ChatGPT Rolls Out Locked Chats: PIN and Biometric Protection for Sensitive Conversations
OpenAI announced on Tuesday that users can now lock ChatGPT conversations, keeping sensitive chats private when others may have access to their screen or device. Locked chats can be secured with a four-digit PIN, or with Face ID or Touch ID on supported devices.
Unlike the app's Temporary Chats, which provide a separate session that doesn't appear in chat history, Locked Chats can be reopened at any time.
Designed for Everyday Privacy
According to OpenAI, the feature targets situations where users might be discussing something personal or planning a surprise—and want to keep those conversations private when handing their phone to a friend or family member to show something in another chat.
The addition of Locked Chats introduces a new privacy layer to ChatGPT at a time when the app is increasingly used for personal conversations. Still, locking a chat only limits access; it does not address broader questions about how sensitive information is stored or handled.
What Locked Chats Don't Do
OpenAI notes that locking a chat does not:
- Create end-to-end encryption or a separate encrypted vault
- Change how long the chat is retained
- Remove information that ChatGPT remembered before the chat was locked
- Change the "Improve the model for everyone" setting
How It Works
Once a chat is locked, it moves to a dedicated "Locked Chats" section, kept separate from regular chat history, pinned conversations, and chat search results.
When Memory is enabled, the Locked Chats section maintains its own separate memory, shared only across conversations within that section. New messages sent after a chat is locked can update this isolated memory but do not affect regular Memory—so information from locked chats won't leak into regular conversations.
OpenAI cautions that resetting a PIN permanently deletes all locked chats, files, and other content protected by the previous PIN.
Availability and Exclusions
The Locked Chats option is not available for temporary chats, archived chats, group chats, chats created from a shared link, 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 company notes the feature is not available on ChatGPT for Healthcare. Rollout begins Tuesday, so it may not yet be live for all users.
via TechCrunch