ChatGPT has started rolling out Locked Chats, a way to keep selected conversations in an account while hiding the conversations from regular chat history, pinned chats and regular conversation search. ChatGPT announced the feature on X at 01:32 Beijing time on October 21.
According to that ChatGPT post, locked chats can be unlocked with a PIN on web and desktop, or with a PIN, Face ID, Touch ID or device unlock on supported mobile devices. The same post says new messages sent in locked chats will not update the memory used in regular chats, and that the rollout covers Free, Go, Plus, Pro, Business, Enterprise and Edu plans.
The ChatGPT release notes entry dated October 20, 2026 describes Locked Chats the same way on unlock methods and says retention and model-improvement settings stay unchanged. That release-notes item lists a gradual rollout to Free, Go, Plus and Pro users on the web, in the iOS and Android apps, and in the new ChatGPT desktop app for macOS and Windows. The release notes do not list Business, Enterprise or Edu in that Free-to-Pro paragraph.
The Using locked chats Help Center page says Locked Chats are available on ChatGPT Free, Go, Plus, Pro, Business, Enterprise and Edu, and that Locked Chats are not available on ChatGPT for Healthcare. Opening locked chats requires a 4-digit account PIN; on supported mobile devices, Face ID, Touch ID or the device unlock method can also be used. Locked chats sit under Projects, Locked chats.
The Help Center states that locking a chat changes where the conversation appears and how it is opened. Locking does not create end-to-end encryption or a separate encrypted vault, does not change how long OpenAI retains the chat, and does not change the Improve the model for everyone setting.
The Help Center also separates changing a PIN from resetting a PIN. Changing the account PIN does not delete locked chats and requires the current PIN. Resetting the account PIN permanently deletes all locked chats, remembered information stored only within locked chats, and files or other content protected only by the previous PIN. That deletion cannot be undone, and OpenAI Support cannot recover the deleted content.