ChatGPT Introduces Locked Chats With PIN Protection for Private Conversations
Date: October 21, 2026
OpenAI has introduced a new privacy feature called Locked Chats in ChatGPT, allowing users to protect selected conversations with a four-digit PIN or supported device authentication. The feature is designed to help people keep sensitive discussions out of their regular chat history when sharing a phone or computer with others.
Announced on October 20, the feature moves locked conversations into a separate section, making them unavailable in the normal chat list, pinned chats and regular conversation search.
How ChatGPT Locked Chats Work
The new feature allows users to lock individual eligible conversations without deleting them. Once a chat is locked, its title and content are removed from the regular conversation list and moved to a dedicated Locked Chats area.
Users can open protected conversations by entering their account PIN. On supported mobile devices, authentication options may also include Face ID, Touch ID or the device's unlock method.
This could be useful for people who use ChatGPT for personal planning, confidential work discussions or other conversations they do not want immediately visible to someone looking at their screen.
How to Lock a Chat in ChatGPT
The process is designed to be straightforward:
Open the conversation you want to protect.
Select the three-dot menu next to the chat.
Choose the Lock chat option.
Confirm the action and create or enter your four-digit account PIN when prompted.
After locking the conversation, users can access it through the Locked Chats section and authenticate when required.
The feature is rolling out gradually, so the Lock chat option may not appear for every user immediately.
Which ChatGPT Plans Support Locked Chats?
According to OpenAI's published information, Locked Chats are rolling out to ChatGPT Free, Go, Plus, Pro, Business, Enterprise and Edu users.
Availability may vary by account, device and rollout stage. On desktop, the feature is supported through the web experience and the new ChatGPT desktop applications, while supported mobile devices may offer additional authentication methods.
Some conversation types cannot be locked, including temporary chats, group chats and certain chats associated with scheduled tasks or meeting recordings.
Does PIN Protection Make ChatGPT Conversations Fully Secure?
Although Locked Chats add a layer of access protection, users should understand what the feature does and does not provide.
Locking a conversation does not create end-to-end encryption or a separate encrypted vault. It also does not automatically change data-retention periods or the user's model-improvement settings.
Users should therefore avoid treating the feature as a complete replacement for broader account security and privacy practices.
OpenAI also warns that resetting a forgotten account PIN permanently deletes the locked chats and content protected by the previous PIN. Users should carefully review the warning before choosing to reset it.
What Happens to ChatGPT Memory?
Locked Chats have a separate memory arrangement when Memory is enabled. New information from conversations inside the locked section can update its separate memory without updating regular ChatGPT Memory.
This separation is intended to help keep information from locked conversations from carrying over into ordinary chats.
However, information ChatGPT remembered before a conversation was locked is not automatically removed simply because the chat has been moved into the protected section.
Why This Feature Matters
As people increasingly use AI assistants for personal and professional tasks, the ability to control who can view a conversation on a shared device has become more important.
Locked Chats provide an additional option for users who want to retain a conversation while keeping it out of immediate view. The feature may be especially helpful when handing a device to a family member, colleague or friend.
Nevertheless, users should continue to secure their accounts, protect their devices and review their privacy settings.
Conclusion
ChatGPT's new Locked Chats feature adds PIN protection and supported biometric authentication to selected private conversations. By moving these chats out of regular history, pinned conversations and search, OpenAI gives users greater control over the visibility of sensitive discussions.
The feature is rolling out across several ChatGPT plans, although availability may vary. While it offers an additional privacy layer, it does not provide end-to-end encryption, making it important for users to understand its limitations before relying on it for sensitive information.