Traveling often means unreliable or expensive internet access, especially on airplanes or in remote areas. Here are two practical ways to keep using AI chat assistants even when your connectivity is limited:
1. ChatGPT via 1-800-ChatGPT During Flights
Many US airlines offer free in-flight “messaging” (iMessage, WhatsApp, etc.) but block regular web access. This means the ChatGPT app or website won’t work, but you can still chat with ChatGPT by calling or texting 1-800-ChatGPT!
- You can text 1-800-ChatGPT to interact with ChatGPT using WhatsApp.
- Add the number to your contacts, and you can send/receive messages to ChatGPT using only the free messaging tier.
- Before you leave: If you have a ChatGPT Plus account, you can link it to 1-800-ChatGPT for higher usage limits while traveling. Just send the message “link my ChatGPT account” via WhatsApp to 1-800-ChatGPT and follow the instructions.
- This is a great way to get AI help, summaries, or even entertainment while flying, without paying for full internet access.
2. Run AI Models Directly on Your Phone
If you want an AI assistant that works even without any internet connection, you can run a model directly on your device:
- First, download the Google AI Edge Gallery app (APK) from GitHub and follow the instructions to install it manually.
- Once you open the Google AI Edge Gallery app, you can download the Gemma 4B model—a small language model that can run entirely on modern smartphones.
- While Gemma 4B is not as accurate as cloud-based models (it can hallucinate or make mistakes), it is a powerful tool to have in your pocket when offline.
- Downside: Unlike ChatGPT, these local models typically do not save your chat history, so each session starts fresh.