DeepSeek Chat: Official Web and Mobile Apps, and Local Models

DeepSeek became widely known for releasing capable language models at low cost, and it runs a free chat assistant that anyone can try. There are two different things people mean by “downloading DeepSeek”, and mixing them up is the most common mistake.

The chat assistant

The DeepSeek chat service works in a browser and through apps for Android and iOS. You sign in, type a question, and the model replies. Nothing runs on your own device: your prompts go to DeepSeek’s servers. Read the privacy policy before you decide what to share, especially if you handle personal or work data.

The open-weight models

DeepSeek also publishes some of its models as open weights, which means developers can download the files and run them on their own hardware. This is a different route, aimed at people comfortable with tools such as Ollama or LM Studio. Full-size versions need a lot of memory, so most home users run smaller or distilled variants. The files, licence terms and instructions are on DeepSeek’s official pages and its Hugging Face organization.

Choosing a route

• Quick questions on any device: Use the web chat or the official app.
• Private offline use: Run a downloaded model locally, and expect to pick a size that fits your RAM or graphics card.
• Building an app: DeepSeek also offers an API for developers, billed by usage.

What the chat is used for

• Writing and summarizing text
• Coding help and debugging
• Step-by-step reasoning on math and logic problems
• Translation and general questions

Be careful with copies

Because the name is popular, store listings and websites with similar names are common. Use the Download button to reach DeepSeek’s official site and follow its links to the apps, and verify the publisher in each store.