How to Use ChatGPT

ChatGPT is one of the most popular language AI models used by people of various professions and for different reasons. However, new technology may seem intimidating and discourage potential users from giving it a go.

This article will explain how to use this AI chatbot to ensure your first experience with ChatGPT goes smoothly. 

Create a ChatGPT Account

Like other apps and services, to start using ChatGPT, you first need to create an account. For this service, you’ll need to sign up for OpenAI, the research company that made ChatGPT. 

1. Visit the OpenAI signup page.
   
2. Input your email address, create a password, or sign up using your Google or Microsoft account. If you choose the first option, you’ll need to verify your email. If you choose the second option, you’ll likely have to provide your phone number for verification and click “Send code.”
   
3. Type in your first and last name and age.
   
4. Your account is now created. If you already have an account, click “Log in.”
   

Keep in mind that you can’t change the email address for your account, but you can add another address to it.

Accept Terms and Conditions

The following step is also similar to many other services you use. If you wish to use ChatGPT, you’ll be informed about what you agree to, but not by scrolling through never-ending text and bullet points. There are only three pages you need to go through before you can start using the chatbot:

1. The first message informs you that the researchers aim to get external feedback to improve their system and that some information might be inaccurate. Click “Next” to go to the next page.
   
2. The second message states that their AI trainers might review the conversations for the sake of improvement and, therefore, not share any sensitive information with the AI. Click “Next” to continue.
   
3. The last message lets you know that your feedback is valuable and that you can share it on their Discord server or by liking and unliking ChatGPT’s replies. Click “Done” to finish.
   

You can also access the actual Terms of Use and Privacy Policy at the bottom of the page while signing up.

Start Using ChatGPT

Once you create an account and agree to ChatGPT’s terms, you can start using the service. The chatbot’s user interface is quite simple on both your desktop and mobile screens and doesn’t require any previous knowledge. The following sections will explain how to access the main features of ChatGPT.

How to Write a Prompt in ChatGPT

To write a prompt in ChatGPT, you only need to do the following three steps:

1. Click on the “Send a message” field at the bottom of the screen. 
   
2. Type in short prompts of only a few words or long detailed descriptions.
   
3. Click on the small arrow at the right end of the prompt field and wait a few seconds for the AI to write a response. You won’t be able to prepare a new prompt during this time.
   

Once the AI has finished writing, you can type in a new message or regenerate the response by clicking two circular arrows next to the single arrow.

The AI recognizes words even with a slight typo and no punctuation. In addition, it remembers what you said in previous conversations and allows you to provide follow-up questions where you can ask for more details, a different response, etc.

How to Access ChatGPT History

To improve ChatGPT with model training and allow you to see what you’ve previously asked, OpenAI saves your messages in the chat history. To access your chat history, follow these steps:

1. Log into your ChatGPT account.
   
2. Click on the three horizontal lines in the top left corner.
   
3. Scroll down to find your messages from today, the previous week or 30 days, or a specific month. 
   

The messages are not categorized by specific dates and times. 

How to Disable ChatGPT History and Model Training

If you want to prevent the system from storing and using your data for the model training, you can disable this option. Here’s how:

1. Log into your ChatGPT account.
   
2. Click on the three horizontal lines in the top left corner.
   
3. Select the three horizontal dots next to your username.
   
4. Tap “Settings.”
   
5. Click “Show” next to “Data Controls.”
   
6. Tap the toggle next to “Chat History & Training.”
   

Once you disable this option, your messages will no longer be saved in the side menu history. However, they’ll stay in the system for 30 days to monitor for abuse. You can learn more about ChatGPT’s Data Controls in the company’s FAQs.

How to Export ChatGPT Data

If you want to save your ChatGPT history before disabling this setting, follow these steps:

1. Log into your ChatGPT account.
   
2. Click on the three horizontal lines in the top left corner.
   
3. Press the three horizontal dots next to your username.
   
4. Tap “Settings.”
   
5. Select “Show” next to “Data Controls.”
   
6. Click “Export data” at the bottom of the pop-up menu.
   
7. Press “Confirm export.”
   

The data export containing your account details and conversations will be sent to the email you registered with to OpenAI in a downloadable file that expires after 24 hours. Click “Download data export” once you receive it to access your data.

How to Delete the ChatGPT Account

If you no longer see the use of ChatGPT, you can delete your account by following these few steps:

1. Log into your ChatGPT account.
   
2. Select the three horizontal lines in the top left corner.
   
3. Press on the three horizontal dots next to your username.
   
4. Tap “Settings.”
   
5. Click “Show” next to “Data Controls.”
   
6. Select “delete account.”
   
7. A pop-up will appear, asking you to confirm the action by entering your registered email and typing in “DELETE” in the field below it.
   
8. Click on “Permanently delete my account.”
   

Once you delete the account, your information can’t be retrieved. Furthermore, you won’t be able to use the same email or phone number to create a new account.

Limitations of ChatGPT

Although ChatGPT sounds like the best thing in the world, it currently has some limitations. Here are some of them:

• Limited knowledge of the events after 2021
• Sometimes overuses specific phrases (e.g., stating that it’s an AI model and can’t respond to certain questions)
• May occasionally generate incorrect, harmful, or biased responses
• No responses to questions that involve emotions ( e.g., can’t give advice)

Additional FAQs

Is ChatGPT free?

Yes, ChatGPT has a free version at the moment. The free version is available because the system is still in its research stage, but running ChatGPT costs around $700,000 per day. You can also upgrade to ChatGPT Plus for a monthly fee. This upgrade enables faster responses even during peak times and access to the latest features like the current GPT-4.

What are some of the alternatives to ChatGPT?

Some free and paid alternatives to ChatGPT are Chatsonic, Bing AI, OpenAI Playground, Jasper Chat, Socratic, DialoGPT, ElsaSpeaks, YouChat, and many more.

Is there a ChatGPT mobile app?

Unfortunately, there’s no mobile app for ChatGPT yet. However, you can log into your ChatGPT account through a browser like on your desktop.

New Technology in Your Pocket

ChatGPT is a trending free language AI model. It can be used for writing codes, translating, summarizing, writing stories, simply chatting, and much more. To try out all these amazing features, follow the instructions from this article to set up your ChatGPT account.

Have you already tried using ChatGPT? Did you use any of the tips from this article? Let us know in the comments below.