OpenAI Expands Advanced Voice Mode: New Access, Features, and Limits

OpenAI has announced that Advanced Voice Mode is now available to all free-tier ChatGPT users as a daily preview powered by GPT-4o Mini. This means that anyone using ChatGPT can now experience more natural, real-time voice conversations across platforms.

Meanwhile, Plus users will continue to have access to Advanced Voice Mode powered by GPT-4o with a significantly higher daily limit, as well as access to video and screensharing features. Pro users will receive unlimited access to Advanced Voice Mode along with the highest limits for video and screensharing.

Here’s a complete guide to how Advanced Voice Mode works, how it compares to standard voice, and what users across different plans can expect.

What Is Advanced Voice Mode?

Advanced Voice Mode allows users to have a real-time, spoken conversation with ChatGPT. Unlike traditional voice interactions that transcribe speech into text before generating a response, Advanced Voice Mode is natively multimodal—meaning ChatGPT can directly "hear" and generate audio.

This leads to more natural, real-time conversations that:

• Recognize non-verbal cues such as pauses, tone, and speed of speech

• Enable interruptions during responses for a fluid exchange

• Respond with emotion to match the conversation

Users can access voice conversations on:

• Mobile apps (iOS & Android)

• Desktop apps

• Web browsers at ChatGPT.com

Standard Voice vs. Advanced Voice: What's the Difference?

How Advanced Voice Works for Different User Plans

Free Users:

Daily preview of Advanced Voice powered by GPT-4o Mini Lower usage limit compared to paid tiers

Plus Users ($20/month):

Advanced Voice powered by GPT-4o 5x the daily limit of Free users Access to video and screensharing

Pro Users ($200/month):

Unlimited Advanced Voice usage Higher limits for video/screensharing

Note: Users will receive a notification when they are approaching their daily limit, and once the limit is reached, the conversation will end immediately, prompting them to switch to Standard Voice Mode.

How to Use Advanced Voice Mode

On Mobile (iOS & Android):

• Open the ChatGPT app.

• Tap the Voice icon (bottom-right).

• If using Advanced Voice, a blue orb appears (Standard Voice shows a black circle).

• To end the conversation, tap the exit icon (bottom-right).

• First-time users must select a voice from 9 lifelike options.

On Desktop or Web

• Go to ChatGPT.com or use the desktop app.

• Click the Voice icon to start a conversation.

• Select your preferred voice if prompted.

New Features: Video & Screensharing (Plus & Pro Users)

Video Sharing (iOS & Android only)

Tap the camera button during a voice chat to start sharing. Tap again to stop sharing. ChatGPT may respond to video content automatically.

Screensharing & Image Uploads

Tap “...” → Share Screen to share an image or screen.

Options include: Take a photo and upload instantly Choose an image from your phone Broadcast your screen live

Note: Once video/screensharing is stopped, ChatGPT may still reference previously shared content in conversation.

Customizing Your ChatGPT Voice

Users can choose from nine distinct voices, each with its own personality:

• Arbor – Easygoing & versatile

• Breeze – Animated & earnest

• Cove – Composed & direct

• Ember – Confident & optimistic

• Juniper – Open & upbeat

• Maple – Cheerful & candid

• Sol – Savvy & relaxed

• Spruce – Calm & affirming

• Vale – Bright & inquisitive

Advanced Voice users can switch voices during a conversation via the customization menu.

Usage Limits & Daily Restrictions

Advanced Voice Usage Limits

• Plus, Team, Enterprise, and EDU users have daily limits, with a 15-minute warning before reaching them.

• Pro users have unlimited access, with safeguards to prevent abuse.

• Once the daily limit is reached, users must switch to Standard Voice Mode.

Video & Screensharing Limits

• Limited per day and per conversation.

• If users reach the per-conversation limit for video or screensharing, they can start a new chat to continue. However, if they reach their daily limit, they will no longer be able to use video or screensharing until the limit resets.

• Background conversations allow voice chats to continue while multitasking—this can be enabled in Settings.

Privacy & Data Retention

• Audio & video clips from Advanced Voice chats are stored alongside transcriptions in chat history.

• Deleting a chat also deletes associated audio/video clips (unless retained for security/legal reasons).

• Standard Voice transcribes audio before generating responses and deletes the audio immediately after transcription.

• Users can opt-in to share audio/video clips for AI training via Data Controls.

• By default, OpenAI does not use voice, video, or screenshare data to train models unless users opt in.

What This Means

This expansion of Advanced Voice Mode marks a major step in making natural, real-time AI conversations more widely accessible. Here’s what it means for different user groups:

• For Free Users: This is a first chance to experience Advanced Voice Mode, even if only in a limited daily preview powered by GPT-4o Mini. It gives users a taste of real-time, responsive AI speech without needing a paid plan.

• For Plus Users: Advanced Voice remains powered by GPT-4o, with a significantly higher daily limit and access to video and screensharing—making it more useful for interactive or professional use.

• For Pro Users: The biggest perk is unlimited Advanced Voice access, plus the highest limits for video/screensharing, making it the best option for power users who want AI-driven conversations without constraints.

• For the AI Industry: OpenAI is pushing the boundaries of real-time, multimodal AI, competing directly with voice assistants like Siri and Google Assistant. The addition of video and screensharing could redefine how users interact with AI in collaborative and visual tasks.

Overall, this move signals a future where AI conversations feel more natural and interactive, bridging the gap between text-based and real-world communication.

Editor’s Note: This article was created by Alicia Shapiro, CMO of AiNews.com, with writing, image, and idea-generation support from ChatGPT, an AI assistant. However, the final perspective and editorial choices are solely Alicia Shapiro’s. Special thanks to ChatGPT for assistance with research and editorial support in crafting this article.