OpenAI Adds Locked Chats to ChatGPT With PIN, Face ID and Touch ID Protection

OpenAI Rolls Out Locked Chats for ChatGPT

OpenAI announced on Tuesday that ChatGPT users can now lock individual conversations to keep sensitive chats private when other people may have access to their screen or device. A locked chat can be secured with a four-digit PIN, or with Face ID or Touch ID on supported devices.

The feature differs from the app's existing Temporary Chats, which run as a separate session that never appears in chat history. Locked Chats remain accessible, and users can return to them at any time. OpenAI says the option is designed for situations where someone is discussing something personal or planning a surprise and wants those conversations to stay private when handing a device to friends or family to show them something in another chat.

How Locked Chats Work

Once a chat is locked, it moves to a dedicated "Locked Chats" section that is kept separate from regular chat history, pinned conversations, and chat search results. With Memory enabled, the section has its own separate memory shared across conversations within it. New messages sent after a chat is locked can update that memory, but they do not update regular Memory, which OpenAI says prevents information from locked chats from leaking into regular chats.

Resetting a PIN permanently deletes all locked chats, files, and other content protected by the previous PIN, according to OpenAI.

Limits and Availability

The company notes that locking a chat does not create end-to-end encryption or a separate encrypted vault. It also does not change how long OpenAI retains the chat, remove information that ChatGPT remembered before the chat was locked, or change the "Improve the model for everyone" setting.

Locked Chats cannot be used with temporary chats, archived chats, group chats, chats created from a shared link, chats with scheduled tasks, or chats with meeting recordings. The feature is rolling out to users on ChatGPT Free, Go, Plus, Pro, Business, Enterprise, and Edu plans, but it is not available on ChatGPT for Healthcare. Since the rollout began on Tuesday, it may not be live yet for all users.

Sources: TechCrunch · Engadget