Keep this by your computer or chair. You can't break anything — have fun.
① Start in one minute (it's free)
Open your web browser and go to any one of these, or use an app you already have:
- ChatGPT — chatgpt.com
- Gemini — gemini.google.com
- Copilot — copilot.microsoft.com
- Claude — claude.ai
Type your question in the box that says "Ask anything," and press send. Prefer talking? Tap the microphone 🎤.
② The four magic follow-ups
Don't love the answer? Just say:
- "Make that shorter."
- "Explain it more simply."
- "Give me three options."
- "Use a friendlier tone."
③ Ask for it your way
- "Give me something I can print out."
- "Make it a checklist."
- "Put it in a simple table."
- "Number the steps."
④ Ten things to try
- An easy dinner from what's in my fridge
- Help writing a friendly email or note
- Explain a confusing word or bill
- Step-by-step help with my phone
- Plan a trip or a weekly menu
- Teach me a craft, one step at a time
- Facts about the year I was born
- Recommend a book I'd like
- A clean, funny joke
- "Is this text a scam?"
⑤ Spot a scam
Got a suspicious text, email, or call? Paste it in and ask: "Is this a scam? Should I be worried?" Warning signs: urgency, the unexpected, requests for money/gift cards/passwords, odd web addresses.
⑥ Stay safe
- Never share passwords, your Social Security number, or full bank/card numbers.
- Double-check anything important (health, legal, money) — it can be confidently wrong.
- It's not a person and it's not spying on you. A real AI will never ask you for money or passwords.
Find this guide online
Web address: Questions? Ask: