ChatGPT rolls out locked chats, with a PIN-reset deletion warning
Free and paid plans are included in a gradual rollout; locking controls access, not end-to-end encryption.
OpenAI announced locked chats on October 20, 2026, without an exact publication time or rollout deadline. Free, Go, Plus, Pro, Business, Enterprise and Edu are included across web, iOS, Android and the new macOS/Windows app, subject to account rollout. No API update was announced. A four-digit PIN or supported device authentication opens conversations hidden from ordinary history and search. Locking adds no end-to-end encryption and leaves retention, training and workspace compliance settings unchanged. Resetting the PIN permanently deletes locked chats and content protected only by the old PIN; changing it normally does not. Healthcare, Codex and local Work chats are excluded. Feature-interface languages, dedicated quotas and additional charges were not specified. Not tested here.
Usage conditions
- Hong Kong
- Hong Kong is absent from ChatGPT’s official web/mobile support list. Desktop access is unconfirmed; this is no regional expansion or API release.
- Macau
- Macau is absent from ChatGPT’s official web/mobile support list. Desktop access is unconfirmed; this is no regional expansion or API release.
- Taiwan
- Taiwan is supported for ChatGPT web/mobile, but per-account locked-chat access and app rollout timing remain unconfirmed. No corresponding API update was announced.
Official source: OpenAI — ChatGPT release notes: Introducing locked chats