How to download the ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini or Copilot app on your phone or tablet
In my post on getting started with AI I showed you how to use AI in your web browser. That works on any device and it’s still a perfectly good way to use it. Most of us carry a phone everywhere though, so the next step is putting AI on it as an app.
An app is simply a program you download onto your phone or tablet. Once it’s there, AI is one tap away, just like your camera or your messages. It only takes a few minutes and all four apps are free to download.
You may not need to download anything at all. Many Android phones come with Gemini, Google’s AI, already on them and new Windows computers usually come with Copilot, Microsoft’s AI. I’ll show you how to check for Gemini below.
Do I have to use the app?
You don’t have to. The website and the app do the same job and your conversations appear in both. Your good habits carry over too, including the quick check you’d give anything you found on Google before you act on it. The app is simply quicker to get to and it makes two very useful things easier:
- Talking instead of typing. Tap the microphone and ask your question out loud. My next post, on talking to AI instead of typing, shows you how.
- Showing it a photo. Take a picture of a plant, a label or a letter and ask about it. My free Norfolk Shell Finder shows you how to photograph a shell you’ve found on the beach and gives you the words to ask about it.
Not confident setting things up?
I hear this a lot at my sessions: “I’m not very techy. I can use the apps but I get my son to set things up for me.” That’s absolutely fine. If it helps you use AI and get the benefit from it, ask anyone you trust to help, whether that’s a son or daughter, a grandchild, a neighbour or a friend.
You could even show them this page. The steps below are written so you can work through them together.
Before you start
You’ll need:
- a phone or tablet that is connected to the internet
- an email address you can open on that phone or tablet
- your Apple or Google password, in case your phone asks you to confirm the download
At the time of writing, ChatGPT and Claude need iOS 18 or later on an iPhone or iPad and Gemini needs iOS 17.4 or later. If your phone or tablet is a few years old and can’t update that far, the app may not appear in the App Store. That’s nothing to worry about. The website still works perfectly well in your browser.
To see which version you have on an iPhone or iPad, open Settings, tap General and then About. Look for the line that says iOS Version.
Make sure it’s the real app
This is the most important step. Search for ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini or Copilot in the app store and you’ll often see several apps with similar names, similar logos and lots of stars. Some are copycats that charge you for something you could have had free or that collect your details. Here’s how to tell the real ones:
- The real ChatGPT app is made by OpenAI.
- The real Claude app is called Claude by Anthropic and is made by Anthropic.
- The real Gemini app is made by Google. On an iPhone or iPad it’s called Google Gemini.
- The real Copilot app is made by Microsoft and is called Microsoft Copilot. The easiest way to get the right one is to type copilot.com/download into your browser.
The maker’s name is shown just under the app’s name. All four real apps are free to download and you don’t need to pay anything to start. If an app asks you to pay before you can use it at all, it isn’t the one you want.
If you’d rather not search at all, type chatgpt.com/download, claude.com/download or gemini.google.com/app/download into your browser. All three pages have links straight to the right app.
On an iPhone or iPad
- Open the App Store. It’s the blue icon with a white letter A.
- Tap Search at the bottom of the screen and type ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini or Microsoft Copilot.
- Check the maker’s name, as above.
- Tap Get. Your phone may ask you to double-click the side button, use Face ID or enter your Apple password to confirm.
- When it has finished, tap Open. From now on you’ll also find the app on your home screen.
On an Android phone or tablet
Check for Gemini first. Look through your apps for one called Gemini. On many newer Android phones you can also press and hold the power button or say “Hey Google” to open it. If it’s there, you’re ready to go and you can skip straight to signing in. If it isn’t there, follow the steps below. They work the same way for ChatGPT, Claude and Copilot.
- Open the Play Store. It’s the colourful triangle that looks like a play button.
- Tap the search bar at the top and type ChatGPT, Claude, Gemini or Microsoft Copilot.
- Check the maker’s name, as above.
- Tap Install.
- When it has finished, tap Open.
Signing in
Sign in with the same account you use on the website. If you’re new, create a free one. If you’ve already used it in your browser, your earlier conversations will be waiting for you.
On an Android phone, Gemini usually signs you in with the Google account the phone already uses. Everything else about creating your account, including the fact that Claude doesn’t use a password, is in my post on getting started.
The first few screens
When you open the app for the first time, it may ask you a few questions. None of them are tests.
- Notifications. It may ask to send you notifications. You can say no. The app works just the same either way.
- Your microphone, camera or photos. These questions usually come up the first time you use each feature. Say yes if you want to talk to it or show it a picture. You can change your mind later in your phone’s settings.
- Offers to upgrade. All four apps sell a paid version and may show you an offer. The free version is all you need to start. Look for a small cross or Not now to close it.
What’s next
Once the app is on your home screen, AI is there whenever a question pops into your head, at the kitchen table, in the garden or out and about. The app also makes it easy to talk to it instead of typing, which is where my next post, talking to AI instead of typing, picks up.
A note on dates. Everything here was checked when it was written and I go back over my posts regularly to keep them up to date. Apps, prices and rules do change, so for anything important a quick look at the official source is worth it.
Want a hand getting the app on your phone?
Bring your phone or tablet to a one-to-one session and Kevin will help you download the right app, sign in and ask your first question, at your own pace.
Kevin also runs free library presentations across Norfolk. Come along, see AI in action and ask about anything you have read in the blog, including this.
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