ChatGPT adds PIN-locked chats

OpenAI now lets you lock chats in ChatGPT behind a PIN. Locked chats move to their own section, so they stay hidden if someone else uses your phone or computer. It is rolling out now, so you may not see it yet.

What happened

OpenAI announced Locked Chats on Tuesday, 20 October 2026, TechCrunch reports. The idea is simple. You may hand your phone to a friend or a family member. A locked chat stays out of sight.

Locked chats go into a separate "Locked Chats" section. They do not show up in your normal chat list, your pinned chats or search results. Unlike Temporary Chats, which disappear from your history, locked chats stay. You can come back to them any time.

You open them with a four-digit PIN. On devices that support it, you can use Face ID or Touch ID instead.

Key facts

• Date: OpenAI announced it on Tuesday, 20 October 2026, per TechCrunch.
• Unlock: a four-digit PIN, or Face ID or Touch ID on supported devices.
• Plans: Free, Go, Plus, Pro, Business, Enterprise and Edu. It is not on ChatGPT for Healthcare.
• Memory: if Memory is on, Locked Chats gets its own separate memory.
• Reset warning: resetting the PIN permanently deletes the locked chats and files it protected.
• Rollout: it started Tuesday, so some users may not see it yet.

Background

ChatGPT already has Temporary Chats. Those vanish from your history. Locked Chats works the other way: the chats are kept, but hidden behind a lock.

The memory part matters. Per TechCrunch, new messages in a locked chat can update the memory of that section, but not your regular Memory. So facts from a locked chat should not show up in your normal chats.

Some chats cannot be locked: temporary chats, archived chats, group chats, chats made from a shared link, chats with scheduled tasks, and chats with meeting recordings.

What it means for you

This is for anyone who shares a device, or hands their phone to others. Think of a family tablet or a phone passed around at a party. If you talk to ChatGPT about health, money or a surprise gift, you can now keep that out of view.

What it does not do is just as important. TechCrunch says locking is not end-to-end encryption. It does not change how long OpenAI keeps the chat. It does not remove what ChatGPT already remembered before you locked the chat. It also does not change the "Improve the model for everyone" setting.

Our take: treat it as a privacy screen, not a safe. Do not rely on it for truly sensitive information, and check your data settings too.

What happens next

The rollout began on Tuesday. The report says some users may not see the feature yet. It does not give a date for when everyone gets it.

Our take: if you do not see it in a few days, update the app and check OpenAI's help page.

FAQ

How do I unlock a locked chat?

Use a four-digit PIN, or Face ID or Touch ID on supported devices, per TechCrunch.

Are locked chats encrypted?

No. TechCrunch says locking is not end-to-end encryption and does not change how long OpenAI keeps the chat.

What happens if I forget my PIN?

You can reset it, but resetting permanently deletes all the locked chats, files and other content the old PIN protected.

Sources

• TechCrunch