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How to set up Google Colab for free (no install)
A free notebook service from Google. It is the default workspace for the data and AI internships.
Last checked 18 Oct 2026.
What it is for
Time
Works on
Official page
Cost and terms
Colab is free of charge to use and needs no setup, as its FAQ says. Its resources are neither promised nor unlimited, and usage limits change. A notebook can run only for a limited time on the free tier, depending on availability.
Checked on the official site on 18 Oct 2026.
What you need
- A computer, tablet or phone with a current browser (Chrome, Edge, Firefox or Safari)
- An internet connection
- Nothing to download
- A Google account, because notebooks are saved in Google Drive
Open it
1.Open colab.research.google.com and sign in with your Google account.
You should see: The Colab start page opens with your recent notebooks.
2.Choose New notebook.
You should see: An empty notebook opens with one code cell.
3.Click the code cell, type print("hello") and press the Run button on the left of the cell.
You should see: The word hello appears under the cell.
1.Open colab.research.google.com and sign in with your Google account.
You should see: The Colab start page opens with your recent notebooks.
2.Choose New notebook.
You should see: An empty notebook opens with one code cell.
3.Click the code cell, type print("hello") and press the Run button on the left of the cell.
You should see: The word hello appears under the cell.
1.Open colab.research.google.com and sign in with your Google account.
You should see: The Colab start page opens with your recent notebooks.
2.Choose New notebook.
You should see: An empty notebook opens with one code cell.
3.Click the code cell, type print("hello") and press the Run button on the left of the cell.
You should see: The word hello appears under the cell.
Check that it works
1.In a new cell, type 2 + 3 and run it.
You should see: The answer 5 appears under the cell.
2.Type import pandas as pd and run it.
You should see: No error appears, so the data library is ready.
If something goes wrong
- Colab asks me to sign in again and again.
- Sign in with one Google account only, and allow cookies for google.com.
- My notebook disconnected.
- Free sessions can stop when idle or when resources run short. Press Connect, then run the cells again from the top.
- A library is missing (ModuleNotFoundError).
- In a cell, type !pip install and the library name, run it, then run your code again.
- My uploaded file vanished.
- Files in a session are removed when it ends. Upload the file again, or keep it in Google Drive.
- I cannot use a Google account.
- Follow the lesson steps on paper or in a spreadsheet and ask the AI mentor to check your reasoning.
Leaving it
- There is nothing to uninstall. To remove a notebook, delete it from your Google Drive.
Which internships use it
- AI and Machine Learning internship, in weeks 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7 and 8.
- Data Science and Analytics internship, in weeks 2, 3, 5, 7 and 8.
- Computer Vision internship, in weeks 1, 2 and 3.
The first 4 weeks of every internship are free. This is training, not employment, and there is no stipend. All software guides.