ChatGPT Adds Locked Chats With PIN and Biometric Protection

TL;DR

• OpenAI is rolling out Locked Chats, allowing users to protect conversations with a four-digit PIN or supported biometric authentication.
• Protected conversations move to a separate section outside regular chat history and search results.
• With Memory enabled, locked conversations share a separate memory that does not update regular Memory.

OpenAI Introduces Privacy Controls for Individual Conversations

OpenAI announced Tuesday that ChatGPT users can lock conversations to restrict access when someone else uses their device or can see their screen.

Locked Chats can be secured with a four-digit PIN, while supported devices also offer Face ID or Touch ID authentication.

The feature is intended for situations such as discussing personal matters or planning a surprise before handing a device to someone else.

Unlike Temporary Chats, which do not appear in conversation history, locked conversations remain available for users to revisit after authentication.

Locked Conversations Move Outside Regular History

Once a conversation is locked, it moves into a dedicated Locked Chats section.

It is kept separate from regular chat history, pinned conversations and chat search results, reducing the chance that someone browsing the account will encounter it.

The feature therefore provides an additional access barrier within ChatGPT. It does not change the underlying nature of the conversation’s storage or create a separate encrypted vault.

Locked Chats Use Separate Memory

When Memory is enabled, the Locked Chats section maintains its own memory shared across conversations within that section.

New messages sent after a conversation is locked can update that separate memory without updating regular Memory. This is designed to prevent newly shared information from influencing ordinary chats through Memory.

However, locking a conversation does not remove information ChatGPT remembered before it was locked.

That distinction matters for users moving an existing conversation into the protected section: the new separation does not retroactively erase earlier memories.

Locking Does Not Change Retention or Training Settings

OpenAI says Locked Chats do not introduce end-to-end encryption, alter how long conversations are retained or change the “Improve the model for everyone” setting.

The feature addresses access to conversations within the interface rather than changing every aspect of how sensitive information is handled.

Users should also distinguish unlocking a conversation from resetting its PIN. According to OpenAI, a PIN reset permanently deletes all locked chats, files and other content protected by the previous PIN.

Availability and Conversation Restrictions

Locked Chats are rolling out across ChatGPT Free, Go, Plus, Pro, Business, Enterprise and Edu plans. The feature is not available on ChatGPT for Healthcare.

Some conversation types cannot be locked. These include Temporary Chats, archived chats, group chats, conversations created from shared links, chats containing scheduled tasks and chats with meeting recordings.

The rollout began Tuesday, so availability may vary as the feature reaches users.