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OpenAI launches a locked chats feature for ChatGPT. According to the official description, this feature moves conversations out of regular history and search and into a protected space; on web and desktop it is unlocked with a PIN, and on supported mobile devices it can be unlocked with a PIN, Face ID, Touch ID, or device unlock; new messages in locked conversations do not update the memory used by regular conversations. The feature is rolling out starting October 21, 2026, to the Free, Go, Plus, Pro, Business, Enterprise, and Edu plans. Follow-up reports add that after users set a 4-digit PIN, they can hide designated conversations from the history list, pinned section, and ordinary search results, tucking them into a "Locked chats" section in the sidebar, covering web, iOS, Android, and the new macOS and Windows desktop apps; locking does not provide end-to-end encryption, nor does it change data retention and model improvement settings, and locked chats may still draw on memory already saved in regular chats; forgetting the PIN itself does not delete chats, but choosing to reset the PIN and confirming will permanently delete all locked chats in the account, memories saved only in locked chats, and files protected only by the old PIN, with no way to recover them.
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ChatGPT launches locked chats feature; resetting the PIN will permanently delete all locked conversationsDevelopments
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Oct 22
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ChatGPT launches locked chats feature; resetting the PIN will permanently delete all locked conversations
OpenAI has launched a "locked chats" feature for ChatGPT. After users set a 4-digit PIN, they can hide designated conversations from the history list, pinned section, and regular search results, moving them into a dedicated "Locked Chats" section in the sidebar, with access supported via device unlock methods such as face and fingerprint recognition. The feature is gradually rolling out to the Free, Go, Plus, Pro, Business, Enterprise, and Edu plans, covering the web, iOS, Android, and the new macOS and Windows desktop apps. The original article notes that locking does not provide end-to-end encryption and does not change data retention and model improvement settings; locked chats may still draw on memories saved in regular chats. Forgetting the PIN itself will not delete chats, but choosing to reset the PIN and confirming will permanently delete all locked chats in the account, memories saved only in locked chats, and files protected only by the old PIN, with no way to recover them.
Oct 21
Kol TregaskesRelated discussion
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ChatGPTFirst-partySelected
ChatGPT launches Locked Chats feature
ChatGPT introduces Locked Chats, which moves conversations out of regular history and search and into a protected space. On web and desktop, they are unlocked with a PIN; on supported mobile devices, a PIN, Face ID, Touch ID, or device unlock can be used. New messages in locked conversations do not update the memory used by regular conversations. The feature is rolling out starting today to the Free, Go, Plus, Pro, Business, Enterprise, and Edu plans.
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