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Your First Chat

Start your first AI conversation — just pick a setup method and you're ready to go.

Welcome Screen

After launching Chatbox for the first time, you'll see a guided setup screen on the home page. It introduces key features and then asks you to choose based on your experience:

Chatbox Welcome Screen
Welcome screen for new users — choose your setup path

There are two cards at the bottom:

  • "I'm new to this" (Recommended) — Starts an interactive guided setup to help you configure Chatbox AI step by step
  • "Skip guide" — Skips the guided setup for users who already know how to configure API keys

Below, we'll explain both methods in detail.

Method 1: Guided Setup (Recommended)

This is the easiest way to get started. The built-in guide walks you through the entire process in a conversational flow — no need to navigate menus yourself.

Steps

  1. Click "I'm new to this" on the welcome screen
  2. The guide will introduce Chatbox AI as an all-in-one service and display a "Login" button
  3. Click the Login button — Your browser will automatically open for authorization (if it doesn't open, click the link shown or copy it to your browser)
  4. Log in via browser — Sign in with your email
  5. Authorize — Grant the Chatbox client access to your account
  6. Return to the app — After authorization, you'll be redirected back in a logged-in state. A "New Chat" button will appear — you're ready to go!

New User Registration & Free License

If you don't have an account yet, register first:

  1. Visit the Chatbox website and create an account
  2. After logging in, claim your free license (provides daily-refreshing free quota)
  3. Or directly purchase a paid plan for more quota

After your free quota is used up, you can:

  • Subscribe to a Chatbox AI plan
  • Use your own API Key (see Method 2)

Method 2: Manual Configuration

If you click "Skip guide" on the welcome screen (or if you've already completed onboarding), you can configure providers manually through the Settings page.

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On mobile, tap the menu icon (☰) in the top left to open the sidebar first, then tap "Settings".

Option A: Use Chatbox AI Service

  1. Open Settings — Click "Settings" in the bottom left of the sidebar
  2. Select "Chatbox AI" — It's the first item in the settings navigation
Chatbox AI Settings Page
Chatbox AI settings page — click the Login button to sign in
  1. Click the Login button — Your browser will open for authorization
  2. Log in and authorize — Sign in with your email and grant access
  3. Return to the app — You'll see your login status and account usage
  4. Close Settings — You're ready to start chatting

Option B: Bring Your Own Key (BYOK)

  1. Open Settings — Click "Settings" in the bottom left of the sidebar
  2. Select "Model Provider" — Choose a provider from the list (e.g., OpenAI)
  3. Enter your API Key — Input the API Key obtained from your provider
OpenAI Configuration Page
Example: OpenAI provider — enter your API Key and API Host
  1. For detailed setup, see the BYOK Configuration Guide

Interface Overview

  • Sidebar — Shows your conversation list, where you can create new conversations or switch between history
  • Chat Area — Displays the messages in the current conversation
  • Input Box — Enter your message at the bottom
  • Settings — Click the Settings entry in the bottom left to access settings
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On mobile, the sidebar is collapsed by default. Tap the menu icon (☰) in the top left to expand it, then tap "Settings".

Next: Learn How to Choose Your Provider