Open ChatGPT and Set Up a Free Account

Before we begin, one calm thought: you cannot break anything here. No button will ruin a thing, and no question is too small to ask.

What you're getting is a patient helper at your side, one that never gets tired and helps with every little thing. With it, you'll soon write a letter to the insurance company, calmly check a suspicious text, or send your grandkids a few warm lines.

The start is easy. Let's open ChatGPT together, step by step. First you open it, then you set up an account once. That takes a few minutes, and it costs nothing.

What ChatGPT asks for when you sign up, and what it doesn't

For a free account, all it needs is your email address and a password, or your Google account. You do not need a phone number to sign up. If you read online that a phone number is required, that is no longer the case for a normal account.

Two more calm notes. First: you never type bank information or your home address into the chat. You don't need to. Second: your ChatGPT account and your login for this course are two separate things. Your course information stays with us.

How you open it

On a computer, type the address chatgpt.com into your web browser. On a phone, download the ChatGPT app from the App Store or the Play Store, or open that same address in your browser. The first time, tap Sign up at the top. You can sign in with a Google account or with an email address. That's completely normal, and it's free.

One thing up front, so nothing surprises you: the screens may appear in English, and under each picture we tell you in plain words exactly what to tap.

Step by step through the sign-up

If you go the email route, ChatGPT walks you through a few calm steps. Take your time; none of this is hard.

First, you pick a password and type it in. A password is a secret word that only you use to get into your account. It's a good idea to write it on a slip of paper and keep it somewhere safe, so you never forget it.

Then ChatGPT emails you a short code. You open your inbox, read the code, and type it in. If the code isn't there right away, take a calm look in your Spam or Junk folder, it sometimes lands there.

Last, ChatGPT asks for your name and your date of birth. The name is yours to enter however you like. It asks for your date of birth because ChatGPT is meant for adults, so this just confirms you're not a child. Type your real date of birth carefully and correctly, and everything goes smoothly. Watch the order on the screen, it's usually month, then day, then year.

You might also see a small box that says Verify you are human. You simply put a checkmark in the box, and on you go. That's an ordinary safety step that many websites have.

And that's it. You're signed in, and you land right on the home screen, where you can ask your first question. Down the left side you'll later see a list, where ChatGPT keeps all your conversations on its own, so you can go back to any of them anytime. You only do this whole sign-up once. After that, you're signed in every time. Take one calm breath. The hardest part is already behind you.