ChatGPT now lets you lock sensitive chats behind a PIN

OpenAI has started rolling out a locked chats feature for ChatGPT that hides selected conversations behind a four-digit PIN. The feature works across every account tier and is aimed at anyone who shares a screen, hands their phone to a colleague or works on a shared device.

What happened

OpenAI introduced locked chats for ChatGPT, a feature that moves conversations out of the regular chat list and into a protected area. To read a locked chat, you enter a four-digit account PIN, or use Face ID, Touch ID or your device's native unlock method on supported phones.

The feature is available on ChatGPT Free, Go, Plus, Pro, Business, Enterprise and Edu accounts. The rollout is gradual, so if you do not yet see a "Lock chat" option in a conversation's more options menu, you may need to wait a few days before it appears, according to Tech Times.

What it means for your work

• Locked conversations are removed from your regular chat list, pinned chats and search results. They sit under a dedicated section found by going to Projects, then Locked chats.
• Files uploaded inside a locked chat are also hidden from the broader file storage area. Files brought in from outside the locked chat keep their original access rules.
• On the web or desktop app, access lasts only for the specific browser tab or window where you entered your PIN. On mobile, access ends automatically after one minute away from the locked chat area or when the app moves to the background.
• A "Lock now" button lets you end access immediately at any time.
• Locked chats do not create end-to-end encryption, do not change how long OpenAI keeps your conversations, and do not affect whether a chat is used for model training based on your existing settings.
• In ChatGPT Enterprise and Edu, locked chats are still included in conversation message logs available through the OpenAI Compliance Platform. Administrators with compliance tool access can see them through that channel, even though they cannot unlock them directly.

What to do now

1. Open any conversation in ChatGPT and look for the more options menu. If you see "Lock chat", the feature has reached your account.
2. Select "Lock chat" and follow the prompt to create a four-digit account PIN, which you confirm by entering it twice.
3. Optionally enable biometric authentication on each device separately for quicker access.
4. To start a brand-new sensitive conversation inside the protected area, go to Projects, then Locked chats, and begin a new chat from there.
5. Write your PIN down somewhere safe. If you forget it and reset it, all locked chats, any memories stored only within them, and any files protected by that PIN are permanently deleted. OpenAI states plainly: "This cannot be undone, and OpenAI Support cannot recover the deleted content."

The PIN you set works across all supported devices where you are signed into the same OpenAI account, so you only need to create it once.