Industry Odisha Bureau, Oct 21: OpenAI is introducing a locked chats feature in ChatGPT that allows users to keep selected conversations out of their regular chat history. This also protects the conversations from being viewed casually by others using the same device.
The feature, notably, is designed for situations where users access ChatGPT in public places or share their phones and computers with friends or family. Similar to WhatsApp’s Chat Lock, it adds an extra layer of privacy without requiring a separate application.
Locked conversations will no longer appear in the regular chat history, pinned chats or conversation search. Instead, users can access them through Projects > Locked Chats section in the ChatGPT sidebar. Conversation titles will also remain hidden from the usual interface.
Further, users can secure these chats with a four digit PIN linked to their account. On mobile devices, biometric authentication, including fingerprint or facial recognition, can also be used. To lock or unlock a conversation, users need to open its three-dot menu and select the relevant option.
Notably, OpenAI is rolling out the feature across ChatGPT Free, Go, Plus, Pro, Business, Enterprise, and Edu plans. Availability will vary as the rollout progresses. Users who cannot find the lock option in an eligible conversation may need to wait until it reaches their account.
However, the feature does not provide end-to-end encryption. OpenAI may still access locked conversations and use them to improve its AI models if users have enabled the “Improve the model for everyone” setting. Locking a chat also does not erase information ChatGPT previously saved to memory or override applicable workspace policies, safety requirements or legal obligations.
