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ChatGPT users can now put sensitive conversations behind an extra lock without deleting them from their accounts.
OpenAI has introduced Locked Chats, a feature that lets users move selected conversations into a protected area accessible through a four-digit PIN or supported device authentication, including Face ID and Touch ID.
The feature is particularly useful for people who discuss personal, financial, or work-related matters in ChatGPT but do not want those conversations readily visible to someone borrowing their device. However, it is an access-control measure, and it does not change OpenAI’s data-retention policies or existing model-improvement settings.
How does the new feature work
The new feature, announced on Oct. 20, is called Locked Chats and allows users to protect selected conversations with a four-digit PIN, Face ID, Touch ID, or their device’s unlock method on supported mobile devices.
To lock an existing conversation, users can open its three-dot menu, select Lock chat, and confirm. ChatGPT will prompt them to create a four-digit account PIN if they have not already set one up.
On iPhones and iPads that support biometric authentication, users can enable Face ID or Touch ID under Settings > Security and login > Face ID & Touch ID.
Android users can select Use device unlock to authenticate with their device’s supported unlock method. The PIN works across supported devices signed in to the same OpenAI account, while biometric and device authentication must be configured separately on each device.
Once locked, a conversation moves to Projects > Locked chats, disappearing from regular chat history, pinned chats, and standard conversation search.
ChatGPT also provides a Lock now option to end access immediately; on mobile, access ends automatically after one minute away from the locked-chat area or after the app has been in the background for a minute. On the web, refreshing or closing the tab ends access.
Users can also lock eligible conversations that already belong to a project, but doing so disassociates the conversation from that project.
OpenAI also distinguishes between changing and resetting a PIN.
What happens if you forget your PIN?
Users who remember their current PIN can change it under Settings > Security and login > Account PIN without losing their locked conversations.
However, resetting a forgotten PIN permanently deletes all locked chats and information stored only within them, including protected files and memories, according to OpenAI.
That makes the distinction between changing and resetting a PIN especially important. Users should understand the consequences before resetting their credentials, particularly if they have important information stored in locked conversations.
There are also other limitations to consider. Temporary chats, archived conversations, group chats, chats created from shared links, and conversations associated with scheduled tasks, meeting recordings, or background tasks cannot be locked.
Do you need a locked ChatGPT chat?
If you use ChatGPT for more than everyday questions, some conversations are worth keeping out of plain sight. Whether discussing personal finances or confidential work projects, Locked Chats lets users protect selected conversations without deleting them.
The feature is especially useful for people who share devices, lend their phones to friends or family, or leave ChatGPT open on a computer that others can access. Rather than locking their entire device or removing conversations they may need later, they can add another access barrier to the chats they consider sensitive.
However, locking a conversation does not replace securing the device itself, and users should not assume it protects every shared copy or link.
OpenAI says the feature has begun rolling out to ChatGPT users across all categories, except ChatGPT for Healthcare.
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Locked Chats does not change how OpenAI handles your data
Locked Chats is designed to restrict access to selected conversations within ChatGPT, not change how OpenAI stores or processes the information users share.
The feature does not override OpenAI’s data-retention policies or existing model-improvement settings. Conversations may also be subject to safety and abuse monitoring under the company’s applicable policies.
For users deciding how to handle sensitive information, the distinction matters. Locked Chats may be appropriate for conversations they want to retain but keep out of their regular chat history, while Temporary Chat may be better suited to discussions they do not want saved in their history.
Ultimately, the right choice depends on whether users want to restrict access to a saved conversation or avoid keeping it in their chat history. Neither option replaces careful judgment about what information should be shared with an AI service.
Other news: OpenAI is expanding ChatGPT advertising to 89 countries, bringing sponsored content to a much wider international audience.