ChatGPT is, for a lot of people, the front door to AI. The good news: getting in takes about two minutes and costs nothing. Here's exactly how to do it, whether you're on a phone or a computer.

Want the same path as a short course? Open AI Earn on Google Play — that listing is the official app page.

What you'll need

Just an email address. That's genuinely all. You can also sign up using a Google, Microsoft or Apple account, which is even faster because you skip creating a new password.

Signing up on a computer

  1. Open your browser and go to chat.openai.com.
  2. Click Sign up.
  3. Enter your email, or choose "Continue with Google / Microsoft / Apple" to use an account you already have.
  4. If you used an email, you'll get a verification message — open it and click the link.
  5. Add your name and date of birth when asked, and you're in.

Signing up on your phone

You can use the website in your mobile browser, but the official app is smoother. Search your app store for "ChatGPT" by OpenAI — check the developer name, because copycat apps exist. Install it, tap Sign up, and follow the same steps as above.

Watch out: there are fake "ChatGPT" apps that charge subscriptions for what is normally free. If an app demands payment before you can type a single message, back out. Learn more in how to spot AI scams.

Free vs paid — do you need to pay?

No. The free tier is plenty for learning and everyday tasks. There's a paid plan (ChatGPT Plus) that adds faster responses and newer features, but you should not pay until you've used the free version enough to know you want more. We compare them in ChatGPT Free vs Plus.

Your first three prompts to try

Don't overthink your first message. Here are three that show off what it can do:

  • "Explain what you can help me with, in plain language, with five examples."
  • "Write a friendly two-sentence reply thanking a coworker for covering my shift."
  • "I want to learn basic budgeting. Make me a simple 4-week plan."

A few first-timer tips

Be specific — the more context you give, the better the answer. If a reply misses the mark, don't start over; just say "make it shorter" or "more formal" and it'll adjust. And remember it can be confidently wrong, so check anything that matters.

Once you're comfortable, the next step is learning to ask well. That's where writing better prompts comes in — it's the difference between okay answers and genuinely useful ones.