OpenAI Launches Locked Chats for Privacy

OpenAI is enhancing user privacy with a new feature called locked chats. This allows individuals to shield specific ChatGPT conversations from their general chat history and search functionality. To access these private exchanges, a 4-digit PIN is required, with mobile devices also supporting biometric authentication like Face ID for added security.

It is important to understand that locked chats are not a form of end-to-end encryption. OpenAI clarifies that this feature does not alter its legal obligations or data retention policies. Furthermore, resetting your account PIN will permanently delete all locked chats and any associated uploaded files, a process that cannot be reversed.

The rollout of locked chats is gradual, and the feature will be available to both free and paid subscribers across Android and iOS platforms. While it enhances conversational privacy, it does not extend to Codex conversations.