If you're encountering the error "OpenAI's services are not available in your country" when using ChatGPT, you may be wondering why this is the case and how to fix it. ChatGPT is an AI developed by OpenAI that engages in conversation and can respond to follow-up questions, reject inappropriate requests, and challenge assumptions. OpenAI, a company founded in 2015 by Elon Musk and Sam Altman in San Francisco, California, aims to create safe AI that benefits humanity and to advance AI research. In this guide, we will explain why OpenAI's services may not be accessible in your country and provide solutions to access ChatGPT.
- Why are OpenAI’s services not available in my country?
- How to fix “OpenAI’s services are not available in your country”
Why are OpenAI’s services not available in my country?
OpenAI's services may not be available in your country due to lack of API access in certain regions. While OpenAI provides API access to many territories, countries, and regions, it does not yet support all locations globally. According to the OpenAI team, geographic diversity and distributed benefits are important considerations for them. They are working on adding more locations, so it is possible that your location will have access to ChatGPT in the future. Currently, OpenAI's services are available in the United States, Canada, the United Kingdom, and other countries in Europe and Asia.
How to fix “OpenAI’s services are not available in your country”
To access OpenAI's services in a region where they are not currently available, you will need to use a VPN to connect to a location where the services are supported, such as the United States. Additionally, you will need to provide an email address or temporary email address and verify your phone number using a temporary phone number from a supported location like the US, Canada, or the UK.
Step 1: Connect to a VPN
To use a VPN to access OpenAI's services, you can download a free VPN app on your mobile device or computer.
- For mobile devices, try VPN - Proxy Unlimited Shield and connect to a VPN in a supported location like the US, UK, or Canada.
- For computers, you can use a free app like ProtonVPN and connect to a VPN in a supported location.
Once you have connected to a VPN, close and reopen ChatGPT to access the service.
Step 2: Use a temporary email address
To sign up for OpenAI's ChatGPT service, navigate to https://chat.openai.com/ and select "Sign up". Enter your email address or use a temporary one from https://temp-mail.org/. Then, click "Continue", create a password, and click "Continue" again. Check your inbox and verify your email address. Finally, enter your first and last name and click "Continue".
Step 3: Use a temporary phone number
To obtain a temporary phone number, you can visit a website like anonymsms.com, sms-activation-service.com, smsnator.online, receive-sms.cc (all free), or temp-number.org (paid). Simply copy and paste a phone number from one of these sites and try sending a code. If the number is linked to the maximum number of accounts, try another number until you find one that works. Once you receive a code, enter it using the temporary phone number to start using ChatGPT.
As a tip, keep trying various temporary phone numbers from around the web until you find a functional one.
