest developments. From renaming chats to playing around with Custom GPTs, all of them add to a richer and more customizable user experience.
