OpenAI begins rolling out ChatGPT locked chats, protected by a four-digit PIN or Face ID and Touch ID

TechCrunch reported on Oct 20 that OpenAI announced locked chats for ChatGPT. Users can secure sensitive conversations with a four-digit PIN, or with Face ID and Touch ID on supported devices, adding a layer of access protection. The feature began rolling out gradually on Oct 20, and the report notes some users may not see it yet, so it is not a full launch. The article provides no figures on how many users have enabled it or on adoption rates.

Organizationally, locked chats move into a separate Locked Chats section apart from normal chat history, pinned conversations and chat search results. Locking does not delete a conversation or turn it into a one-off session, and users can still return to it later, which differs from temporary chats that do not appear in history. If ChatGPT Memory is enabled, locked chats get their own separate memory that can be shared across conversations inside the locked area; new messages sent after locking can update that memory but not the regular memory.

On limitations, the feature provides no end-to-end encryption and does not create a separate encrypted vault, does not change chat retention, does not remove information ChatGPT already memorized before locking, and does not change the improve-the-model setting, so it does not address how sensitive data is stored or processed server-side. In addition, resetting the PIN permanently deletes all chats, files and other content previously protected by that PIN, with no way to undo it. Temporary chats, archived chats, group chats, chats created via share links, chats with scheduled tasks and chats with meeting recordings cannot use the feature. It will be available on Free, Go, Plus, Pro, Business, Enterprise and Edu plans, but not on ChatGPT for Healthcare.