OpenAI adds PIN-protected Locked Chats to ChatGPT
Locked chats move into a dedicated project and vanish from search and history until unlocked, but resetting a forgotten PIN deletes them permanently.
OpenAI has launched Locked Chats in ChatGPT, a feature that protects individual conversations with a four-digit PIN or a biometric check on mobile devices, according to TechRadar. The feature was introduced on October 24, 2026.
Users lock a conversation from the three-dot menu at the top right of the chat window and confirm "Lock Chat". Protected conversations are moved into a new dedicated Project and disappear from regular history and search results until they are unlocked.
Access carries some caveats. Unlocking a protected project grants temporary access, and the conversation does not re-lock on its own unless the user selects Lock again. A locked chat can also remain visible in the same browser tab immediately after locking, while other devices that already had the conversation open may show its title until they refresh.
PIN resets and existing links
OpenAI says that resetting a forgotten PIN permanently deletes every locked chat and file protected by the old PIN. Shared links to a conversation also keep working after it is locked unless the user deletes the link.
Memory behaves differently too. Details ChatGPT remembered before a conversation was locked stay in regular memory and must be removed manually, while details remembered after locking are kept separate from ordinary ChatGPT memory and can be used in other locked conversations.
Quick answers
How do I lock a chat in ChatGPT?
Open the three-dot menu at the top right of the chat window and confirm "Lock Chat". The conversation then moves to a dedicated Project and is hidden from history and search.
What happens if I forget the PIN for a locked chat?
Resetting the PIN permanently deletes every locked chat and file that was protected by the old PIN.
Does ChatGPT Memory still store information from locked chats?
Details remembered before locking remain in regular memory and must be deleted manually; details remembered after locking are kept separate and can be used in other locked conversations.