Overview

Trusted contact is an optional safety feature in ChatGPT that helps you connect with a person you trust if you need additional support.

You choose your trusted contact, and they must accept the invitation to participate. Once they accept, if automated systems and trained reviewers detect you may be talking about suicide in a way that signals a serious safety concern, ChatGPT may notify your trusted contact and encourage them to check in with you.

Availability

Trusted contact is available in most countries and territories for adults 18 or older*. It is available for personal ChatGPT accounts, and is not enabled in shared workspaces such as ChatGPT Business, Enterprise, or Edu.

You can set up a trusted contact by going to Settings > Trusted contact. Each eligible account can have one trusted contact.

How it works

Sometimes, when you are having a hard time, it can feel difficult to reach out or ask for help directly. The trusted contact feature is designed to support real-world connection in those moments. It follows four steps, from adding a contact through notification.

1. Invite a trusted contact

Choose one person you trust to be your trusted contact. ChatGPT will send them an invitation to become your trusted contact. Depending on the contact information you provide and whether or not the trusted contact has a ChatGPT account, invitations may be sent via email, SMS, WhatsApp, and/or ChatGPT in-app messages.

You must provide an email for your trusted contact. Optionally, you can also add a phone number. It is highly recommended to provide both forms of contact.

Trusted contacts must be 18 or older*.

We recommend talking with your trusted contact before you add them. For tips on these conversations, see: Talk with the person before you add them.

For full setup and account management steps, see: Adding and managing a trusted contact.

2. Your trusted contact must accept your invitation

The invitation includes information about what it means to be a trusted contact and asks the person to review the role before deciding whether to accept.

They must accept the invitation within 1 week. If the trusted contact declines, does not respond before the invitation expires, or is ineligible, we will let you know so that you can choose someone else.

If you received an invitation and want to understand the role before accepting, see: Being someone's trusted contact.

If you received an invitation and do not want to participate, see: Declining or removing yourself as a trusted contact.

3. ChatGPT’s automated monitoring looks for safety concerns

If automated monitoring systems suggest you may be talking about suicide in a way that indicates a serious safety concern, trained human reviewers may review the conversation to assess whether there is a serious safety situation.

In the event that a conversation is flagged for human review, ChatGPT will let you know that we may notify your trusted contact. If you do not receive this notification, the conversation will not be sent for human review and the trusted contact will not be notified.

4. ChatGPT may send your trusted contact a notification

If our trained human reviewers determine that the conversation may indicate a serious safety situation, ChatGPT will send a brief notification to the trusted contact by email, text message, WhatsApp, or in-app notification if they have a ChatGPT account. We’ll only share the general reason — that suicide came up in a potentially concerning way — and encourage them to check in with you. Your chat details or transcripts are not shared.

These notifications are intentionally limited. They are meant to encourage care and connection while protecting your privacy.

No system is perfect. A notification may not always reflect exactly what someone is experiencing.

Sample notification

A notification sent to the trusted contact may look like:

We recently detected a conversation from [name] where they discussed suicide in a way that may indicate a serious safety concern. Because you are listed as their trusted contact, we’re sharing this so you can reach out to them.

How you can help

• Small actions, like reaching out, expressing care, or helping them access further support, can make a meaningful difference. You can find tips on how to start a supportive conversation here.

• You’re not responsible for keeping them safe or acting as a counselor or crisis responder — you’re part of a broader support network. For additional resources, please visit our Help Center.

Our systems may not always interpret every conversation perfectly, and may not reflect what [name] is feeling at this moment. If you’re concerned about immediate safety, call your local emergency services or reach out to a crisis helpline.

Choosing the right trusted contact

It is important to choose someone you feel comfortable being honest with and trust to respond with care, and who is 18 or older*.

It helps to choose someone you can usually reach and who would likely be able to check in or help you connect with additional support during a difficult time. They may not always be available right away, so it is important not to rely on this feature alone for safety. If you are concerned about your own safety or someone else's safety, contact your local emergency services or a crisis helpline.

Talking in advance with your trusted contact gives you an opportunity to discuss together what support could look like. For guidance on choosing the person, starting that conversation, and adding them in ChatGPT, see: Adding and managing a trusted contact.

What ChatGPT may share with your trusted contact

When you add a trusted contact, ChatGPT sends that person an invitation that explains the feature and the role. That invitation includes your name and email address so the person can reach out to you.

If ChatGPT later sends the trusted contact a notification about a safety concern, the message tells the trusted contact that you may have discussed suicide with ChatGPT in a way that indicates a serious safety concern. See an example notification.

Your chat details or transcripts are not shared.

Being someone's trusted contact

If someone adds you as their trusted contact, it means that person chose you as someone they trust to check in during difficult moments.

As a trusted contact, you can help by checking in with care, listening, and helping the person connect with additional support if needed. Trusted contacts are not expected to act as a counselor, crisis responder, or sole source of help.

To learn more about the role of a trusted contact, see: Being someone's trusted contact.

Trusted contact is not an emergency service

Trusted contact is an optional support feature, not an emergency service, crisis response system, or substitute for mental health care.

A trusted contact may not always be able to respond or reach you right away, so it is important not to rely on this feature alone for safety.

If you are concerned about your own safety or someone else's safety, contact your local emergency services or a crisis helpline.

Information for trusted contacts who are not users of OpenAI’s services

If a ChatGPT user asks you to be their trusted contact, OpenAI may receive your name, email address, and/or phone number from that user. If you are added as a trusted contact, OpenAI may also process information about your invitation and trusted contact status, such as whether the invitation was accepted, declined, expired, withdrawn, or removed.

OpenAI uses this information only to send and manage the invitation, record your response, administer the trusted contact relationship, deliver future safety notifications if you accept, and maintain the security and integrity of the feature. If a notification is sent, it is limited to letting you know that a safety concern has been detected and encouraging you to reach out.

OpenAI keeps this information only for as long as needed to operate the feature and manage the invitation or trusted contact relationship. Invitations expire if they are not accepted within the relevant period. OpenAI may keep some information for longer where needed for legal, security, or abuse-prevention reasons. For more information about how long OpenAI keeps personal data, please see the OpenAI Privacy Policy.

Depending on the country you’re in, OpenAI OpCo, LLC or OpenAI Ireland Limited is the controller for this processing. OpenAI may share information related to trusted contacts with its affiliates, service providers that help it operate and support the feature, and authorities or other third parties where required by law or necessary to protect rights, safety, and security. Your personal data may be processed outside the country where you live, including in the United States. In relevant countries, OpenAI’s legal basis for this processing is its legitimate interests in providing safety features and protecting the life, health, and safety of our users and others, including by supporting real-world outreach in serious safety situations. In exceptional cases involving a serious or imminent threat to someone’s life or physical safety, OpenAI may also rely on vital interests. You can object to this processing at any time by declining the invitation during the enrollment period or, if you have already accepted, by removing yourself as a trusted contact.

For more information about your privacy rights, international transfers, and how to contact OpenAI or its Data Protection Officer, please see the OpenAI Privacy Policy.

FAQ

Who can use trusted contact?

Trusted contact is currently available for adults 18 or older* with personal ChatGPT accounts. It is not available in shared workspaces such as ChatGPT Business, Enterprise, or Edu.

If you are under the age limit and want a feature that helps notify a parent or guardian if you are in distress, see: Parental controls on ChatGPT.

How many trusted contacts can I add?

You can add one trusted contact per account.

Does my trusted contact need to accept the invitation?

Yes. The person must accept the invitation within 1 week in order to be your trusted contact.

What if my trusted contact does not respond or cannot participate?

Sometimes, the person you add may not be confirmed as your trusted contact. This can happen for different reasons—for example, they may not be able or eligible to participate, or they may not respond to the invitation within the 1 week enrollment period. If the person is not able to be confirmed as your trusted contact, you will be notified so that you can choose another trusted contact. When you invite someone to be your trusted contact, we recommend reaching out to them to talk about what kind of support might help.

Why was my trusted contact not able to be added?

There are many reasons why a person may not be able to be added as your trusted contact. For example, they may not be eligible based on age, they may have already declined to participate, or they may not have responded to the invitation during the one-week enrollment period. It may help to talk with the person before you add them so you can provide context and help clarify what to expect.

When may ChatGPT notify my trusted contact?

If our systems and trained reviewers suggest you may be talking about suicide in a way that indicates a serious safety concern, we may contact your trusted contact to encourage them to check in with you.

Will my trusted contact see my ChatGPT chats?

No. ChatGPT does not share your conversations with your trusted contact.

How may ChatGPT notify my trusted contact?

When you add a trusted contact, you will need to provide their email. Providing a phone number is also recommended. ChatGPT may contact them by email, text message, WhatsApp, and/or in-app notification based on the contact information you provide and whether or not the trusted contact has a ChatGPT account.

How can I share feedback about this feature?

We invite you to share feedback at any time by emailing support@openai.com.