ChatGPT desktop app adds Quick Chat from floating Pets and brings Appshots to Windows

What OpenAI announced

OpenAI listed the update in the ChatGPT and Codex changelog on 11 September 2026 under the title Quick chats with Pets and Appshots on Windows 26.908. In the ChatGPT desktop app on macOS and Windows, users can now type a quick chat from the floating Pets controls and press Enter to send it. The @ key adds context and the $ key picks a skill. A bell icon shows progress in running threads, and selecting a thread opens the full conversation.

Pets are optional animated companions that float above other app windows. OpenAI's Pets documentation says choosing a pet changes its look, not how ChatGPT completes tasks, and a Mini option shows only the chat controls. The global shortcut is Option+Space on macOS and Windows+Alt+P on Windows, and it can be changed in Settings. The pet also shows a status for each chat: Running, Needs input, Ready or Blocked.

Appshots arrive on Windows

Appshots were already available on macOS. With 26.908 they also work in the Windows app. Pressing both Alt keys sends the frontmost app window to ChatGPT. According to the Appshots documentation, an appshot holds an image of the visible window and the text that the app makes available, including text outside the visible scroll area. It then behaves like an attachment and is stored locally in the session file.

OpenAI lists examples such as sharing an API reference page and asking for a script, or sharing an email or calendar view and asking for a draft of the next step. There are limits. For Google Docs, Gmail, Google Sheets and Google Slides, ChatGPT may receive only the visible screenshot. On Windows, appshots open in the main app, while on macOS they can start a new chat from the floating controls. OpenAI tells users to avoid appshots of sensitive content unless the task needs it.

Who gets it and what it costs

The release note does not name a plan. It says users need to update the desktop app and that availability depends on rollout and workspace settings, so organisations can switch Pets and Appshots off. ChatGPT itself is sold as Free at $0, Go at $8 and Plus at $20 per month, with Pro from $100 per month, according to OpenAI's plan page. The same release also lets users open files from a chat's Sources panel and makes dictation follow the saved main language. More updates of this kind are collected under AI Tools.

What to watch next

The change moves ChatGPT closer to an always-present desktop helper that reads whatever window is in front. The open questions are how admins in regulated companies treat window capture, and whether full document text from Google apps will reach ChatGPT later. OpenAI has not given a date for either.

Questions people ask

How do I open Quick Chat in the ChatGPT desktop app?

Press Option+Space on macOS or Windows+Alt+P on Windows to show the floating controls and focus Quick Chat, according to OpenAI's Pets documentation.

What does an Appshot send to ChatGPT?

An image of the frontmost window and the text that app makes available, including some off-screen text. For Google Docs, Gmail, Sheets and Slides, ChatGPT may only get the screenshot.

Which ChatGPT plans include Appshots on Windows?

The release note does not name a plan. It says availability depends on rollout and workspace settings and that the desktop app must be updated.

Sources

1. ChatGPT and Codex changelog: Quick chats with Pets and Appshots on Windows 26.908 (OpenAI, 11 Sep 2026)
2. Appshots (OpenAI, 11 Sep 2026)
3. Pets (OpenAI, 11 Sep 2026)
4. Codex and ChatGPT Work pricing (OpenAI, 28 Oct 2026)