On October 20, 2026, OpenAI began rolling out Locked Chats in ChatGPT. You can now lock a single conversation with a four-digit PIN, or with Face ID or Touch ID on a supported phone. It is rolling out gradually, so you may not see it yet.
What it does. A locked chat moves out of your normal chat list into its own "Locked Chats" section. It also disappears from pinned chats and from search. Unlike a Temporary Chat, a locked chat is kept, and you can open it again whenever you like.
How to try it. Reports say to open the three-dot menu on a chat and choose "Lock chat", then create your PIN. If you don't see the option, it has probably not reached your account yet. It is available on Free, Go, Plus, Pro, Business, Enterprise and Edu plans. Reports name no countries, so we can't say whether every country gets it on the same day.
Locked chats have their own memory. If you use ChatGPT's Memory, the locked section keeps a separate one. What you write in a locked chat can update only that memory, not your regular Memory, so it won't pop up in everyday conversations. See our guide to ChatGPT memory settings.
What a lock does not do
- It is not encryption. OpenAI says it does not create end-to-end encryption or a separate encrypted vault. The lock stops someone who picks up your phone or looks at your screen. It does not change what OpenAI stores.
- It does not change how long chats are kept, or your "Improve the model for everyone" setting. To manage those, see how to opt out of AI training and delete your data.
- It does not undo the past. Anything ChatGPT remembered before you locked the chat stays remembered.
- An old shared link keeps working. If you shared a chat before locking it, delete that link separately.
The one trap: a forgotten PIN
If you forget your PIN and reset it, all your locked chats and the files in them are permanently deleted. OpenAI support can't bring them back. Choose a PIN you will remember, and don't lock the only copy of something you need. Copy it somewhere safe first.
What this means for you
If you share a phone, tablet or computer with a partner, children or grandchildren, a lock is a handy way to keep a few chats private, such as health questions or a gift you're planning. It is not a reason to type in things that don't belong in a chatbot. Passwords, card numbers and ID numbers stay out of ChatGPT whether or not a chat is locked. Our guide on what not to tell an AI chatbot still applies.
A name mix-up to avoid: this is not the same as Lockdown Mode, a different setting that limits what ChatGPT can do during a conversation.
One safety tip. Nobody, including someone claiming to be "OpenAI support", needs your PIN or a code from your app. Anyone who asks for it is a scammer.
Sources
- ChatGPT now lets you lock your chats — TechCrunch
- ChatGPT now lets you lock private chats with a PIN or Face ID — Gulf News