Eight useful ChatGPT features for everyday tasks

A useful AI feature earns its place by helping with a recognisable job. The following selection covers correspondence, paperwork, pictures, learning and organisation. These are documentation-based walkthroughs checked on 12 October 2026, with original examples; they are not reports of testing a signed-in account or measurements of how often people use each feature.

1. Dictate the rough material, then edit it

Dictation turns a recording into editable text before you send it. That makes it useful for capturing an untidy explanation while retaining the chance to correct names, dates and a misheard word. Press the microphone icon, speak, then inspect the transcription.[1]

Try this invented brief: “Write a friendly message under 65 words. Our group walk moves from Saturday 17 October to Saturday 24 October 2026. Meet at 10am at the park café. The route is unchanged. Ask people to reply by Wednesday 21 October. Do not invent a reason for the change.”

A suitable original draft is: “Our group walk is moving from Saturday 17 October to Saturday 24 October. We’ll meet at 10am at the park café and follow the same route. Please reply by Wednesday 21 October to let me know whether you can join us.” Check those details before copying it into your messaging app.

2. Compare two documents around one question

ChatGPT supports comparing attached documents, including DOCX and PDF files. Upload the two versions and name the changes you need: dates, amounts, required actions or wording. Ask for the filename and relevant passage beside each claimed difference so you can return to the original.[2]

For example, supply two fictional event notices: version A says doors open at 6pm and admission costs £8; version B says 6.30pm and £10. Ask it to identify only those fields. The finished comparison should preserve which value belongs to which version, rather than blending them into a new notice.

3. Point to the part of a photograph you mean

Use Add photos & files to attach a still image. OpenAI recommends marking an image before uploading when a particular area matters. For an unfamiliar washing-machine symbol, circle the symbol and ask what it might mean, then supply the appliance’s model and manual for confirmation. Clear, upright text helps; image descriptions can be wrong.[3]

A focused question is more useful than “What is this?” Try: “Explain the circled symbol and identify anything you would need from the manual to be certain.” The result should tell you what to check next, without pretending that a blurry icon identifies every setting.

4. Ask Work for the actual document

Work can create editable documents, spreadsheets and presentations from instructions or source material. Specify the output format and intended use. For example: “Create a one-page DOCX welcome sheet from these notes, with a heading, contact section and a clearly labelled schedule. Keep all names and times exactly as supplied.” Open the returned file and request any corrections.[4]

If you already have a good layout, attach it as a reference and state what should change. A single reference file is sufficient for a one-off job; a reusable template is useful when the same format will recur. Native Google Workspace files additionally require the relevant connected app and permissions.[4]

5. Use Study to work through an idea

In a regular chat, select Study from the + menu; on the web, typing @study also lets you find and select it. Study can ask questions and explain steps at your level. Give it a specific sticking point: “I struggle to calculate a percentage reduction. Start with a £3.20 item reduced to £2.40, and let me attempt the calculation.”[5]

The reduction in this original example is 80p, or 25% of £3.20. Ask for a different example afterwards and answer before revealing the explanation. That gives you something concrete to check about your understanding.

6. Set preferences you keep repeating

Custom Instructions provide direct guidance about how you want responses written. On iOS and Android, open Settings → Customize ChatGPT; on web and desktop, use Settings → Personalization. Enable customization and enter a short preference such as: “Use British English. Explain technical terms when they first appear. Give the answer before supporting detail. Label assumptions.”[6]

Keep general preferences here and put the current job’s requirements in its prompt. A permanent demand for very short answers, for example, may be unhelpful when you later request a substantial report.

7. Retrieve the earlier conversation or file

Sidebar Search can find words in chat titles and messages, including archived conversations. It can also surface eligible projects, images and files, with filters depending on the account. Search a distinctive phrase such as “walking route” or the filename, then open the result. This searches your existing content; online research uses a separate web-search capability.[7]

8. Turn a reminder into a saved task

Open Scheduled and describe a one-time or recurring reminder. For example: “On Sunday evenings, remind me to check next week’s calendar and prepare anything I need for Monday.” Inspect the created task and its schedule. Eligible Free accounts can keep three active tasks and use flexible windows; exact delivery times require an eligible paid plan.[8]

Choose push notifications, email or both in Settings → Notifications. On mobile, allow notification permission when prompted. Afterwards, return to Scheduled to edit or pause the reminder. Checking that the task exists gives your request a continuing home, with a schedule you can inspect and change.[8]

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