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Google Gemini can help you find a starting point when a blank page or an unfamiliar subject leaves you stuck. You might ask it to turn a few notes into a friendly message, explain a technical word or suggest a packing list.
You do not need special commands. You type a request in ordinary language, read the reply and ask for changes. This guide starts with Gemini in a web browser, so you can try it without installing an app.
Before you begin: have an internet connection and your personal Google Account sign-in details ready. The steps below are for personal use, not a work or school account.
1. Open the genuine Gemini website
- Open the browser you normally use to visit websites.
- Go directly to Google Gemini.
- If you are not already signed in, select Sign in at the top right and use your Google Account.
- Read any introductory information shown before continuing.
Some basic web features are available without signing in, although availability varies. Signing in gives access to more features and account controls. Google supports several familiar browsers, including Chrome, Safari and Firefox. You do not need to buy a new device or change browsers just to follow this guide. See Google’s sign-in requirements.
If you already have a Google Account for Gmail, use that rather than creating another unnecessarily. On a shared computer, check that the account shown is yours. Never put your Google password into the conversation itself.
2. Start free and leave the upgrades for later
You can use Gemini without a paid Google AI plan. Google also offers AI Plus, AI Pro and AI Ultra subscriptions, with different allowances and feature access. The free option has usage limits too, and some demanding features may be restricted when the service is busy. Google’s current limits and features page explains the differences.
The short text exercise below does not require a subscription. If an upgrade offer appears, take time to read it rather than treating it as a required setup step. A trial and the ordinary free service are different: check renewal terms before accepting any trial.
There is no need to memorise model names. Begin with the chat option available to you. Consider paying only if repeated use reveals a particular limit or feature you genuinely need.
3. Check the privacy setting first
For adults, Google’s Keep Activity setting is on by default. To review it on a computer:
- In Gemini, open Settings & help, then Activity.
- If the activity control shows On, select it.
- Choose Turn off, or the option that also deletes existing activity, if that is your preference.
- Read the confirmation carefully before accepting it.
You can also reach the control through Gemini Apps Activity. Turning it off limits some connected-app features. These steps come from Google’s activity-control instructions.
With activity enabled, chats may help improve Google’s AI and some may be reviewed by people. With it disabled, future chats are not used to train Google’s AI models unless you send feedback, but Google still retains those chats for 72 hours and processes them to provide and protect the service. Switching a setting off does not make the conversation confidential. See the Gemini privacy explanation.
For your first attempt, leave out passwords, bank details, identity documents and private information about other people. You can practise perfectly well with invented names and everyday plans.
4. Send your first request
The request you type is called a prompt. In the text box at the bottom of Gemini, enter this example:
Help me write a friendly invitation to a neighbour for a cup of tea. Use British English and keep it under 60 words. Use [name], [day] and [time] as placeholders. Do not invent any other details.
Select Submit and wait for the answer. Do not add a file or connect another app for this exercise. Google’s basic chat instructions cover these controls.
Read the result as a draft. Does it sound like something you would actually say? Has it added a reason for the invitation that you never supplied? You decide what to keep.
Then try a follow-up in the same conversation:
Make it a little more informal, remove any extra details and give me one version only.
Before using the message, replace the placeholders yourself and check the finished wording. Keep this first exercise to drafting rather than asking Gemini to contact anyone.
5. Know when to start a new conversation
Keep related follow-ups together. When moving to a different subject, select New chat; open the menu first if that option is hidden.
For a one-off conversation, signed-in personal users can choose Temporary chat beside the new-chat control. It will not appear in recent chats, and you cannot return to it after leaving. Google’s chat guide explains the restrictions. Temporary chats are not used to train Google’s AI, but are still retained for 72 hours under its privacy policy explanation.
6. Check facts rather than trusting the confident tone
Gemini can produce a convincing answer that is wrong. For factual questions, open any source links and check the original page. Not every answer includes sources.
When links are provided, look for Sources below the reply or references within it. Selecting the sources control opens a side panel of links. These may be related material, rather than proof of every sentence in the answer. Read the relevant page and compare it with the specific claim. Google explains where to find these links in its sources guide.
For prices, opening times and travel arrangements, check the organisation’s own website before acting. For decisions about health, money or legal matters, use an appropriate qualified source rather than treating the chat as professional advice.
A good first session: review your privacy choice, try one harmless prompt, ask for one improvement and check the result. That is enough to learn the basic routine.
Fact-checked against official Google documentation on 29 October 2026. Features and labels can vary by account, country and device. This is a documentation-based guide, not a claim of hands-on testing.