Getting in: free or paid, signing up, and the app

Do I need to pay?

No. Start with the free version. It’s genuinely useful, and everything in this guide works on it.

The paid plan (Claude Pro, about £18–£20 a month) mainly gives you more use: on the free version you may occasionally see a message saying you’ve reached your limit for now. Pro also unlocks extra features such as more Projects and in-depth research.

A simple rule: only think about paying if you keep hitting the limit on days you actually need it. Many people never do.

💷 Never pay anyone else for access. The only place to pay is inside the official app or website. Anyone selling “Claude accounts” or “lifetime access” is a scam.

What you’ll need

• An email address you can check (or a Google, Microsoft or Apple account)
• A computer, tablet or smartphone with internet access
• About 10 minutes

Signing up on a computer (or laptop)

1. Open your web browser (Chrome, Safari, Edge or similar).
2. At the top, where web addresses go, type claude.ai and press Enter.
3. You’ll see a sign-in page. Choose Continue with Google if you use Gmail, or type your email address and click continue.
4. If you used your email address, Claude sends you an email with a sign-in code or link. Open your email, find the message from Anthropic, and use the code or click the link. (Check your spam folder if it isn’t there within a minute or two.)
5. Type in your name and confirm you’re over 18.
6. You’ll see a welcome screen with a box that says something like “How can I help you today?” You’re in!

✏️ Write it down: make a note of which email address you used, and keep it with your other important logins.

Getting the app on your phone or tablet

The app makes Claude as easy as sending a text.

1. Open the App Store (iPhone/iPad) or Google Play Store (Android).
2. Search for Claude.
3. Check the maker before you install. Under the app’s name it should say Anthropic. There are copycat apps with similar names and logos. Don’t use those.
4. Tap Get or Install.
5. Open the app and sign in with the same email or account you used on the computer.

Your conversations now appear on all your devices automatically.

Your first “hello”

Type this into the message box and press Enter (or tap the ↑ arrow):

Hello! I'm completely new to this. In two short sentences,
what are three simple things you could help me with this week?

Read the reply. That’s your first AI conversation. 🎉

Next: a guided tour of the screen, so every button makes sense.