Quick Answer
Sign up for Muse by Meta at muse.ai, then go to Settings > General > Redeem invite code within 48 hours and enter XW1QGO. You and the code owner each get 1 billion tokens, ten weeks of the free allowance. Outside the US and Canada, connect a US VPN to sign up; in our testing Muse then works without it.
To get 1 billion free Muse tokens, sign up for Muse by Meta at muse.ai, then open Settings > General > Redeem invite code within 48 hours of joining and enter the code XW1QGO. You and the code's owner each receive 1 billion tokens, which is ten weeks of Muse's free allowance. Muse only runs in the US and Canada today, so readers anywhere else, including the UK, need a US VPN connection to sign up. After that, in our testing, Muse works without the VPN.
Disclosure:
XW1QGOis our own Muse referral code. When you redeem it, we also receive 1 billion Muse tokens (there is no cash payment). The Surfshark VPN link below is an affiliate link, so we may earn a commission if you buy through it, at no extra cost to you. Neither changes what we tell you. See our affiliate disclosure.
Key takeaways
- Code
XW1QGOgives both sides 1 billion tokens if you redeem it within 48 hours of creating your account, per Meta's official @meta.ai Threads account. - 1 billion tokens is 10 weeks of free use. Mark Zuckerberg put the free tier at 100M tokens a week; the $20 Power plan gives 500M a week.
- The bonus does not expire. Meta's @meta.ai account says the referral pool shows as "Never expires".
- Muse is live in the US (from 8 September 2026) and Canada (from 18 September 2026). Nowhere else yet.
- You only need a VPN to sign up. We tested it: once the account exists, Muse works from outside the US with the VPN switched off.
- Each code only works 20 to 30 times. If
XW1QGOreports it is used up, any valid code still gives you the same bonus.
What is Muse, and why do the tokens matter?
Muse is Meta's personal AI agent, launched in the US on 8 September 2026. Unlike a chatbot, it does work for you on a computer of its own. Meta's announcement describes it this way: "Muse runs on Muse Secure VM, a dedicated, virtual machine (VM) that houses both the agent and a person's data." It "can open a browser, fill out forms, and negotiate on their behalf," and it "keeps working after people close the app."
It runs on Muse Spark, which Meta calls its "most capable model to date, built for real-world agentic work." You can talk to it in the Muse app on iOS and Android, on the web at muse.ai, in the Mac app, or directly in WhatsApp.
Everything Muse does consumes Muse tokens: planning, browsing, filling in forms, writing code. The free tier has a weekly cap, and once you hit it you either wait for the reset or pay. A billion bonus tokens sits on top of that weekly cap, which is why the referral codes went viral and pushed Muse to number one on the App Store.
How do you get 1 billion Muse tokens? (step by step)
The whole process takes about five minutes. The one hard rule is the clock: you must redeem a code within 48 hours of creating your account, or the option disappears.
- Check your location. In the US or Canada, skip to step 3. Anywhere else, read the VPN section below first.
- Connect to a US server with a VPN such as Surfshark, then open a private browser window so no old location cookies carry over.
- Go to muse.ai/join and create your account. You need a Meta Account, but you can make one with just an email address. Facebook or Instagram is optional. You must be 18 or over.
- Open Settings > General > Redeem invite code. Meta's own account confirms this is the official place to redeem, on the web or in the app.
- Enter
XW1QGOand confirm. - Check your token balance. The 1 billion bonus appears as a separate pool from your weekly allowance.
If the code says it has reached its limit, that is the 20 to 30 use cap, not an error on your side. We replace the code on this page when it fills.
Is Muse only available in the US?
No, but nearly. Muse is available in the US and Canada and nowhere else as of 1 October 2026. Most articles still say "US only," which is out of date.
Meta's newsroom says Muse "is rolling out in the US on iOS, Android, and muse.ai." Canada followed on 18 September, when Meta posted "Made it to Canada. Where to next?" on X. Meta's own Muse for Small Business announcement on 29 September confirms it is "available in the US and Canada."
Meta's Help Center is blunt about everywhere else: "The Muse app and website are not yet available everywhere." There is no announced date for the UK, the EU, Australia or anywhere else.
So if you are in Toronto or Vancouver, you need nothing extra: sign up and redeem the code. If you are in London, Manchester, Dublin or Sydney, the sign-up page will not let you in from your normal connection, which is where a VPN comes in.
How do you sign up for Muse from outside the US with a VPN?
A VPN routes your connection through a server in another country, so websites see that country's IP address. Connect to a US (or Canadian) server and muse.ai treats you like a local visitor.
We link Surfshark because it is the VPN we have an affiliate deal with, but any reputable VPN with US servers does the same job. A few things make it go smoothly:
- Sign up on the web, not the app. The Muse app is not listed in UK or EU app stores, so muse.ai in a browser is the simplest route.
- Use a private window after connecting, so cookies from your real location do not travel with you.
- Consider a fresh email. One user reported that sign-up still failed because "It is your Meta account that is checked." Meta's terms let you keep Muse separate "by signing up with an email address that is not associated with another Meta account."
- Redeem the code before you disconnect. Do it in the same session, inside the 48-hour window.
Can you use Muse without a VPN after you sign up?
Yes. We tested it. We signed up through a US VPN server, redeemed the code, then switched the VPN off. Muse kept working normally from outside the US, with the bonus tokens still in the account. The VPN is only needed for the sign-up step.
Others report the same. Federico Viticci, founder of MacStories, posted on 25 September: "This works 100%. I'm using Muse in Italy right now, without a VPN. App downloaded from US App Store. Connectors work, including WhatsApp."
Two caveats, so nothing surprises you later:
- Paying is different. Meta's subscription help page says that to buy a paid plan you must "Be located in a country where Muse is available." Your free and bonus tokens are not a subscription, but if you upgrade to Power or Maximum, turn the VPN back on while you pay.
- Meta has not published a travel policy. It works today, and Meta could change that. If Muse ever stops responding from your home connection, switching the VPN back on is a ten-second fix, so keep it installed.
Is using a VPN against Muse's terms?
Not explicitly. We read the full Muse Supplemental Terms (last updated 8 September 2026), and they do not mention VPNs, IP addresses or physical location at all. Several articles claim the terms ban VPN use. They do not.
What the terms do say is worth knowing:
- You cannot use Muse "if you are under the age of 18" or "prohibited from receiving our services or software under applicable laws."
- You may not "Violate US, EU, UK or UN sanctions or export controls laws."
- "Meta may suspend or terminate your access to Muse ... at any time, for any reason."
That last line is the real risk. Meta does not need a VPN clause to close an account it decides should not exist. Users outside the US and Canada are clearly anticipated, though: Section 19 says that "If you reside outside of the United States or Canada," disputes fall under Meta's standard Terms of Service instead.
Using a VPN is legal in the US, Canada and the UK. Do not use one to reach Muse from a sanctioned country.
How far do 1 billion Muse tokens go?
Meta does not publish what a single task costs in tokens, so the best guide is real usage. A Gizmodo reporter spent launch day building drawings, music, several browser games, a website and 50 genre variations of a song. All of that used "about 6%" of one week's free allowance.
Here is how the bonus compares with Meta's plans (verified on Meta's subscription help page, October 2026):
| Plan | Price | Weekly tokens | 1 billion bonus equals |
|---|---|---|---|
| Free | $0 | 100M (per Zuckerberg) | 10 weeks |
| Power | $20/month | 500M | 2 weeks |
| Maximum | $100/month | 3B | about a third of a week |
For a casual user on the free tier, a billion tokens is effectively a long buffer: you stop hitting the weekly wall. Heavy users running Muse around the clock will burn through it faster, but it still delays the point where you need to pay.
Is Muse safe? What to know before handing it real tasks
Muse acts for you, so its mistakes are your mistakes. Meta's own help page warns: "Your Muse may be inaccurate or take unexpected actions. Monitor its actions carefully and intervene as needed."
Two reported incidents are worth knowing before you connect anything important. A YouTuber said Muse accepted a Facebook Marketplace offer he had not approved and sent the buyer his building address; Meta said its investigation found Muse "was following direct instructions." A reporter said Muse read his Mac Messages database despite access being denied; Meta denies this.
On the protective side, a separate agent Meta calls Sentinel must approve outbound actions, and Muse asks before sending email or making purchases. Payments go through Link by Stripe single-use cards.
One setting to change on day one: Meta uses your content "to improve AI at Meta" by default. You can opt out under Settings > Data Controls. Encrypted "Confidential VM" storage is promised "later this year" but is not live yet.
Who should skip Muse?
- Anyone under 18. The terms bar you outright.
- People who will not supervise it. Muse is built to act, and the terms put full responsibility for its actions on you.
- Teams that need Slack, Teams or thousands of business apps. OpenAI's agents are built for that; see our Muse vs ChatGPT Dots comparison.
- Developers who want a terminal and code tooling. xAI's Grok Bot runs on Cursor's cloud; see Muse vs Grok Bot.
- Anyone who wants their data to stay local. A cloud agent cannot offer that. Our guide to running AI free on your own computer covers the alternative.
The verdict
The referral bonus is the best deal in AI agents right now: ten weeks of free usage for five minutes of setup, on a free product. If you are in the US or Canada, there is no reason not to redeem a code the day you join.
Outside those two countries, a VPN gets you through sign-up, Meta's terms do not forbid it, and in our own testing Muse kept working after we switched the VPN off. The honest caveat is that Meta can close any account "for any reason," so keep the VPN installed in case that ever changes.
To see how Muse stacks up against the other two always-on agents, read our three-way Muse vs Dots vs Grok Bot comparison.
Related reading: Muse vs ChatGPT Dots and best AI productivity tools.
Plans, regions and referral rules verified against Meta's newsroom, Help Center, Muse terms and the official @meta.ai account on 1 October 2026. Referral terms come from Meta's social posts rather than a help page, and may change.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Muse invite code for 1 billion tokens?
Our Muse referral code is XW1QGO. Redeem it in Settings > General > Redeem invite code within 48 hours of creating your Muse account, and both you and the code owner receive 1 billion Muse tokens. Each code only works 20 to 30 times, so if XW1QGO says it is used up, any other valid code gives the same bonus.
Is Meta Muse free?
Yes. Muse is free with a weekly usage limit, which Mark Zuckerberg put at 100M tokens a week. Paid plans are Power at $20 a month for 500M tokens a week and Maximum at $100 a month for 3B tokens a week. A referral code adds a one-off bonus of 1 billion tokens on top of your weekly allowance.
Is Muse only available in the US?
No. As of October 2026, Muse is available in the US, where it launched on 8 September 2026, and in Canada, where it arrived on 18 September. It is not officially available in the UK, the EU, Australia or anywhere else, and Meta has not announced dates for other countries.
Can I use Muse with a VPN?
Many people outside the US and Canada sign up for Muse through a US VPN server. Muse's terms do not mention VPNs at all, so there is no explicit ban. However, Meta can suspend any account for any reason, and paid subscriptions require you to be located in a country where Muse is available.
Do I need a VPN to use Muse after signing up?
No, in our testing. We signed up through a US VPN server, redeemed the code, then switched the VPN off, and Muse kept working normally from outside the US with the bonus tokens intact. The exception is paying: Meta requires you to be located in a supported country to buy a subscription, so reconnect the VPN when you upgrade.
Do Muse bonus tokens expire?
Meta's official @meta.ai account says the referral bonus pool shows as Never expires. Muse's terms do allow promotional credits to expire if a period is stated in your account, so check the bonus entry in your token balance. Bonus tokens cannot be exchanged for money.
How long do I have to redeem a Muse referral code?
You have 48 hours from the moment you create your Muse account. After that, the Redeem invite code option no longer applies to your account, so redeem the code in the same session you sign up. If you are using a VPN to sign up, redeem it before you disconnect.
