Start HereLesson 2 of 3About 8 minutes
In this lesson
What You'll Learn
- What the message box, send arrow, attach button, and microphone do
- Four easy ways to fix an answer you don't like
- How to check your memory and privacy settings, and when to use a Temporary Chat
Why It Matters
A new screen full of small icons is the fastest way to feel lost. The good news is that you only need a handful of them, and once you know what each one does, ChatGPT stops feeling like someone else’s tool.
This lesson also covers two settings that decide what ChatGPT remembers about you and how your conversations are used. They take two minutes to check, and knowing where they are means you stay in control from day one.
Lessons in this module
0 of 3 lessons complete
- Not started1. Create Your ChatGPT Account and Choose a Plan10 min
- Not started2. A Guided Tour of the ChatGPT Screen8 min
- Not started3. Smart and Safe AI Habits
The main screen
The Four Things You'll Use Every Day
They all sit together at the bottom of the screen, on a computer and in the phone app.
- The message box. The long box that usually says Ask anything. Tap it and type, the same way you’d write a text.
- The send arrow. The arrow at the right end of the box. Tap it, or press Enter on a keyboard, to send your message.
- The plus sign (+). Attaches a photo or file. You’ll use this later to show ChatGPT pictures of your paintings.
- The microphone. Tap it and speak instead of typing. It’s a lifesaver when your hands are full or you’re waiting in the car.
The Side Menu
On a computer, the side menu runs down the left edge. In the phone app, tap the two short lines in the top-left corner to open it. Inside you’ll find:
- New chat. Starts a fresh conversation. Start a new chat for each new topic, such as one for dinner planning and another for a buyer email, so ChatGPT doesn’t mix them up.
- Your past chats. Every conversation is saved here, newest first, so you can pick one back up later.
- Projects. Folders that keep related chats and files together. You’ll set one up for your art business in Module 2.
- Your name or picture. At the bottom (or top on a phone). This opens Settings, which we’ll visit in a minute.
Icons move around from time to time as ChatGPT is updated. If something isn’t exactly where this lesson says, look for the closest match, or simply ask ChatGPT: “Where do I find the button to start a new chat?”
Copy-ready prompt
Can't find a button?
ChatGPT can walk you through its own screen.
Step 1: Fill in the blanks
Step 2: Check your finished prompt
I'm using ChatGPT on [Your device, like an iPhone, Android phone, or computer]. Where do I find [The button or setting you're looking for]?
Explain it step by step in plain, simple words, one tap at a time.
Step 3: Copy it and paste it into ChatGPT
Your answers are saved on this device only, so you do not have to retype them in later lessons.
When an answer misses
Four Easy Ways to Fix an Answer
You’ll never break anything by trying these. Hover over a message on a computer, or press and hold it on a phone, to see the small icons.
Just ask for a change
Reply in plain words: "Make it shorter," "Friendlier, please," or "I meant my kids' schedule." This works most of the time.
Edit what you asked
Tap the small pencil next to your own message, change the wording, and send it again. ChatGPT answers the new version.
Try again
Under ChatGPT's answer, the circular-arrow icon asks it to write a brand-new version of the same answer.
Copy the good part
The copy icon under an answer puts the whole reply on your clipboard, ready to paste into an email or text.
Copy-ready prompt
Fix the last answer
Copy this into the same chat as the answer you want changed.
Step 1: Fill in the blanks
Step 2: Check your finished prompt
Please rewrite your last answer. Change it this way: [What to change, like shorter, friendlier, or simpler words].
Keep everything else the same, and don't add anything new.
Step 3: Copy it and paste it into ChatGPT
Your answers are saved on this device only, so you do not have to retype them in later lessons.
Stay in control
Two Settings Worth Checking Today
1. Memory
Memory lets ChatGPT remember helpful facts about you between conversations, like your name, your medium, and your busiest days. Leave it on for this course.
Where to find it: tap your name or picture, then Settings, then Personalization, then Memory. You can read what it remembers, correct it, or delete it at any time.
2. Privacy
A switch called Improve the model for everyone decides whether your conversations can be used to train OpenAI’s future models. It’s your choice; the course works the same either way.
Where to find it: tap your name or picture, then Settings, then Data Controls. On a phone, open the side menu and tap your name first.
Bonus: Temporary Chat. For a one-off question you’d rather not keep, start a new chat and tap the Temporary button near the top of the screen. That chat won’t be saved to your history, won’t add to ChatGPT’s memory, and isn’t used for training.
Try it now
Teach ChatGPT Who You Are
If you did Lesson 1 on this device or while signed in, your name and medium are already filled in. Add your busiest days, copy the prompt, and send it to ChatGPT with Memory turned on.
Copy-ready prompt
Your first memory
Step 1: Fill in the blanks
Step 2: Check your finished prompt
Please remember these facts about me for our future conversations:
- My name is [Your first name].
- I'm an artist who works in [Your medium, like acrylics or watercolor].
- My busiest days of the week are usually [Your busiest days].
- When you help me, keep answers short, friendly, and in plain English.
Then tell me in one sentence what you'll remember.
Step 3: Copy it and paste it into ChatGPT
Your answers are saved on this device only, so you do not have to retype them in later lessons.
Check your work
What You Should See
ChatGPT confirms what it saved. You may also see a small note that its memory was updated. The wording varies, but it should read something like this:
Got it, Dana! I’ll remember that you’re an acrylic painter whose busiest days are Tuesdays and Thursdays, and that you like short, friendly, plain-English answers.
To double-check, open Settings → Personalization → Memory. Your facts should be listed there.
Quick fixes
If Something Looks Different
ChatGPT says it can’t remember things? Memory is probably off. Turn it on under Settings → Personalization → Memory, then send the prompt again.
You can’t find the side menu on your phone? Look for two short lines in the top-left corner and tap them.
The microphone doesn’t work? Your phone may be asking permission to use it. Tap Allow, or turn on microphone access for the ChatGPT app in your phone’s settings.
It remembered something wrong? Just tell it: “Please update your memory: my busiest days are Mondays and Wednesdays.”
You don’t see the Temporary button? Start a brand-new chat first; the button only appears on a fresh conversation.
Your action this week
Ask One Question Out Loud
Sometime this week, while you’re waiting somewhere, tap the microphone and ask ChatGPT a real question out loud, like “What’s a quick dinner I can make with chicken and rice?” Then check Settings → Personalization → Memory to see what it knows about you. When you’re done, mark this lesson complete.
Your progress is saved on this device. Sign in to keep it on every device.