OpenAI has introduced a feature allowing users to hide specific conversations within their ChatGPT account. This functionality is designed to keep selected chats out of view from regular history, pinned items, and search results.
Functionality of Locked Chats
The locked chats feature allows users to move conversations into a dedicated section. Once a chat is locked, it is removed from the standard chat history, pinned conversations, and search results. This separation helps keep specific interactions hidden when sharing a screen or using a device in shared environments. According to OpenAI, locked chats maintain their own separate memory, meaning new information added to these conversations does not update the memory used in regular chats.
Device and Plan Compatibility
The feature is available across various subscription tiers, including ChatGPT Free, Go, Plus, Pro, Business, Enterprise, and Edu plans. Locked chats can be used on the web and in the new ChatGPT app for macOS or Windows. Availability is rolling out gradually. While the feature is widely available, OpenAI notes that it is not included in ChatGPT for Healthcare. Users are typically prompted to establish a PIN the first time they initiate a locked chat, and some mobile devices may support biometric authentication like Face ID or Touch ID.
Privacy and Data Considerations
While locking a chat hides it from the main interface, it does not change how the underlying data is handled or stored by the service. Users retain access to broader data controls, such as managing model training and chat history, via the settings menu. If a user forgets their PIN, resetting it results in the permanent deletion of the locked chats and any information stored exclusively within them. It remains important for users to manage their privacy settings through the dedicated portal to control how content is used for model training.
Sources and further reading
Using locked chats in ChatGPT | OpenAI Help Center (https://help.openai.com/en/articles/20001411-using-locked-chats-in-chatgpt)
https://help.openai.com/en/articles/20001411-using-locked-chats-in-chatgpt
ChatGPT now lets you lock your chats | TechCrunch
https://techcrunch.com/2026/10/20/chatgpt-now-lets-you-lock-your-chats/