# Create your account and sign in This guide is for new visitors. You create a free account with an email address and a password, confirm the address from your inbox, sign in, and learn how to reset the password if you forget it. You end signed in on Home with your name and @handle in the account menu at the top right. ## Before you start - Use an email inbox you can open now. The confirmation link lands there and is valid for 24 hours. - Choose a password of at least 8 characters. - Decide on a **Display Name** (1 to 50 characters, shown publicly). The @handle can wait until later. - Sign-in is by email and password for now. The **Continue with Google** and **Continue with Apple** buttons are visible on the card but not enabled yet. ## Step 1 — Open the sign-in page Click **Sign in** at the top right of any page, or go to `/login`. The card opens on the **Welcome back** view with two tabs, **Sign in** and **Create account**. The **Sign in** tab holds an **Email** field, a **Password** field with an eye icon that shows or hides what you typed, a "Forgot password?" link, and the **Sign in** button. Under the card, the line **New to Fluttercube?** links to **Create an account**, which does the same as the tab. [[img:create-your-account/01-sign-in-page.png|The sign-in card with its Sign in and Create account tabs; new visitors switch to Create account.]] ## Step 2 — Switch to Create account Click the **Create account** tab. The address bar changes to `/login?view=sign-up`, the title reads "Create your account", and a line under it explains that there is one account type: you start as a Viewer and can apply to become a Creator later. The form has four fields: **Email**, **Password** (hint **Minimum 8 characters.**), **Display Name** (1 to 50 characters, shown publicly, editable later under **Account**), and **@handle** (lowercase letters, digits, and underscores, 3 to 30 characters). [[img:create-your-account/02-create-account-tab.png|The Create account tab selected, with the four sign-up fields under it.]] ## Step 3 — Fill in the form Type your email and a password. Enter the **Display Name** other people will see on your comments and profile. When you leave the **Email** field, the **@handle** field fills with a suggestion taken from your address. Edit it or keep it. Once you have typed three valid characters, an indicator checks the handle and reports whether it is available or taken; a taken handle comes with an alternative you can click. If you would rather decide later, click "Choose later →". The field then reads "choosing later" and the link flips to "Pick a handle now →" in case you change your mind. Click **Create account**. By creating an account you agree to the **Terms** and **Privacy Policy** linked under the button; both open in a new tab, so the form keeps your entries. [[img:create-your-account/03-form-filled.png|A completed sign-up form with the handle deferred and the Create account button ready to click.]] ## Step 4 — Confirm your email The form is replaced by **Check your inbox**. The notice repeats the address the confirmation link went to and states that the link is valid for 24 hours. A short toast at the bottom of the card confirms that the account was created. Open the email, click the link, and you land in the app signed in. Nothing arrived? The "Resend email" button unlocks after a 60-second countdown. Check the spam folder first. If you try to sign in before confirming, the same notice appears with resend available at once. [[img:create-your-account/04-check-your-inbox.png|The Check your inbox notice with the address the link was sent to and the Resend email countdown under it.]] ## Step 5 — Sign in On later visits, open the **Sign in** tab, enter your **Email** and **Password**, and click **Sign in**. The button stays inactive until both fields are filled. If the details do not match you see **Incorrect email or password.** and can try again; the message does not say which field was wrong. [[img:create-your-account/05-sign-in-form.png|The Sign in tab with both fields filled and the Sign in button active.]] ## Step 6 — Find the account menu You land on Home, or on the page you were heading to before the sign-in page interrupted you. The hero greets you with **Welcome back,** followed by your name. The header now shows **Home**, **Browse**, **My Feed**, the search box, the notifications bell, and the account menu with your initials, Display Name, and @handle. Click it to open **My Feed**, **Account**, and **Log out**. [[img:create-your-account/06-signed-in-home.png|Home after sign-in: the account menu at the top right shows your name and @handle next to the bell.]] ## Step 7 — Reset a forgotten password On the **Sign in** tab click "Forgot password?". The **Reset your password** view asks for your **Email**; click **Send reset link**. You always see **Check your inbox**, whether or not the address has an account; this keeps the form from revealing who is registered. **← Back to sign in** returns you to the tab. The link in the email is valid for 60 minutes and works once. It opens **Set a new password**: enter a **New password** of at least 8 characters and click **Set new password**. You are signed in right away. An expired link shows **This reset link has expired** with **Request a new one →**. [[img:create-your-account/07-recovery-form.png|The Reset your password view with the email filled in and the Send reset link button.]] ## Good to know - One account covers both roles. You start as a viewer and can become a creator later from inside the app, with no separate sign-up. See [Become a creator and get verified](/docs/become-a-creator). - If the email is already registered, sign-up stops with **That email is already registered.** and points you to the **Sign in** tab or a password reset. No duplicate account is created. - Too many attempts in a row pause the form for a minute. Your entries are kept. - Clicking **Like**, **Follow**, **Tip**, or a comment box while signed out opens a small sign-in prompt instead of the full page. Finish signing in there and the action you started is completed for you. - A confirmation link that expired shows a notice on the sign-in page with **Send a new confirmation email**. - You can change the email or password later under **Account** → **Login & Security**. See [Privacy, safety and your account](/docs/privacy-safety-and-your-account). - The first page you open shows the **Your privacy choices** banner. Analytics stay off until you click **Accept analytics**; **Decline analytics** keeps them off. - Next step: [Set up your profile](/docs/set-up-your-profile).