ChatGPT adds PIN-locked chats, not end-to-end encrypted

OpenAI began rolling out Locked Chats on Tuesday, letting ChatGPT users seal individual conversations behind a four-digit PIN, Face ID, or Touch ID, TechCrunch reports. Locked threads move to a dedicated folder and disappear from the main chat history, pinned list, and search bar.

The list of what the lock does not do is the longer one. OpenAI says locking a chat does not create end-to-end encryption, does not establish a separate encrypted vault, does not change data retention policies, does not remove information ChatGPT already remembered, and does not alter the 'Improve the model for everyone' setting. Memory is partitioned at the UI layer: the company says the feature works with Memory, "maintaining separate memory for locked chats that doesn't transfer to regular conversations."

The sharp edge is the reset. "Resetting a PIN permanently deletes all associated locked chats and protected content," OpenAI says.

Locked Chats is available across ChatGPT Free, Go, Plus, Pro, Business, Enterprise, and Edu plans, but not for ChatGPT for Healthcare. It cannot be applied to temporary chats, archived conversations, group chats, shared-link chats, chats with scheduled tasks, or chats containing meeting recordings.