Getting Started: Web, App, and Account

The fastest way to understand DeepSeek is to open it and start typing. In this lesson you will set up access on the web and on your phone, create an account, and take a quick tour of the chat screen so the rest of the course clicks into place.

What You'll Learn

• Where to use DeepSeek on the web and mobile
• How to create an account and what it costs
• The parts of the chat screen and what each control does
• Simple first prompts to try right away

Where to Use DeepSeek

DeepSeek has two main front doors for everyday users:

• Web: the official chat app runs in any browser at chat.deepseek.com. Nothing to install.
• Mobile: DeepSeek publishes free apps for iPhone (App Store) and Android (Google Play). Search for "DeepSeek" and check that the developer is DeepSeek before installing, since copycat apps exist.

There is also a developer platform at platform.deepseek.com for people who want to call DeepSeek from their own code. You will explore that in Module 3. For now, stick with the chat app.

A quick safety note before you install anything: because several fake "DeepSeek" apps and websites have appeared, only use the official domains (deepseek.com and its subdomains) and the official app-store listings. If a site asks you to pay for the basic chat or download a random installer, close it.

Creating an Account

Using the chat app is free. You sign up with an email address, or with a Google or Apple account, and confirm it. There is no charge to chat with the models, which is one of DeepSeek's biggest draws.

Prices and limits can change, and heavy usage may be throttled at busy times, so treat "free" as "free to start" rather than a guarantee of unlimited use. If you later build on the API, that is billed separately per usage, which you will learn about in Module 3.

A few account tips:

• Use a strong, unique password and, if offered, turn on any extra sign-in protection.
• Remember that anything you type may be stored and used to improve the service, and that DeepSeek stores data on servers in China. Do not paste passwords, financial account numbers, medical records, or confidential work data. The final lesson covers this in depth.

A Tour of the Chat Screen

Once you are signed in, the screen is clean and will feel familiar if you have used any AI chat before. Here are the parts that matter.

• The message box at the bottom is where you type. Press Enter (or the send arrow) to send.
• A "DeepThink" toggle turns on step-by-step reasoning for harder problems. When it is on, DeepSeek shows its thinking before the final answer and takes longer. Leave it off for quick, simple questions.
• A "Search" (web) toggle lets DeepSeek look up current information online instead of relying only on what it learned during training. Turn it on for news, recent prices, or anything time-sensitive.
• An attach or upload button lets you add a file such as a PDF, document, or image so you can ask questions about it.
• A sidebar keeps your past conversations. You can rename, revisit, or delete them. Starting a "New chat" gives the model a clean slate with no memory of the previous thread.

The two toggles, DeepThink and Search, are the controls that make DeepSeek feel different from a plain chatbot. The next lesson is devoted to using them well, so for now just notice that they exist.

Your First Prompts

Do not overthink your first messages. The point is to get comfortable. Try a few of these, one per message:

• "Explain what you are and what you are good at in three sentences."
• "Write a friendly two-sentence reply to a customer who is late paying an invoice."
• "Summarize the key idea of compound interest for a 12-year-old."
• "Give me a 5-item grocery list for a simple vegetable soup."

Then try the same question twice, once with DeepThink off and once with it on, and notice the difference in depth and speed:

• Off: "What is 17 percent of 240?"
• On (DeepThink): "A train leaves at 2:15 and arrives at 4:05. If it stopped for 20 minutes, how long was it actually moving?"

For a Search test, turn the Search toggle on and ask something current, such as "What are the headline features people are discussing about the latest DeepSeek model?" Notice that answers with Search on may include links or references to sources.

Building a Simple Habit

The learners who get the most from any AI tool are the ones who reach for it during real tasks, not just when experimenting. For the rest of this week, try routing three small tasks a day through DeepSeek: drafting a message, summarizing an article, or checking your reasoning on a decision. That habit, more than any single trick, is what turns a new tool into a genuine productivity boost.

Key Takeaways

• Use DeepSeek free on the web at chat.deepseek.com or through the official iPhone and Android apps.
• Sign up with email, Google, or Apple; the chat app is free to start, though busy-time limits can apply.
• The screen's key controls are the message box, the DeepThink (reasoning) toggle, the Search (web) toggle, a file upload button, and a conversation sidebar.
• Only use official DeepSeek domains and app-store listings, and never paste sensitive personal or work data.
• The best results come from building a daily habit of routing small real tasks through the tool.