Last Updated on
If you have attempted to sign up to OpenAI, to access Chat GPT you may have come across the mobile verification step. For those who have problems providing a mobile number, you may be wondering: Why does Chat GPT need a phone number?
When you sign up for an OpenAI account, the company performs two verification steps. The first is through email. And the second is via an SMS text message sent to your mobile. Those who wish to use Chat GPT must complete these steps to be granted access.
However, you may run into a few issues trying to perform this if Chat GPT is not available in your country. Interestingly, the language model is available in most developed countries. However, you cannot access it in places such as Russia, China, and Egypt among others.
Some Reddit users from these countries have reported facing problems at the second verification step, as they cannot receive the SMS code.
Path of EX, suggests that OpenAI requires a mobile number to try to limit the number of accounts users can make. Most people, do not have more than two mobile numbers but do have multiple emails, so this could be a plausible reason.
But from what it seems like, asking for a phone number just gives a second verification step. This is actually very common nowadays. It is pretty rare to sign up for an online service and not be asked to provide both an email and mobile number.
Can you use Chat GPT without a phone number?
Unfortunately, you will not be able to use Chat GPT without a phone number, as this is required for the signup process. Your phone number must also be from a location where Chat GPT is available in order for the verification to work.
How do I skip phone verification?
So since we know that you cannot create an OpenAI account without a mobile number, here are a few methods you could try, to work around the phone verification step.
Use a VPN
Using a VPN to bypass the location restrictions could be an option for you. However, you will still need to use a mobile number to create an account. To our dismay, it is reported that OpenAI will not accept VoIP (Voice over Internet Protocol) numbers. However, this method could still work if you have a phone from a location where Chat GPT is available.
To do so, simply set up your VPN and head to the Chat GPT website to create an account. When you reach the step where you need to input your mobile number, make sure you input the number that’s from a location where Chat GPT is available.
Contact Open AI support
If you live in a country where OpenAI is available, but you are having difficulty with the phone verification step, this option is for you.
By contacting OpenAI’s support team, they should be able to find the cause and a resolution to your problem. While you wait, there is also the potential to use a friend or family’s OpenAI account.
What can I use Chat GPT for?
Chat GPT is a very versatile AI language model. It can do pretty much anything that requires a text response. For example, it can’t generate an image but writes an email very well.
Unsurprisingly, the quality of Chat GPT’s response does depend on the difficulty of the task and how niche your request is. Some users online have reported that the model struggles with mathematical calculations and some difficult coding problems.
Nevertheless, you can use Chat GPT for a range of tasks. Such as essay writing, text summarization, generating creative content, language translation, explaining topics, and writing code.
Final Thoughts
So there we have it! It seems as though OpenAI will continue to use mobile numbers in its registration process. This is bad news for you if Chat GPT is not available in your country.
In this article, we have outlined a couple of methods to bypass this problem, although it seems pretty tricky without the right circumstances. If you found this article helpful, be sure to read another article here.
- NOW READ Why is Chat GPT at capacity?