Locked chats are rolling out gradually. If you don’t see Lock chat in an eligible chat’s more options menu (•••), the feature may not be available for your account yet.
Overview
Locked chats let you keep selected conversations in your account while hiding them from your regular chat history, pinned chats, and regular conversation search. This can help keep sensitive conversations out of view when you share your screen or use a shared device.
You can find your locked chats under Projects > Locked chats. The sidebar may show the Locked chats project while locked chat titles are hidden. Opening locked chats requires a 4-digit account PIN. On supported mobile devices, you can also use Face ID, Touch ID, or your device unlock method.
Locking a chat changes where the conversation appears and how you open it. It does not:
create end-to-end encryption or a separate encrypted vault
change how long OpenAI retains the chat
change your Improve the model for everyone setting
remove information that ChatGPT remembered before you locked the chat
override applicable workspace policies, safety requirements, or legal and compliance obligations
Resetting your account PIN permanently deletes all locked chats, remembered information stored only within locked chats, and files or other content protected only by your previous PIN. This cannot be undone, and OpenAI Support cannot recover the deleted content.
Availability
Locked chats are available on ChatGPT Free, Go, Plus, Pro, Business, Enterprise, and Edu.
On desktop, use the new ChatGPT app for macOS or Windows. You can lock eligible cloud ChatGPT conversations in Chat or Work mode. Codex conversations, including cloud Codex conversations, and local Work conversations can’t be locked.
Locked chats are not available on ChatGPT for Healthcare.
You can use Voice in locked chats on the web and in the iOS and Android apps, where Voice is available to your account. Voice isn’t available in locked chats in the desktop app.
Before you use locked chats
Review these behaviors before you lock a conversation:
Your account PIN is tied to your OpenAI account, not to a specific workspace. If you use a different OpenAI account, set up and manage its PIN separately.
Files uploaded or created in a chat are protected when you lock it. If they were saved to Space, they are hidden there until you permanently unlock the chat.
Files added from elsewhere in Space remain available there.
You can lock an otherwise eligible chat that already has a shared link. Locking it does not delete the link. Its previously shared content remains available, but new messages sent while the chat is locked are not added. Delete the link separately if you want to stop access to its shared content. A chat created from a shared link cannot be locked.
If you lock an eligible chat from a project, it leaves that project and no longer uses its instructions, files, or memory. Project chat eligibility varies by platform.
Resetting your account PIN permanently deletes all locked chats, remembered information stored only within locked chats, and files or other content protected only by your previous PIN. This action cannot be undone.
Create and manage your account PIN
Create an account PIN
ChatGPT prompts you to create a PIN the first time you lock a chat or open the locked chats area.
Select Create a PIN.
Enter a 4-digit PIN.
Enter the PIN again to confirm it.
The same PIN works on supported devices when you are signed in to the same OpenAI account. Device authentication is configured separately on each device.
After too many incorrect attempts, ChatGPT temporarily disables access. Wait until the retry period ends before trying again. Resetting a forgotten PIN permanently deletes your locked chats and information stored only with them.
Change your account PIN
Changing the PIN does not delete locked chats. You must enter your current PIN to change it, even if you use Face ID, Touch ID, or device unlock to open locked chats.
Open Settings.
Select Security and login.
Select Account PIN.
Under Change PIN, select Change on the web or desktop, or Change PIN on iOS or Android.
Enter your current PIN.
Create and confirm the new 4-digit PIN.
Other devices use the new PIN the next time ChatGPT requests authentication.
Reset a forgotten account PIN
Forgetting your PIN does not by itself delete your locked chats or files. Resetting your account PIN permanently deletes all locked chats, remembered information stored only within locked chats, and files or other content protected only by your previous PIN. This includes protected files uploaded or created before or after you locked the chat. This action cannot be undone.
A workspace administrator cannot reset your account PIN or unlock your chats for you.
Open Settings.
Select Security and login.
Select Account PIN.
Under Reset PIN, select Reset on the web or desktop, or Reset PIN on iOS or Android.
Verify your identity when prompted.
Review the warning and confirm the deletion. Select Reset PIN & Delete on the web, desktop, or Android, or Delete all and reset on iOS.
Create and confirm a new 4-digit PIN.
Deleted conversations then follow the standard retention policy. For more information, see: Chat and file retention in ChatGPT.
Use Face ID, Touch ID, or device unlock
On iOS, turn on Use Face ID or Use Touch ID in Account PIN settings, when available. On Android, select Use device unlock when prompted.
Device authentication is optional and applies only to the device where you enable it. You can still enter your account PIN if device authentication is unavailable.
Start a new locked chat
If you’re using locked chats for the first time, lock an existing conversation. You can then start new conversations from Projects > Locked chats.
Select Projects.
Select Locked chats.
Enter your account PIN or use supported device authentication, when available.
Enter a message to start the conversation.
The conversation is saved in locked chats and does not appear in regular history or regular conversation search.
Lock an existing conversation
Open the more options menu (•••) for the chat.
Select Lock chat.
Select Lock chat again to confirm.
Create or enter the account PIN when prompted.
The chat then moves into locked chats. Its title and content are removed from regular chat history and regular conversation search. It can take time for search results to update.
Other devices where ChatGPT is already open may continue to show the chat title until their conversation lists refresh. On iOS, previously loaded chat content may also remain visible until the app refreshes. Check other open devices before sharing your screen or device.
On web, the chat can remain open in the current tab after you lock it. Other tabs do not receive access to locked chats.
Open a locked chat
Select Projects.
Select Locked chats.
Enter your account PIN or use supported device authentication, when available.
Select the chat you want to open.
Opening a locked chat gives you temporary access. After you enter your PIN or use supported device authentication, chat titles may appear under Locked chats in the sidebar. This does not permanently unlock the conversations or return them to regular history.
End access to locked chats
Select Lock now to end access to locked chats immediately and hide their titles in the sidebar when you’re done.
Web and desktop
Access applies to the browser tab or desktop app window where you entered your PIN. Locked chats relock automatically after you’ve been away from that tab or window. Opening a regular chat in the same tab or window does not end access.
On the web, access also ends when you:
refresh the page
close the tab
Opening another tab or window requires authentication again.
iOS and Android
Access ends automatically after 1 minute away from a locked chat or the Locked chats area, or after 1 minute in the background. Select Lock now to end access immediately. Access can also end when you sign out or switch accounts or workspaces.
On iOS, Face ID or Touch ID is optional. On Android, you can use your device unlock method when available. Device authentication applies only to the device where you enable it and does not replace your account PIN.
Permanently unlock a chat
Permanently unlocking a chat removes it from locked chats and returns it to regular history.
Open the locked chat.
Open the more options menu (•••).
Select Unlock chat, or Unlock on iOS.
Select Unlock chat again to confirm.
After permanent unlock:
The chat returns to regular history. It can take time to reappear in regular conversation search.
If the chat originally came from a project, it returns to regular history rather than the previous project.
Files protected with the chat that were previously saved to Space become visible there again.
The full conversation may be used for regular Memory if your settings and workspace policies allow it.
Memories created within locked chats are not automatically added to regular Memory when you unlock the chat.
Find and manage locked chats
Find a locked chat
Locked chats do not appear in regular conversation search. Open the locked chats area and browse the saved conversations there.
You cannot search across all locked chats. On iOS, you can select Find to search within an open chat when that option is available.
Rename a locked chat
Open the more options menu (•••) for the chat, then select Rename.
Delete a locked chat
Open the locked chat.
Open the more options menu (•••).
Select Delete.
Confirm the deletion.
Deleted chats cannot be recovered. Do not assume that deleting the conversation also deletes a separate file that remains in Space.
For more information, see: Deleting and archiving chats in ChatGPT.
Archive, pin, move, or share a locked chat
You cannot archive, pin, move, or share a locked chat. Permanently unlock it before using any of these actions.
Anyone who can open a locked chat can still copy its contents.
Files in locked chats
Locking a chat protects files uploaded or created in that chat. This protection also applies to files uploaded or created in that chat after you lock it. Files brought in from elsewhere keep their existing access rules:
While a chat is locked, you can open its protected files only in that chat. They stay hidden from Space and its search results and aren’t available in other chats, including other locked chats, even after you enter your PIN.
Files added from elsewhere in Space remain available there. Locking the chat does not protect those separate files.
Files originally brought in from connected sources keep their existing access rules.
Permanently unlocking the chat makes its protected files visible in Space again if they were previously saved there.
Memory in locked chats
If your organization turns off Memory for your workspace, locked chats cannot use or create memories.
When Memory is enabled for your account or workspace:
Locked chats can use relevant information from regular Memory.
Information from new messages sent after you lock a chat can be remembered for use in other locked chats.
Information remembered only within locked chats does not carry into regular chats.
Locking a conversation does not remove information that ChatGPT remembered before the conversation was locked.
After permanent unlock, the full conversation may be used for regular Memory if your settings and workspace policies allow it.
Memories created while the chat was locked are not automatically added to regular Memory when you unlock it.
Memory summaries and Sources may not show every factor that shaped a response. For more information, see: Memory in ChatGPT.
Workspace admin and compliance access
Locked chats do not override your organization’s access to workspace data or the policies that apply to your workspace.
Workspace administrators can’t disable locked chats through a workspace setting or role-based access control (RBAC) permission.
Workspace administrators cannot unlock your chats or reset your account PIN.
Locked chats in ChatGPT Enterprise and Edu workspaces are still included in conversation message logs available through the OpenAI Compliance Platform.
Chats that cannot be locked
The Lock chat option is unavailable for some conversation types, including:
temporary chats
archived chats
group chats
chats in the earlier Health experience
chats created from a shared link
chats with scheduled tasks
chats with meeting recordings
chats associated with background tasks
chats with responses saved as project sources
Otherwise eligible chats that use the Health app can still be locked.
Project chat eligibility varies by platform. If Lock chat is unavailable, the conversation cannot be locked from your current device.
ChatGPT can’t create or update a scheduled task from a locked chat. Use a regular chat instead. Before locking a chat, delete any scheduled tasks associated with it, including paused tasks.
Temporary chat compared with locked chats
Use temporary chat when you want a conversation to stay out of history and not be used to improve OpenAI’s models while it remains temporary. Before the conversation starts, you can choose whether temporary chat uses existing memories, custom instructions, and plugins. Temporary chats do not create or update memories.
Use locked chats when you want to save a conversation and protect access with an account PIN or supported device authentication. Locked chats follow your existing model-improvement setting.
Temporary chats cannot be locked while they remain temporary. Saving one converts it into a regular chat that follows your account’s personalization and model-improvement settings.
For more information, see: Temporary chat in ChatGPT.
FAQ
How do I open a locked chat?
Select Projects, then Locked chats. Enter your account PIN or use a supported device unlock method, then select the conversation.
How do I unlock a chat?
Open the locked chat, select the more options menu (•••), then select Unlock chat, or Unlock on iOS. Confirm Unlock chat to return the conversation to your regular chat history.
What happens if I forget my account PIN?
Follow the steps in Reset a forgotten account PIN. Resetting the PIN permanently deletes all locked chats, memories stored only within locked chats, and files or other content protected only by your previous PIN. This cannot be undone. OpenAI Support cannot recover content deleted by a PIN reset.
Can I change my account PIN without deleting my chats?
Yes. If you know your current PIN, follow the steps in Change your account PIN. Changing it keeps your locked chats. Resetting a forgotten PIN permanently deletes them.
Can my administrator unlock my chats or recover my PIN?
No. Your administrator cannot unlock your chats, reset your account PIN, or recover chats deleted by a PIN reset. Authorized compliance tools may still access eligible workspace data under your organization’s policies.
Why is my screenshot of ChatGPT blank?
On Android, screenshots of locked chats may appear blank or black because the app hides protected content in screenshots.
Will I see ads in locked chats?
If ads are available for your account, they may also appear in locked chats. Locking a chat does not change your ad settings.