OpenAI's Advanced Voice Mode Celebrates One Year of Broad Availability

One year ago today, on September 25, 2024, OpenAI broadly rolled out its Advanced Voice Mode to a wider segment of its paid ChatGPT subscribers, marking a pivotal moment in human-AI interaction. The milestone was highlighted by a recent social media post from user BLCNYY, stating, "> FLASHBACK: @OpenAI released Advanced Voice broadly one year ago today!" This expansion significantly enhanced the conversational capabilities of ChatGPT, moving beyond text-based interactions.

The foundation for this advanced feature was laid on September 25, 2023, when OpenAI first introduced new voice and image capabilities to ChatGPT Plus users on iOS and Android. This initial release allowed users to engage in back-and-forth voice conversations, offering a more natural and intuitive interface for tasks ranging from casual chats to practical requests. The technology provided five distinct voices, aiming for a more human-like dialogue experience.

Following its mobile debut, OpenAI continued to expand access, bringing Advanced Voice Mode to ChatGPT's web interface for paid users starting November 19, 2024. This move extended the real-time, natural conversation experience to desktop users, facilitating voice interactions for various activities like planning and brainstorming. Early user feedback on the broad 2024 rollout, however, noted some initial limitations, such as restricted internet access and the inability to attach files directly within voice mode.

OpenAI has since iterated on the technology, introducing significant enhancements on June 7, 2025. These updates focused on improving intonation and naturalness, making AI conversations feel more fluid and human-like, and added intuitive language translation capabilities. More recently, in September 2025, OpenAI streamlined its offerings, rebranding it as "ChatGPT Voice" and making a version powered by GPT-4o Mini available to all free users as a daily preview, further democratizing access to advanced conversational AI.