What each AI chat asks for when you sign up
Every AI chat whose sign-in page we could read can be used with an account from a big platform — Google, Apple, Microsoft, Meta or X — and most also take a plain email. Claude is the strictest: 18+ only and a phone number at account creation. Most others accept users from 13, often with a parent's permission until 18, and ChatGPT and Gemini also allow limited use without signing in.
Signing up to an AI chat usually takes a minute, but what it takes from you differs a lot: one service wants only an email, another a phone number, a third an account with a company that already knows a great deal about you. We opened the sign-in page of 9 well-known AI chats in a clean browser and read their terms, and put what each asks for side by side.
What each AI chat asks for at sign-up
Sign-in options from each service's own sign-in page, minimum age and phone rules from its own terms and help pages, checked 2026-10-02. Click a name to open its sign-in page.
| ChatGPT | Google, Apple, phone number, email, limited use without signing in | 13+ Under 18: needs a parent's permission | Optional |
“You must be at least 13 years old or the minimum age required” Terms “Phone verification is not generally required to create an OpenAI account or use ChatGPT.” Help |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Claude | Google, Apple, email, company single sign-on | 18+ Adults only, no exceptions | Required |
“You must be at least 18 years old to use the Services.” Terms “When you first create a Claude account, you’ll be asked to enter your phone number” Help |
| Gemini | Google Account only, limited use without signing in | 13+ Under 13: needs a parent's approval | Optional |
“you must be 13 (or the applicable age in your country) or over” Terms “Optional: Add and verify a phone number for your account.” Help |
| Microsoft Copilot | Microsoft account, Apple, Google | 13+ Under the age of majority: a parent agrees on your behalf | Not stated | “you need to be old enough at least 13, but sometimes older” Terms |
| Meta AI | Facebook, Instagram, phone number, email | 13+ | Not stated | “cannot access AIs if you are under the age of 13” Terms |
| Grok | Google, X account, Apple, GitHub, email | 13+ Under 18: needs a parent's permission | Not stated | “You must be at least 13 years old or the minimum age required” Terms |
| DeepSeek | phone number, email, Google, Apple | No number given Under 18: needs a guardian's consent | Not stated | “If you are under 18 years old or the minimum age required in your country” Terms |
| Perplexity | Could not read: the page showed an automated-traffic check | — | Not stated | |
| Mistral Le Chat | email, Apple, Google, Microsoft account | 13+ Parental permission where the law requires it | Not stated | “You must be at least thirteen (13) years old to use the Mistral AI Products.” Terms |
| AI No Login | None needed to chat. Optional account for a paid plan: nickname and password, or Google. | 18+ Adults only, no exceptions | Never asked |
How we checked: we opened each service's sign-in page in a clean browser and noted the options shown, without creating an account or submitting anything; minimum ages and phone rules are quoted from each vendor's own terms and help pages. Options differ by country and change often; we re-check every month.
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How to read the table
Sign-in options are the buttons and fields each service shows on its own sign-in page. Minimum age is quoted from each vendor's terms, with the rule for younger users underneath. The phone column says whether the vendor's own pages say a phone number is required, optional, or say nothing about it. The quotes are word for word, with links to the source.
Signing in with a platform account
Signing in with Google, Apple, Microsoft or a social account is quick, but it links the AI chat to an identity that already holds your name, contacts and history. The platform learns that you use the service, and the service usually receives your email address. An email-only sign-up shares less.
Why some services ask for a phone number
A phone number is the most expensive thing to fake in bulk, so services use it to stop abuse and repeated free trials. It is also one of the most identifying things you can give: a number is usually registered to a real person. Claude is the only one of the 9 whose help pages say a phone number is needed to create an account.
Minimum age
Most services allow users from 13, often with a parent's permission until 18, and some raise the age where local law requires it. Claude is for adults only. DeepSeek gives no number in its terms but says its service is mainly for adults and asks younger users for a guardian's consent.
Using a chat with no sign-up at all
ChatGPT and Gemini let you try a limited version without signing in, and some services, this one included, need no account to chat at all. The last row of the table shows what we ask for: nothing to chat, and for a paid plan only a nickname and a password, or Google if you prefer.
Questions before you start
Which AI chat needs a phone number?
Of the 9 we checked, Claude's help pages say you will be asked for a phone number when you create an account. ChatGPT and Gemini describe a phone number as optional; the others do not say.
What is the minimum age for ChatGPT?
OpenAI's terms say at least 13, or the minimum age in your country, and users under 18 need a parent's or guardian's permission.
Can I use an AI chat without any account?
Yes. ChatGPT and Gemini offer limited use without signing in, and some chats, including this one, need no account at all.
Is signing in with Google safe?
It is secure, but it is not private: Google learns which services you use, and the service receives your email address. Our article on signing in with Google explains what is shared.
How often is this updated?
Every month. The date of the last check is shown above the table.
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