As an advanced artificial intelligence developed by OpenAI, ChatGPT has an array of capabilities such as answering questions, writing code, and more.

To unlock these capabilities, users must first sign up, a process that requires a phone number. But why is this necessary?

OpenAI primarily uses phone numbers for two reasons:

Account Verification: To ensure you’re a real person, OpenAI uses your phone number to verify your identity. It’s a common practice in online platforms to prevent misuse of services.
Country Identification: Your phone number helps identify the country you live in, a crucial step as ChatGPT is not available in all countries.

However, it’s important to note that not all types of phone numbers are acceptable for verification. Specifically, landlines or most VoIP numbers can’t be used to send code.

This means services such as Google Voice, Dingtone, TextNow, and others, aren’t compatible with the ChatGPT signup process.

Ways to Use ChatGPT Without a Phone Number

Despite the phone number requirement, there are still ways you can use ChatGPT if you don’t have a mobile number or prefer not to provide one to send code. Here are some notable methods:

1. WhatsApp Verification

In certain countries, you can use WhatsApp instead of a phone number for account verification. These countries include India, Indonesia, Pakistan, Nigeria, Israel, Saudi Arabia, United Arab Emirates, Vietnam, Ukraine, Malaysia, Egypt, or Turkey.

If you’re in one of these countries, you will see an option to use WhatsApp for verification during the signup process.

2. Using ChatGPT on Other Platforms

Instead of signing up directly, you can use ChatGPT on platforms such as Bing Chat, Snapchat, or Discord.

Although this method won’t give you access to the full range of ChatGPT features, it’s a convenient way to use the AI without providing a phone number.

3. Send Code Using Online SMS Verification Tools

Some online services provide temporary or disposable phone numbers that can receive SMS messages. Services like SMSPool.net and Autofications.com are examples.

Be warned that these services aren’t free and ChatGPT has blocked many of them. However, some users have reported success with these tools.

4. Temporary Phone Number Services

Another method is to use a temporary phone number from the internet. Services such as Anoymsms, Sms Activation Service, SMSnator, receive-sms.cc, or temp-number.org provide these numbers.

You can use these virtual numbers to receive the ChatGPT verification code. It’s important to note that this method may require several attempts with different numbers before you find one that works.

ChatGPT Alternatives That Don’t Require a Phone Number

If you prefer to avoid the phone number requirement altogether, there are alternatives to ChatGPT that don’t require phone verification. Two such options are:

Bard: A chatbot alternative that offers similar services without requiring phone verification.
Perplexity: Another chatbot service that doesn’t ask for your phone number.

These alternatives offer chatbot services and may suit your needs without requiring phone verification.

Conclusion

While ChatGPT requires a phone number for account verification, there are still methods to use the service without providing a mobile number.

Whether it’s using WhatsApp for verification, trying out ChatGPT on other platforms, using an online SMS verification tool, or even opting for a ChatGPT alternative, you have options.

Read More: