ChatGPT adds locked chats with PIN and Face ID support to protect private conversations
OpenAI is making locked chats available across ChatGPT plans. Users can protect conversations with a PIN or biometric checks, such as Face ID or Touch ID. However, this feature does not change how long data is kept or how it is encrypted.
OpenAI has announced that ChatGPT users can now lock individual conversations to add privacy when other people might be able to see their screen or use their device. Users can protect locked chats with a four-digit PIN or use Face ID or Touch ID on supported devices.
Unlike temporary chats, which do not appear in chat history, locked chats are still available whenever users want to return to them. OpenAI says the feature is meant for situations where people discuss personal matters or plan a surprise and want to keep the conversation private when lending their device to friends or other people.
This new feature adds another layer of privacy to ChatGPT as more people use the app for personal conversations. However, locking a chat can only limit access on the device. It does not solve wider concerns about how sensitive information is stored and handled.
OpenAI says that locking a chat does not add end-to-end encryption, create a separate secure storage area with its own encryption, or change how long the chat is kept. It also does not delete information ChatGPT remembered before the chat was locked or change the “Improve the model for everyone” setting.
How locked chats work
When the feature is turned on, ChatGPT creates a separate “Locked Chats” section where users can find their protected conversations. These chats have their own history, including pinned conversations and search results.
If users have memory turned on, locked chats have a separate memory that is shared across conversations in that section. Changes made in locked chats do not carry over to regular chats, so the two groups of conversations stay separate.
OpenAI says that resetting the PIN permanently deletes all files and other content in locked chats protected by the old PIN.
The feature cannot be used with temporary chats, archived chats, group chats, chats created from shared links, chats with scheduled tasks, or chats with meeting recordings.
Locked chats will be available to users on ChatGPT Free, Go, Plus, Pro, Business, Enterprise, and Edu plans. The feature is not available on ChatGPT for Healthcare.
First Published:Oct 21, 2026, 00:48:54 IST