이미지: X — 프론티어랩 영상 갈무리
Summary
- OpenAI added a 'Computer History' feature to the ChatGPT desktop app that remembers computer activity
- It must be opted into via Settings→Integrations menu, and supports a timeline view and full-delete function
- Global rollout has begun for Pro, Business, and Enterprise users, with EEA, UK, and Switzerland support to follow
- 기능명
- Computer History (컴퓨터 히스토리)
- 플랫폼
- 챗GPT 데스크톱 앱(맥)
- 전작
- Chronicle 연구 프리뷰
- 진입 경로
- 설정(Settings) → 통합(Integrations), 옵트인 방식
- 대상 요금제
- Pro, Business, Enterprise
- 롤아웃
- 전 세계 순차 시작, EEA·영국·스위스는 향후 몇 주 내 지원
- 발표일
- 2026년 8월 13일
The hassle of having to re-explain to ChatGPT what you were just working on every single time—a new feature aims to cut that down.
OpenAI announced on August 13 (local time) that it has added a 'Computer History' feature to its desktop app. The feature lets ChatGPT remember activity from apps running on a user's computer and websites they've visited, reducing the need to re-explain background context in subsequent conversations.
A follow-up to Chronicle
According to OpenAI, Computer History builds on the earlier research preview 'Chronicle.' The company said the key improvements are reduced token usage and stronger privacy controls. The newly added timeline view lets users look back on past work and extract patterns from recurring tasks to apply to future work. The history is designed to be cleared all at once from the menu bar or an in-app menu.
Example screens released by OpenAI show how the feature works. On the desktop are folders named 'Roadmaps,' 'Demos,' 'Test Data,' 'Design Reviews,' and 'Projects Q3,' with 28 Slack notifications and 15 Figma notifications stacked in the Dock at the bottom. ChatGPT, aware of this background activity, operates by first asking the user what they'd like help with. A label reading 'GPT-5.6 Sol Medium' also appeared in the model selector at the bottom of the screen.
How to use it
Computer History is not turned on by default. It's an opt-in feature that users must enable themselves.
- Open the ChatGPT desktop app for Mac.
- Go to Settings and find the 'Integrations' tab.
- Turn on Computer History from the Integrations menu. From this point on, activity from the apps and websites you use will start being recorded.
- Open the timeline view from the chat window or menu bar to see a chronological record of what you've been working on.
- If you don't want to keep a record, select "delete all" from the menu to clear the history.
Once history accumulates, simply telling ChatGPT "continue what I was working on earlier" reduces the need to re-explain which document or app you were using. For example, if you were working across a plan drafted in Notion, a Figma design, and reference material found in Chrome, ChatGPT can pick up that flow and suggest next steps.
Who can use it, and when
| Target | Timing |
|---|---|
| Pro, Business, Enterprise | Global phased rollout has begun |
| EEA, UK, Switzerland | Phased support in the coming weeks |
The announcement did not address whether the feature will be supported for Free or Plus tier users.
An extension of desktop app expansion
This feature aligns with OpenAI's recent push to expand its desktop app ecosystem. On August 11, a Linux preview of the ChatGPT desktop app was released, allowing Ubuntu, Debian, and Fedora users to access both ChatGPT and the coding agent Codex within a single app. On top of this Mac-Windows-Linux desktop app expansion, "context memory" features like Computer History are now being layered in.
What actually changes
Until now, using ChatGPT on desktop meant having to re-explain every time which document you were viewing and what task you were doing. With Computer History turned on, this repetitive explanation is reduced, and ChatGPT moves toward learning users' recurring work patterns and proactively making suggestions. However, since the feature involves recording activity, it also raises privacy concerns. OpenAI's emphasis on the opt-in approach and the full-delete option appears to be a response to that concern.
