3 Steps to Access ChatGPT in Hong Kong for Free

How to access ChatGPT in Hong Kong in 3 Simple Step

So you’ve heard about ChatGPT, the artificial intelligence chat bot launched by OpenAI that everyone is talking about. The cutting-edge language model has rapidly amassed a staggering 100 million users worldwide within just two months since its November 2022 launch. 

OpenAI’s services are not available in your country

Unfortunately, when you try to sign up for ChatGPT, you will see a message “OpenAI’s services are not available in your country” or simply “Access denied” because you are in a location where ChatGPT/GPT-4 isn’t available, such as Hong Kong and China due to regional restrictions. Don’t worry, with a bit of help, you can still create an account.

ChatGPT showing access denied message to users in Hong Kong

You will see the ‘Access denied’ message, if you try to access ChatGPT from Hong Kong.

To complete the account creation process, you will need these three things:

  1. A VPN with servers in a supported country such as the US
  2. An email address
  3. An oversea phone number to pass SMS Authentication

This guide will walk you through three simple steps to unlock the power of ChatGPT/GPT-4 in Hong Kong.

1: Get a VPN and Connect to a Supported Country

A VPN service allows you to access internet services with a different IP address, which is a unique code associated with your device and is often used by internet services to determine your location. By using a VPN service, you can connect to a VPN server in a different country, such as the United States, and then browse the internet with a US IP address.

You may still need VPN to access ChatGPT in Hong Kong even you have successfully created an account. You are advised to choose and a reputable VPN provider such as NordVPN, ExpressVPN, or CyberGhost VPN to ensure your data privacy.

2: Sign up for a ChatGPT Account

This is the easiest step. Once you have connected to a supported country such as the US through VPN, you can proceed to sign up for an account as usual. Consider using your browser’s incognito mode or private browsing mode to access the OpenAI website: https://chat.openai.com/. Then simply follow the on-screen instructions. Detailed steps are listed below:

ChatGPT account creation screenshot
  1. Click Sign up.
  2. Enter an email address and password.
  3. Enter an email address and verify your email.
  4. Enter the user’s first name and last name.

And you will face the final obstacle in your account creation process.

3: Get an Overseas Phone Number for receiving SMS

ChatGPT showing unavailability message when users try to use Hong Kong phone number to create account

Image: ChatGPT rejecting Hong Kong phone number.

You need a phone number that can receive the SMS verification codes to pass the ChatGPT Mobile Authentication. You can use your friend’s number if you know someone with a phone number in a supported country. Beware that each phone number can only be used to register two ChatGPT accounts. If your friend has already registered two accounts themselves (one for work and one for casual use, for example), you cannot use their number to create your account.

Alternatively, you can use free online services to receive SMS. Google “virtual sms free” and you will find numerous free services that provide a phone number to receive SMS in different countries. For example the anonymsms.com.

Note that you won’t need the phone number anymore after creating the account.

After receiving the verification code, enter it on the sign-up screen, and start enjoying ChatGPT!

Poe vs. ChatGPT, what’s the difference?

Poe is a free mobile app developed by Quora in December 2022, and it provides an excellent alternative to accessing ChatGPT in Hong Kong. The app has become so popular that it has been ranked as the #1 Productivity app in the Hong Kong App Store. With Poe, you can ask questions, get instant answers, and engage in back-and-forth conversations with ChatGPT-3.5, ChatGPT-4 (requires a subscription for full access), and several other AI chatbots.

While you can use Poe for free, you can also subscribe to access more advanced chatbots such as GPT-4 and Claude+ from Anthropic.

Although using Poe may be more convenient for accessing ChatGPT in Hong Kong, creating a real ChatGPT account is definitely worth the effort if you want to experience its full power.

Poe, an alternative way to access ChatGPT

Here are some pros and cons for accessing ChatGPT via Poe:

Advantages of Poe over ChatGPT

  • Mobile friendly: Poe is designed specifically for mobile devices and has a user-friendly interface.
  • Access to a variety of AI chatbots: The Poe app provides free access to four AI chatbots, including Sage, Claude-instant, ChatGPT, and Dragonfly. If you subscribe to Poe, you can access two more chatbots, Claude+ and GPT-4. Having access to multiple chatbots allows you to ask the same question and compare results from different chatbots easily. You can even have fun making the chatbots talk to each other.

Advantages of ChatGPT over Poe

  • The ability to host multiple conversations and remember context: This is a key feature that sets ChatGPT apart. I use ChatGPT daily for various tasks such as planning trips, brainstorming blog ideas, solving complex work problems, and reviewing my writing. With ChatGPT, I can maintain several ongoing conversations and it remembers the context, without having to repeat the same prompts. This is not possible in Poe, as every time you close a conversation and clear the context, you need to start inputting prompts again to bring back a similar chat.
  • Professional use: Another minor advantage of ChatGPT is that its chat interface is bigger and designed for more professional use, such as coding, writing Excel formulas, composing long articles and emails, etc. On the other hand, Poe’s interface looks more similar to an instant messaging app.

Do you need ChatGPT Plus?

OpenAI launched ChatGPT Plus on February 1, 2023, as a new subscription plan priced at USD $20/month. Subscribers enjoy several benefits, including uninterrupted access to ChatGPT even during peak times, faster response speed, priority access to new features, and access to GPT-4.

Please note that ChatGPT Plus is currently only available in countries where OpenAI provides services. If you try to subscribe to ChatGPT Plus from Hong Kong, your payment may get declined. The solution is similar to creating a ChatGPT account in Hong Kong – you would need to use a VPN, use an incognito/private browsing browser, provide an overseas billing address and credit card details.

As an average user, I find the free version of ChatGPT to be sufficiently good for my daily needs. I use it both personally and professionally, and it has been a tremendous help. The capacity issue was the major pain point of using ChatGPT, and it has been greatly alleviated recently. I do not feel the need to upgrade to ChatGPT Plus.

The journey not the arrival matters.