OpenAI has introduced a new feature that allows ChatGPT users to lock individual conversations behind a four-digit PIN, giving them more control over who can see their chat history. Called Locked Chats, the feature moves selected conversations out of regular history and into a separate section that requires authentication to access.
It could be useful for people who use ChatGPT to discuss personal matters, handle sensitive work information or keep private plans away from anyone who occasionally uses their devices.
However, there is an important catch that users should understand before setting it up. Forgetting the PIN and choosing to reset it permanently deletes every conversation in the Locked chats section, along with files and other information protected only by the previous PIN. Information remembered exclusively within those conversations is also deleted.
OpenAI says this deletion cannot be reversed, and even its support team cannot recover the lost content. The feature also does not provide the level of data protection some users might expect from something described as a private chat lock.
How ChatGPT Locked Chats Work and Who Can Use Them
The new feature was introduced on 20 October 2026 and is being gradually rolled out across ChatGPT Free, Go, Plus, Pro, Business, Enterprise and Edu accounts.
It is available on the web, iOS and Android, as well as through the new desktop applications for macOS and Windows. However, users may not see the option immediately because access is being expanded in stages.
To lock a conversation, users need to open the three-dot menu beside an eligible chat and select 'Lock chat'. ChatGPT then prompts them to create an account PIN, which works across supported devices when users are signed into the same OpenAI account.
Once completed, the conversation moves into Projects under a dedicated Locked chats section. On supported mobile devices, users can also enable Face ID, Touch ID or their device's authentication method. Device authentication is optional and must be configured separately on each device.
The system is designed to keep conversation titles and their contents away from the normal chat list and standard search results. Users can still return to these discussions by opening the Locked chats section and authenticating themselves.
Access also expires automatically after a period of inactivity, although the timeout differs between desktop and mobile devices. On iOS and Android, access ends after one minute away from a locked conversation or the Locked chats area, or after one minute in the background.
On desktop, access is tied to the browser tab or application window where authentication took place and ends when users leave that tab or window. Refreshing the webpage or closing the tab also ends access.
There are some restrictions worth knowing about. Temporary conversations, group chats, archived discussions and conversations originally created from shared links cannot be locked. Conversations involving scheduled tasks, meeting recordings and certain background activities are also excluded.
Conversations created by branching from an existing chat, including those made using 'Continue in a new chat', are unsupported, as are discussions with responses saved as project sources. Codex conversations, including cloud Codex conversations, and local Work conversations cannot be locked either.
Forgetting Your ChatGPT PIN Could Permanently Delete Locked Conversations
OpenAI allows users to reset a forgotten PIN after verifying their identity, but this is not a straightforward password recovery process. Users must review and confirm the reset rather than simply request a replacement code. Those who cannot remember their PIN can also leave their conversations locked instead of proceeding with the reset.
Those who still remember their existing PIN can change it without losing their conversations, making changing and resetting the PIN two very different actions.
There is another limitation concerning what the feature actually protects. Locking a conversation does not create end-to-end encryption or place it inside a separate encrypted vault. It changes where the conversation appears and how users access it, but OpenAI's existing data retention arrangements and model-improvement settings remain unchanged.
This means locking a conversation does not automatically prevent its contents from being used to improve OpenAI's models if the user's existing settings permit that use.
It also does not erase information ChatGPT may have remembered before the conversation was locked. Users who want to manage how their conversations are used for model improvement must review their data controls separately.
Locked Chats Do Not Replace Temporary Chat or Other Privacy Settings
Users should also be aware that locking a conversation does not automatically revoke access to content shared through an existing ChatGPT link. If a conversation had a shared link before being locked, anyone who already has that link can still access the previously shared material.
New messages sent while the conversation is locked are not added to the existing shared-link content. Users must delete the shared link separately if they want to prevent further access.
The feature can also affect conversations that belong to ChatGPT Projects. Locking an eligible discussion removes it from its original project, meaning it loses access to that project's instructions, files and memory. If the user later unlocks it, the conversation returns to regular chat history rather than going back to its previous project.
For people who want a different approach to privacy, Temporary Chat offers another option. These conversations do not appear in regular chat history, create or update memories, or get used to improve OpenAI's models while they remain temporary. OpenAI may retain a copy for up to 30 days for safety purposes, however.
Unlike Temporary Chat, Locked Chats are saved conversations that continue to follow the user's existing data settings. Temporary Chats can also use existing memories when the user's settings permit it, even though they do not create or update memories themselves.
There are also limits for people using ChatGPT through their employers or educational institutions. Locked Chats do not override organisational policies, legal obligations or compliance requirements.
Conversations in Enterprise and Edu workspaces remain included in the records accessible through OpenAI's Compliance Platform. Although workspace administrators cannot unlock conversations or reset users' PINs, authorised compliance tools can still access eligible workspace records under the organisation's policies.
