OpenAI announced on 20 October 2026 that ChatGPT users can lock individual conversations, with a gradual rollout starting that day. A locked chat moves out of the normal history, pinned chats and search into a separate Locked chats section. It opens with a four-digit PIN, or Face ID, Touch ID or a fingerprint on supported phones. Existing chats can be locked from the three-dot menu.
“This cannot be undone, and OpenAI Support cannot recover the deleted content.”
OpenAI, in its support page warning about resetting the PIN (as quoted by Engadget), in its support page, as quoted by Engadget · engadget.com ↗
TechCrunch lists the feature on every consumer and business tier from Free to Edu, though not ChatGPT for Healthcare; other outlets differ on which plans get it. Temporary, archived, group, shared-link, scheduled-task and meeting-recording chats cannot be locked, and Codex chats are left out. Voice mode works with locked chats on Android and iOS, and they keep a memory of their own that does not feed regular Memory.
OpenAI pitches it at people who might glimpse or borrow your screen, such as when you are planning a surprise. It stresses this is not end-to-end encryption and leaves retention and training settings unchanged. Resetting the PIN deletes every locked chat and its files for good.
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