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ChatGPT users now have the option to secure private conversations with a four-digit PIN, thanks to a new feature called Locked Chats. OpenAI is rolling out this feature to add an extra layer of privacy for users who want to keep certain chats hidden when sharing their device with others.
Once a conversation is locked, it moves into a separate Locked Chats section, disappearing from regular chat history, pinned chats, and standard search results. Users can access these protected chats by entering their PIN, or on supported devices, by using Face ID, Touch ID, or their phone’s unlock method. The same PIN can be used across all devices linked to the user’s OpenAI account.
Locked Chats are available on ChatGPT Free, Go, Plus, Pro, Business, Enterprise, and Edu plans, across web browsers, iPhone and Android apps, and ChatGPT desktop apps for Mac and Windows. However, this feature is not available for ChatGPT for Healthcare. Not every chat can be locked—Temporary Chats, archived chats, group chats, and some other types are excluded.
To lock a chat, users simply select "Lock chat" from the conversation’s menu. If the option isn’t visible, the feature may not have reached their account, as OpenAI is releasing it gradually. Once a chat is locked, its title and contents remain behind the PIN until unlocked, and users can continue those conversations or start new ones in the Locked Chats area.
OpenAI notes that while Locked Chats make it harder for others to casually view private conversations, they do not provide end-to-end encryption or create a separate encrypted vault. Locking a chat does not affect how long OpenAI retains the information, nor does it change the “Improve the model for everyone” setting unless users turn it off themselves. Memory created before locking a chat can remain accessible in regular Memory, while new information from locked chats is stored separately within the Locked Chats memory area.
There are some important limitations. If users reset a forgotten PIN, all locked chats, related files, and memories are permanently deleted and cannot be recovered, even by OpenAI’s support team. Additionally, previously shared links to conversations are not revoked by locking; users must manually delete those links to restrict access.
Biometric authentication methods—like Face ID or fingerprint recognition—can be enabled on supported devices to make accessing locked chats more convenient. However, device authentication applies only to the specific device where it is set up.
For workplace accounts, organizational policies still apply, and authorized compliance systems may access locked chats for retention and oversight. Workspace administrators cannot unlock chats or reset a user’s PIN.
OpenAI’s Locked Chats feature is designed to offer users more control over their privacy while using ChatGPT, but the company recommends caution for highly sensitive information, reminding users that the feature is mainly for convenience and access control—not absolute confidentiality.