Safari's summary, ChatGPT, or an extension?
There are three common ways to get AI help with the page you're reading on an iPhone, iPad or Mac. I make one of them, ContextFlow, so keep that in mind. Each of the three has its place, and I'll say where the other two are the better pick.
Safari's own summary
On devices with Apple Intelligence, Safari can summarize an article: open Reader from the address bar and tap Summarize.
- Good: free, built in, nothing to install.
- Limits: it needs Apple Intelligence on your device, in a supported language and region. It works on pages that open in Reader. It gives you a summary, not a conversation, and it doesn't keep anything for later.
- Pick it when: you have a recent iPhone, iPad or Mac and just want the gist of an article.
Apple keeps adding Apple Intelligence features, so check what your version of iOS or macOS does.
Copying the page into ChatGPT
Copy the text or the link, open ChatGPT, paste, ask.
- Good: strong models, a free tier, and room for a long back-and-forth. It can also search the web.
- Limits: you switch apps every time. On iPhone, selecting a whole article is fiddly. If you paste only the link, ChatGPT can't see pages you're signed in to or that sit behind a paywall. And the chat doesn't know which page a question came from unless you paste the link again.
- Pick it when: the question isn't really about one page, or you're settling in for a long research session in ChatGPT anyway.
ContextFlow, an AI extension inside Safari
Tap ✦ on the page (on Mac, the toolbar icon or Control-Shift-E) and ask about the page you're on.
- Good: no copying and no app switching. It reads the page as it is in your Safari, so a page you're signed in to works too. Select a paragraph to ask about just that. A chat carries on from page to page and keeps the pages you read, the answers you asked for and your own notes together, on iPhone, iPad and Mac.
- Limits: Safari only. Safari doesn't let extensions read some pages, like the start page and App Store pages. Answers come from an AI model online, so you need a connection. It's free to start, and if you ask a lot you'll want Pro.
- Pick it when: you read a lot in Safari and want answers and notes to stay with the pages they're about.
Side by side
| Safari's summary | Pasting into ChatGPT | ContextFlow | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Where it lives | Built into Safari's Reader | ChatGPT app or website | An extension inside Safari |
| Ask your own questions about the page | No, it summarizes | Yes | Yes |
| Copying or switching apps | No | Yes, each time | No |
| Pages you're signed in to | If they open in Reader | Only what you paste | Yes, as you see them |
| Your own notes next to the page | No | No | Yes |
| Remembers which pages you read | No | Only the links you paste | Yes, each chat lists its pages |
| Devices | iPhone, iPad, Mac with Apple Intelligence | Any | iPhone, iPad, Mac with Safari |
| Price | Free | Free tier and paid plans | Free to start, Pro for more |
Questions
Is ContextFlow a replacement for ChatGPT?
No. It's for questions about the page you're reading and for keeping notes on what you read. For questions that have nothing to do with a page, a general chatbot is still the right tool.
Can I use Safari's summary and ContextFlow together?
Yes. They don't get in each other's way. Use Safari's summary for a quick gist, and ContextFlow when you want to ask more or keep notes.
Does ContextFlow work on pages I'm signed in to?
Yes. It reads the page as it is in your Safari when you ask about it. Safari doesn't let extensions read a few pages, like the start page and App Store pages.