How to Use ChatGPT

0:17 To use ChatGPT, go to chatgpt.com or open the ChatGPT app, type what you want in the message box at the bottom and press Enter. You can try it without an account (signed-out visitors can even search the web), but a free account keeps your chats, lets ChatGPT remember you, and unlocks files, images, voice and projects. Everything below works on the free plan unless it says otherwise, as of Nov 6, 2026.

Quick facts

How do you sign up for ChatGPT?

1. Go to chatgpt.com or install the ChatGPT app from the App Store or Google Play (the desktop app is at chatgpt.com/download, per the release notes).
2. Select Sign up and use an email address or phone number, or a Google, Apple or Microsoft account (OpenAI's help mentions all three as ways people sign up, in its account deletion article).
3. Confirm your email or phone when asked. You start on the Free plan; nothing is charged unless you pick a paid plan later.

ChatGPT is offered in about 187 countries and territories. Using it from a country not on that list can get an account blocked.

The message box (the composer)

The message box is where everything starts. Type a question, a task or a draft you want improved, then press Enter. Next to the box:

• + opens tools and files: Add photos & files, deep research, images, study mode and more.
• @ mentions a plugin or helper by name, such as @study or a connected app (OpenAI Help Center).
• / starts a command: /Deepresearch, /agent or Search.
• The voice icon starts a spoken conversation (OpenAI Help Center).

0:43 A reply that missed the point is not final: edit your message, ask a follow-up ("shorter", "for a 10-year-old", "as a table"), or select regenerate. The ChatGPT Prompting Guide has OpenAI's own advice on asking well.

Chat, Work and Codex: which mode?

0:03 Since Jul 2026 ChatGPT has three modes. In OpenAI's words, "Chat is for fast, conversational assistance and everyday questions. Work is an agent designed for longer, multi-step work and finished deliverables. Codex remains dedicated to software development". Beginners should stay in Chat. Switch to ChatGPT Work when you want a finished file, such as a slide deck, a spreadsheet or a report, and to Codex only for programming. On mobile you pick Chat or Work from the dropdown; in the desktop app a switcher at the top changes between ChatGPT and Codex. How to Use ChatGPT Agent Mode walks through Work step by step.

Picking a model

In Chat, the model picker (in the message box on the web, at the top of the conversation in the apps) sets how hard ChatGPT thinks. Paid plans choose Instant, Medium, High or Extra High, plus Pro on Pro plans; Free and Go users instead press Think for a harder question. A sensible habit: Instant for quick facts and rewording, Medium or High (or Think) for math, planning, code and anything you would check twice. ChatGPT no longer raises the level on its own for Plus and Pro, since Sep 14, 2026. ChatGPT Models explains each one.

Files and images you upload

Select + > Add photos & files or drag a file onto the chat. ChatGPT reads PDFs, Word, Excel, CSV, PowerPoint, text and images, and paid plans also accept audio. Limits, as of Nov 6, 2026: 512 MB per document, 20 MB per image, 80 files every 3 hours, and 3 uploads a day on Free. Files you upload are kept in your Library so you can reuse them. See File Uploads and Library and Data Analysis.

Voice

0:27 Select the voice icon and talk. The newest option, Live, listens and speaks at the same time and can search the web. Free users get limited Live voice; Go and Plus get 3 hours a day, as of Nov 6, 2026 (OpenAI Help Center). Pick a voice and language under Settings > Voice. Details on Voice Mode.

Making images

Ask for an image in plain words ("a watercolor of a lighthouse at dusk"), or select More > Images for templates. ChatGPT Images 2.6 can also edit an image step by step and make looping GIFs. Image creation is on every plan, with tighter limits on Free. Everything you make is saved at chatgpt.com/images. See ChatGPT Images.

Projects: keep related chats together

A project is a folder for chats, files and instructions about one subject. Select New project in the sidebar, name it, and add files; project instructions override your global custom instructions inside that project. Free projects hold 5 files, Go and Plus 25, Pro 40. More on Projects.

Memory and custom instructions

ChatGPT can remember your preferences across chats. Manage it at Settings > Personalization > Memory: view, correct or delete what it remembers, or turn it off (which does not delete past chats). Under Settings > Personalization you can also write custom instructions ("I'm a nurse; keep answers short") and pick a personality. When a chat should leave no trace, use a Temporary Chat. See Memory.

Tips for your first week

• Give context: who it is for, how long, what format. A 200-word guide for first-time owners beats "write about dogs".
• Check facts that matter. Ask ChatGPT to search the web and look at the sources it links.
• Turn off training if you prefer: Settings > Data controls > Improve the model for everyone (OpenAI Help Center). See Privacy and Data Controls.
• Don't paste passwords or private data you would not want stored.
• More shortcuts are on ChatGPT Tips and ChatGPT Keyboard Shortcuts.

Frequently asked questions

Can I use ChatGPT without an account? Yes. ChatGPT works signed out on chatgpt.com, including web search, but chats are not saved and files, memory and projects need a free account.

Is ChatGPT free to use? Yes. ChatGPT's Free plan costs $0 and includes unlimited everyday text chats, with limits on uploads, images, voice and deep research, as of Nov 6, 2026. Free and Go may show ads. See Is ChatGPT Free.

What is the difference between Chat and Work in ChatGPT? Chat answers questions in a conversation; Work is an agent that runs a longer task and hands back a finished deliverable such as a document or spreadsheet. Work is fully available on paid plans and limited to the desktop app on Free and Go.

How do I find an old ChatGPT chat? Open Search in the sidebar, or press Ctrl+K (Windows) or Cmd+K (Mac) on the web, and filter by chats, images, documents or projects. See Chat History and Search.

Does ChatGPT remember what I tell it? Yes, when Memory is on: ChatGPT can use saved memories and past chats to personalize answers. You can review or delete memories at Settings > Personalization > Memory, or use a temporary chat that is not remembered.

Which ChatGPT plan should a beginner pick? Start on Free. Upgrade to ChatGPT Go or ChatGPT Plus only when you keep hitting the limits on uploads, images or voice; ChatGPT Plans and Pricing compares them.

Sources

• ChatGPT Work and Codex, OpenAI Help Center, read Nov 6, 2026
• GPT-6 and other models in ChatGPT, OpenAI Help Center, read Nov 6, 2026
• ChatGPT release notes, OpenAI Help Center, read Nov 6, 2026
• Uploading files and audio to ChatGPT, OpenAI Help Center, read Nov 6, 2026
• Using Library to manage files in ChatGPT, OpenAI Help Center, read Nov 6, 2026
• ChatGPT Voice, OpenAI Help Center, read Nov 6, 2026
• Images in ChatGPT, OpenAI Help Center, read Nov 6, 2026
• Projects in ChatGPT, OpenAI Help Center, read Nov 6, 2026
• Memory in ChatGPT, OpenAI Help Center, read Nov 6, 2026
• Searching the web with ChatGPT, OpenAI Help Center, read Nov 6, 2026
• Finding your chats, projects, and files in ChatGPT, OpenAI Help Center, read Nov 6, 2026
• Plugins in ChatGPT, OpenAI Help Center, read Nov 6, 2026
• Deep research in ChatGPT, OpenAI Help Center, read Nov 6, 2026
• ChatGPT agent, OpenAI Help Center, read Nov 6, 2026
• Using study mode in ChatGPT, OpenAI Help Center, read Nov 6, 2026
• Data controls in ChatGPT, OpenAI Help Center, read Nov 6, 2026
• Prompt engineering best practices for ChatGPT, OpenAI Help Center, read Nov 6, 2026
• Deleting your ChatGPT account, OpenAI Help Center, read Nov 6, 2026
• ChatGPT supported countries, OpenAI Help Center, read Nov 6, 2026
• ChatGPT pricing, OpenAI, read Nov 6, 2026
• Pricing, OpenAI docs (learn.chatgpt.com), read Nov 6, 2026
• Meet ChatGPT: Ask Your First Question / OpenAI Academy, OpenAI, Sep 16, 2026 (video)
• Getting Started with ChatGPT Work, OpenAI, Aug 28, 2026 (video)
• This is the new ChatGPT Voice, powered by GPT-Live, OpenAI, Jul 8, 2026 (video)