Research noteResearched 22 Oct 2026 · published 22 Oct 2026, 19:19 IST

Research note: ChatGPT now lets you lock chats behind a PIN or Face ID, but they are not encrypted

How we checked what ChatGPT Locked Chats does and does not protect.

Research led by Mayank Sahu

Compiled with AI assistance (Claude by Anthropic)

Read the story →

At a glance

2searches run

3sources read

2sources used

5facts labelled

Strongevidence strength · 4 of 5 facts (80%)

How we rate evidence: Most facts come from official sources or two or more independent outlets. We count the share of known facts labelled Confirmed or Reported: 70% or more is Strong, 40–69% Mixed, below 40% Limited.

From sources to story

How many sources we read, how many we used, and how many are official or archived.

Read3Every source we opened

Used2Relied on for the story

Cited2Linked in the story

Official0From the company or a public body

Archived2Saved on the Internet Archive

How sure we are, fact by fact

Reported · 4 — Two or more independent, named outlets say it.
Unconfirmed · 1 — One report only, shown with its source.

Evidence map

Each row is a fact from the story; each column is a source. A filled dot means that source supports the fact.

Fact	Label	1OUT	2OUT
OpenAI began rolling out Locked Chats on 20 October 2026, protected by a PIN or Face ID/Touch ID.	Reported
Available on Free, Go, Plus, Pro, Business, Enterprise and Edu; not on ChatGPT for Healthcare.	Reported
Locking does not add end-to-end encryption or change retention.	Reported
Resetting a forgotten PIN permanently deletes locked chats.	Reported
Locked chats can still be used for training if that setting is on.	Unconfirmed

Question

What we set out to check

How Locked Chats works, who gets it, and what it does not protect.

Findings

What we found

Both outlets agree on PIN and biometrics, plans, the lack of encryption and the PIN-reset deletion.
Notebookcheck adds platform detail, re-lock timing and training and compliance limits.

Discrepancies

Numbers that differ

None.

Method

Labels we chose and why

Reported for features and limits in both outlets.
Unconfirmed for the training detail, from one outlet.

Open questions

What we could not verify

OpenAI’s help article, which we did not open.

Can you help confirm one of these? Send us a source. When we find an answer, we update this note and the story, with the date.

Next steps

How we could improve this

Cite OpenAI’s help page directly and confirm the training behaviour, especially whether locked chats follow the same “Improve the model for everyone” setting on every plan. We would also check how locked chats behave on shared family accounts and on the new desktop apps.

Research timeline

Research22 Oct 2026
Research note published22 Oct 2026, 19:19 IST
Story published22 Oct 2026, 19:29 IST

What we searched

ChatGPT now lets you lock your chats October 2026
ChatGPT locked chats PIN Face ID feature

Every source we read

Source	Used?	Why
TechCrunch Archived copy	USED	Plans, memory, encryption caveat, quotes.
Notebookcheck Archived copy	USED	Platforms, re-lock timing, training and compliance limits.
Android Authority	NOT USED	Earlier report on code hints.

Sources cited in the story

Research notes show our working. They are not peer-reviewed papers. Data: facts as JSON · How we report