Official setup guide

Calculator first. App second.

First use the calculator to install CHATGPT and confirm it under PRGM. Then open the GhostCalc app to connect Bluetooth, enter Wi-Fi and an API key, test your first answer, and install updates only when needed.

Start on the calculator Get the iPhone app
About 10 minutes Step 1 happens on the calculator No calculator cable needed
Read this first

Start with the calculator

CHATGPT is the name of the program that appears under the calculator's PRGM button. Your AI provider—such as OpenAI, Claude, Gemini, Grok, or DeepSeek—is chosen later in the GhostCalc app.

✓
The calculator handles Step 1.

Install and open CHATGPT on the calculator first. After that, use the app for Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, API keys, notes, diagnostics, and updates. Save CMDS → Inject Program for later repairs.

A GhostCalc-upgraded calculator

The app and setup code work with GhostCalc hardware already installed inside a compatible calculator. They do not convert a stock calculator.

Four fresh AAA batteries

Use four matching batteries and keep the calculator powered during installation and updates.

An iPhone with Bluetooth

You will need the current GhostCalc app starting in Step 2, after CHATGPT is on the calculator.

2.4 GHz Wi-Fi and an API key

Have the exact Wi-Fi name, password, and a key from the AI provider you plan to use.

Send setup codeType 69420→P and Send(P) on the calculator. Check PRGMConfirm CHATGPT appears and opens. Open the appScan for the nearby GhostCalc. Add settingsEnter Wi-Fi and your AI key. Test itAsk one short question, then update if needed.
1Calculator setup

Install CHATGPT from the calculator

The setup code—sometimes called the password—is entered on the calculator's blank home screen, not in the PRGM editor and not in the phone app. Sending it tells the GhostCalc module inside the calculator to install its built-in CHATGPT program.

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Check first.

Press PRGM. If CHATGPT is already listed, skip to Confirm and open CHATGPT. If it is missing, return to the home screen and follow the steps below.

  1. Go to a blank home screen.

    Quit any open menu or program, then clear old text.

    2nd→MODE(QUIT)→CLEAR
  2. Store the setup code in P.

    Type 69420, press the store key, type the green letter P, then press ENTER. On a TI-84 Plus, P is ALPHA then 8.

    69420→STO▶→ALPHA8(P)→ENTER
  3. Choose Send( from the CATALOG.

    Press 2nd 0 to open the CATALOG. Press LN to jump to the S entries, scroll to Send(, and press ENTER. Do not type the letters S-e-n-d yourself.

    2nd0(CATALOG)→LN→Send(→ENTER
  4. Finish Send(P).

    Type P, close the parenthesis, and press ENTER. The calculator should show Done.

    ALPHA8(P)→)→ENTER
  5. Wait without pressing anything.

    Leave the calculator on the home screen for up to 15 seconds while the internal module transfers CHATGPT. No phone, USB cable, or computer is needed.

The home screen should look like this:

69420→P
                   69420
Send(P)
                    Done

Confirm and open CHATGPT

  1. Open the program list.

    Press PRGM and find CHATGPT.

  2. Launch it.

    Highlight CHATGPT, press ENTER to paste it onto the home screen, then press ENTER again to run it.

    PRGM→CHATGPT→ENTER→ENTER
  3. Look for the GhostCalc menu.

    If the menu opens, CHATGPT is installed correctly. Menu items vary by model, so a Typing model may show fewer choices than a Vision model.

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If CHATGPT does not appear.

Return to a blank home screen, run 69420→P and Send(P) one more time, then wait the full 15 seconds. The app's Program Check / Repair and Inject Program controls are recovery options only after you connect in Step 2.

2Companion app

Open GhostCalc and connect

Now that CHATGPT is installed, use the app to configure the internal GhostCalc module. Older instructions may call the app AI84Base; its current name is GhostCalc.

GhostCalc Scan tab with the Scan for GhostCalc button
SCAN · connect to the nearby calculator
  1. Install and open the official app.

    Download GhostCalc from the App Store. Complete onboarding, create the local six-digit app PIN, and allow Bluetooth. Allow Local Network access too if you use Vision Pro camera preview.

  2. Keep the calculator awake and nearby.

    Place it within about 3 feet (1 meter) of the iPhone.

  3. Scan for GhostCalc.

    Open SCAN, tap SCAN FOR GHOSTCALC, then tap the discovered device card. Older firmware may appear as AI-84.

  4. Trust the correct device if asked.

    If the app shows Verify this GhostCalc, compare the displayed ID with your unit, then choose Matches — Trust.

  5. Wait for CONFIG to open.

    After a successful connection, the app moves to CONFIG automatically.

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Bluetooth and Wi-Fi are separate.

Bluetooth lets the phone configure GhostCalc. Wi-Fi lets GhostCalc reach the selected AI provider and download updates. A Bluetooth connection does not mean Wi-Fi is connected yet.

The updated bottom menu

SCAN

Connect

Find, trust, connect to, or reconnect with your GhostCalc.

CONFIG

Set up

Use HOME, WI-FI, NETWORK, and KEYS for device settings and AI credentials.

CMDS

Maintain

See connection activity, run diagnostics, or request program repair. You do not need Inject Program for normal first setup.

NOTES

Transfer notes

Create and send supported notes after setup is complete.

UPDATE

Update safely

Check the phone interface and model-matched internal firmware.

3Wi-Fi & AI

Enter Wi-Fi and your API key

Stay connected over Bluetooth while completing this section. The current CONFIG screen saves fields automatically, so you do not need to look for an old Save All button.

  1. Open CONFIG → WI-FI.

    Enter the exact Network name and Wi-Fi password. Capital letters and spaces matter. Use a 2.4 GHz network; hotel, school, or public networks that require a browser sign-in usually will not work.

  2. Tap CONNECT WI-FI NOW.

    Wait for CONFIG to show that Wi-Fi is connected. If it only says saved or no network, check the spelling and password, then try again.

  3. Open CONFIG → KEYS.

    Under API Keys & Prompt, choose the AI Provider offered for your model. Typing models may show only OpenAI; Vision models may offer more providers.

  4. Paste the matching API key.

    Get a key from OpenAI, Anthropic, Google AI Studio, xAI, or DeepSeek. Paste it into that provider's field; the app saves it automatically.

  5. Tap TEST beside the filled key.

    A successful test confirms the credential works. A ChatGPT Plus or Pro subscription does not include OpenAI API usage; API billing is separate.

GhostCalc Config tab showing the Wi-Fi setup area
CONFIG · HOME, WI-FI, NETWORK, and KEYS
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Keep API keys private.

Never paste a full API key into the GhostCalc website, Discord, an email, or a support message. If a key is exposed, revoke it with the provider and create a new one.

4First answer

Test the complete setup

Menu choices vary slightly by GhostCalc model and firmware, but the first test follows the same path.

  1. Launch CHATGPT again.

    Press PRGM, highlight CHATGPT, then press ENTER twice.

  2. Connect from the calculator if needed.

    If it reports that Wi-Fi is disconnected, open SETTINGS → CONNECT and wait for a connected response.

  3. Ask one short question.

    Choose CHAT → NEW CHAT, enter a simple test such as “What is 12 × 8?”, and submit it.

  4. Confirm an answer appears.

    If the calculator returns an answer, installation, Wi-Fi, and the API key are all working.

Basic calculator controls

↑ / ↓

Move

Move through menu choices and lists.

ENTER

Select

Open a choice, confirm an action, or submit text.

CLEAR

Go back

Return to the previous screen or clear the current input.

← / →

Change page

Move between pages of a longer answer.

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Avoid DEL outside a text-entry box.

On many GhostCalc menus and result screens, DEL starts the emergency panic wipe and can remove CHATGPT. Use CLEAR to go back. If CHATGPT is removed, repeat Step 1.

5Updates

Update only after the basic setup works

GhostCalc has three different update types. Updating one does not automatically update the others.

Phone app

App Store update

Open the App Store, tap your profile picture, and install any update shown for GhostCalc. This updates the phone app only; it does not change the calculator program or internal firmware.

Calculator program

CHATGPT repair

If CHATGPT is missing, repeat the calculator setup-code method in Step 1. After Bluetooth connects, CMDS → Program Check / Repair is an optional recovery path.

Internal module

Firmware OTA

Use the model-matched Firmware OTA area in UPDATE. This updates the ESP32 hardware inside GhostCalc over Wi-Fi.

Support only

Full USB recovery

This can erase settings and uses board-specific files. Do it only when GhostCalc support gives you the exact recovery instructions for your unit.

Safe firmware update

  1. Prepare first.

    Install four fresh matching batteries. Connect the app over Bluetooth and confirm GhostCalc Wi-Fi is connected.

  2. Open UPDATE.

    The app should read the connected hardware and select the correct product family automatically. If the model is missing or wrong, stop and contact support.

  3. Refresh before installing.

    Tap REFRESH FIRMWARE STATUS. Review the installed and available versions and any release notes.

  4. Start the matching update.

    Tap the button labeled UPDATE FIRMWARE for your detected model, confirm the prompt, and complete any physical approval instructions the app shows.

  5. Do not interrupt it.

    Keep the calculator powered, the app open, and Wi-Fi connected through Checking WiFi → Downloading → Installing → Reconnect now.

  6. Reconnect and test.

    Return to SCAN, reconnect, open UPDATE, and refresh firmware status. Then launch CHATGPT and ask one short test question.

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Never choose another model to bypass an update warning.

Vision, Typing, and test hardware use different firmware and layouts. If UPDATE reports a mismatch, unavailable release, or beta-only model, stop and contact support.

Troubleshooting

Fix the step that failed

Send(P) shows an error

Choose Send( from the CATALOG instead of typing its letters. Make sure the finished command is exactly Send(P), with P entered using ALPHA 8.

It says Done, but CHATGPT is missing

Use four fresh batteries, return to a blank home screen, repeat 69420→P and Send(P) once, and wait the full 15 seconds without touching any keys.

The app cannot find GhostCalc

Wake the calculator, move the phone within 3 feet, confirm iPhone Bluetooth permission is enabled for GhostCalc, close the app on any other nearby phone, then scan again.

Wi-Fi will not connect

Re-enter the exact network name and password in CONFIG → WI-FI. Use 2.4 GHz and avoid networks that need a browser login. A simple phone hotspot is a useful test.

The API key test fails

Confirm Wi-Fi first, then confirm the key belongs to the selected provider and that billing or credits are active with that provider. Revoke and replace any key that may have been exposed.

The update will not start

Reconnect Bluetooth and Wi-Fi, use fresh batteries, then tap REFRESH FIRMWARE STATUS. Do not continue if the app cannot identify the exact hardware or reports a model mismatch.

Still stuck?

Send support the useful details

Include your calculator model, GhostCalc model, app version, firmware version, hardware/support ID, the exact step that failed, and a photo of the error. Never send a Wi-Fi password, full API key, app PIN, or account password.

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