--- title: "ChatGPT now lets you lock chats behind a PIN or Face ID, but they are not encrypted" url: https://anawords.com/story/chatgpt-locked-chats-pin-face-id-what-it-protects published: 2026-10-22T19:29:16+05:30 updated: 2026-10-22T19:29:16+05:30 section: Tools & Apps author: Mayank Sahu checked: sources checked by AI, approved by editor version: 1 --- # ChatGPT now lets you lock chats behind a PIN or Face ID, but they are not encrypted Locked Chats hide sensitive conversations from anyone using your device. They do not change data retention or training settings, and forgetting the PIN means losing the chats. **In short:** OpenAI began rolling out Locked Chats in ChatGPT on 20 October 2026. Users can lock a conversation behind a four-digit PIN, or Face ID or Touch ID on supported devices, to hide it from others using the same device. Locking does not add end-to-end encryption or change how data is stored. ## What Locked Chats does Locked Chats lets you protect individual ChatGPT conversations so others who can see your screen or use your device cannot open them.[^1][^2] OpenAI says it is designed for situations such as “discussing something personal or planning a surprise”.[^1] - **How to lock:** open a chat’s menu and choose Lock chat. The first time, you set a four-digit PIN for your whole account.[^2] - **Unlocking:** the PIN, or Face ID or Touch ID on supported devices; Android uses the phone’s own unlock.[^1][^2] - **Where they go:** locked chats leave your history, pinned chats and search, and sit in a separate Locked chats section.[^1][^2] - **Auto re-lock:** on mobile, access ends after a minute in the background; in a browser, reloading or closing the tab locks them again.[^2] ## Who gets it It is rolling out on Free, Go, Plus, Pro, Business, Enterprise and Edu plans, on web, iOS, Android and the desktop apps.[^1][^2] It is not available on ChatGPT for Healthcare, or for temporary, archived, group, shared-link or scheduled-task chats.[^1][^2] ## What it does not do This is the important part. Both outlets stress the limits:[^1][^2] - **No end-to-end encryption** or separate encrypted vault. It hides chats on your device; it does not change how OpenAI stores them. - **Retention and training settings are unchanged.** If “Improve the model for everyone” is on, locked chats can still be used for training, according to Notebookcheck.[^2] - **Work accounts:** in Enterprise and Edu workspaces, locked chats remain in compliance logs.[^2] - **Forgotten PIN:** resetting it permanently deletes all locked chats and their files. Support cannot recover them.[^1][^2] ## Memory With Memory on, locked chats have their own separate memory, so new details there do not flow into regular chats. Anything ChatGPT remembered before you locked a chat stays in regular Memory.[^1][^2] ## What it means Locked Chats is useful for a common situation: a shared family phone or laptop, or a screen visible at work. In India, where many households share devices, that matters. But it is a privacy screen, not a safe. If you want a conversation kept out of training, check the “Improve the model for everyone” setting or use Temporary Chat. If the information is very sensitive, the safest choice is still not to share it. ## What to watch - Whether OpenAI adds encryption or training opt-outs specific to locked chats. - Full rollout to all accounts, which is happening gradually. Related: [OpenAI’s ChatGPT text watermark under the EU AI Act](/story/openai-chatgpt-text-watermark-eu-ai-act) and [GPT-6 for free ChatGPT users](/story/openai-gpt-6-chatgpt-free-users-intelligent-ui). ## Fact ledger - [Reported] OpenAI began rolling out Locked Chats on 20 October 2026, protected by a PIN or Face ID/Touch ID. (source 1,2) - [Reported] Available on Free, Go, Plus, Pro, Business, Enterprise and Edu; not on ChatGPT for Healthcare. (source 1,2) - [Reported] Locking does not add end-to-end encryption or change retention. (source 1,2) - [Reported] Resetting a forgotten PIN permanently deletes locked chats. (source 1,2) - [Unconfirmed] Locked chats can still be used for training if that setting is on. (source 2) ## Sources 1. [TechCrunch: ChatGPT now lets you lock your chats](https://techcrunch.com/2026/10/20/chatgpt-now-lets-you-lock-your-chats/) 2. [Notebookcheck: ChatGPT can now lock chats behind a PIN, but they are not encrypted](https://www.notebookcheck.net/ChatGPT-can-now-lock-chats-behind-a-PIN-but-they-are-not-encrypted.1431008.0.html)