News in short
- ChatGPT is rolling out Locked Chats across Free, Go, Plus, Pro, Business, Enterprise and Edu plans.
- Users can hide selected conversations from regular chat history and search.
- Access requires a four-digit account PIN or supported device authentication.
- Resetting a forgotten PIN permanently deletes locked chats and content protected by the old PIN.
- The feature does not introduce end-to-end encryption or change data-retention settings.
OpenAI is rolling out Locked Chats, a new ChatGPT feature that lets users protect selected conversations from casual viewing. The feature moves chosen chats out of regular conversation history and search, adding an authentication step before users can open them.
Locked Chats is rolling out gradually across ChatGPT Free, Go, Plus, Pro, Business, Enterprise and Edu plans. Users can access the feature on the web and supported desktop and mobile apps, although availability may vary during the rollout.
The feature could help people who share devices or occasionally show their screens during work. However, it is important to understand what it protects and what it does not.
How ChatGPT Locked Chats works
Locked Chats keeps selected conversations saved in a user’s account while hiding them from regular chat history, pinned chats and standard conversation search. Users can find these conversations under Projects > Locked chats.
Opening a locked conversation requires a four-digit account PIN. On supported mobile devices, users can also authenticate through Face ID, Touch ID or another supported device-unlock method.
OpenAI says the feature adds an access barrier rather than creating a separate encrypted vault. It does not introduce end-to-end encryption or change the company’s existing chat-retention policies.
Locking a conversation also does not automatically remove information ChatGPT remembered before the chat was locked. Users should therefore review their existing privacy and Memory settings separately.
How to lock a conversation in ChatGPT
Users can lock an eligible conversation by following these steps:
- Open ChatGPT and find the conversation they want to protect.
- Select the three-dot menu next to the chat.
- Choose Lock chat and confirm the action.
- Create a four-digit account PIN or enter the existing PIN when prompted.
The conversation will move to Locked chats and disappear from regular history and search. To access it again, open Projects, select Locked chats and authenticate.
The feature is rolling out gradually. If the Lock chat option is missing, it may not yet be available for the account or the selected conversation.
What happens if you forget your PIN?
OpenAI warns that resetting a forgotten account PIN permanently deletes all locked chats. It also deletes information and files stored only within those locked conversations and protected by the previous PIN.
This action cannot be undone, and OpenAI Support cannot recover the deleted content. Users should remember their PIN and understand the difference between changing a known PIN and resetting a forgotten one.
Some conversations cannot be locked. These include temporary chats, archived chats, group chats and conversations created from shared links. Other exclusions may apply to certain chat types and platforms.
Does Locked Chats make ChatGPT more private?
Locked Chats offers an additional way to keep selected conversations out of view when someone accesses an open device or looks at the regular chat list. It can be useful for personal discussions, work-related conversations or other chats users prefer to keep separate.
However, it should not be treated as a complete privacy solution. The feature does not change whether conversations can be used to improve OpenAI’s models, nor does it override applicable workspace policies or compliance requirements.
For Enterprise and Edu accounts, organisational policies continue to apply. Users should also remember that locking a chat does not erase previously stored Memory.
People who want a conversation to stay out of their history may prefer Temporary Chat, depending on their needs. Locked Chats is designed for conversations users want to keep saved while restricting access through an additional authentication step.
Ultimately, Locked Chats gives ChatGPT users more control over how selected conversations appear and how they are accessed. Understanding its limitations is essential before relying on it for sensitive information.
