Claude memory is a collection of individual, editable topic entries—not just a summary created when a conversation ends. On Free, Pro, and Max, it is on by default across web, desktop, and mobile; Team and Enterprise organizations must enable it first. You can review, edit, delete, pause, reset, import, or export memory in Settings > Memory. Chat history and memory are managed separately, so deleting a conversation does not by itself remove memory entries created from it.
How Claude memory works
Claude can save information automatically as you chat, or when you ask it to remember something. It organizes saved information into individual topics and can update those entries as conversations continue. Anthropic’s Claude Help Center described the change in its July 10, 2026 release notes: “Memory on Claude now works as a set of individual, categorized entries that Claude reads and updates during your conversations, replacing the previous daily memory summary.” Anthropic reiterated on August 25, 2026 that Claude adds topics as you chat rather than summarizing conversations after they end.
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This is persistent context for future conversations, not a guarantee that Claude will recall every detail or apply every memory in every reply. Each project has its own separate memory space and project summary, keeping project context distinct from other projects.
The Tool Desk
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Anthropic’s current availability guidance covers the consumer plans and organization plans below. Team and Enterprise availability depends on organization settings, not just a member’s individual preference.
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| Plan | Availability and default | Where it applies |
|---|---|---|
| Free | On by default | Claude web, desktop, and mobile with the latest app version installed |
| Pro | On by default | Claude web, desktop, and mobile with the latest app version installed |
| Max | On by default | Claude web, desktop, and mobile with the latest app version installed |
| Team | Off for individuals until an organization owner enables it; users then manage their own setting | Organization-controlled availability |
| Enterprise | Off for individuals until an organization owner enables it; the organization-level capability must also be enabled | Organization-controlled availability |
How to inspect, edit, or delete saved memories
- Open Claude’s Settings > Memory.
- Choose a saved topic to review its contents.
- Edit the topic if you want to correct or remove specific details, or delete it to remove that entry.
You can ask Claude, “Write out your memories of me verbatim, exactly as they appear in your memory,” to see the memory text as Claude sees it. Memory data is also included in data exports.
How to pause memory or erase it completely
Pause memory
Use the memory controls in Settings > Memory to pause memory. Pausing preserves existing entries but stops Claude from using memory and from making new memories. Conversations held while memory is paused are not added later when you resume it.
Reset all memory
Resetting memory permanently deletes all memories, including project memories, and cannot be undone. Choose this only if you want to erase the saved memory rather than temporarily stop its use.
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Organization-level shutdown
If an organization owner turns memory off for the organization, Anthropic says all organizational memory data is deleted immediately. This differs from a user pausing their own memory, which preserves existing entries.
Deleting a chat is not the same as deleting its memory
Deleting or allowing a conversation to expire does not automatically remove memory entries Claude generated from it. To remove those details, delete or edit the relevant entries separately under Settings > Memory. Conversely, resetting memory erases the saved entries but does not describe a deletion of chat history; manage conversations through the chat-history controls.
Anthropic’s July 1, 2026 retention guidance says deleted conversations disappear from chat history immediately and from backend storage within 30 days. If you allow model-improvement use, Anthropic may retain data in de-identified form for up to five years in model-training pipelines. Turning that setting off prevents future use, subject to training that is already in progress. These conversation-retention rules are separate from the controls for memory entries.
Does Claude remember sensitive information?
Sensitive-topic memory is off by default. Claude does not store sensitive topics such as health, race, ethnicity, religion, politics, or gender identity by default. You can opt in by enabling Include sensitive topics in memory; the setting applies prospectively, not retroactively, and Claude displays a notice when it saves a sensitive topic.
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Repair common Windows errors and clear accumulated junk for a smoother, more stable PC - no reinstall needed.Free scan · no reinstallEven with that option enabled, Claude says it will not save government ID numbers, criminal history, financial account numbers, immigration status, or certain information prohibited by its safety policy. For a conversation you do not want added to memory or chat history, use Incognito mode, available on Free, Pro, Max, Team, and Enterprise. Anthropic also says Incognito chats are not used to improve Claude, even when model-improvement sharing is enabled.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Can you import ChatGPT memory into Claude?
Claude’s import flow accepts exported text from another AI provider; it does not automatically connect to or transfer another chatbot’s memory. To use it, open Settings > Memory > Start import, then paste the exported text. Claude extracts key information into individual entries that you can review. Anthropic describes memory imports as experimental and warns that imported personal details unrelated to work may not be retained, so check the resulting entries rather than assuming the transfer was complete.
How Claude memory works with Cowork and projects
Chat memory and Claude Cowork memory are shared when Cowork runs in the cloud. A local Cowork session on your computer does not use chat memory. Project memory remains separate for each project, so information associated with one project is not simply merged into every other project’s context.
Privacy and the separate developer memory tool
Anthropic’s consumer privacy article, dated March 16, 2026, says data is encrypted in transit and at rest. It says employees generally cannot access conversations unless you consent to sharing or a Trust & Safety review is required. These safeguards do not change the distinction between saved memory entries, conversation history, and any data subject to model-improvement retention.
For developers, Anthropic also documents a platform memory tool, but it is architecturally different from memory in Claude.ai settings. The tool is client-side: Claude requests memory operations, and the application executes them against storage it controls, commonly files under /memories or an application database. Anthropic says it is available on all Claude 4 and later models and requires applications to reject paths outside /memories to prevent path-traversal attacks. This is an implementation for applications built on the platform, not a switch that manages a consumer’s Claude.ai memories.
Quick Recap
Practical control checklist
- Review the entries in Settings > Memory when you want to know what Claude has saved.
- Edit or delete individual topics when you want to remove particular details without clearing all memory.
- Pause memory when you want existing entries preserved but not used or expanded during new chats.
- Use Incognito for chats that should not enter memory or chat history.
- Delete a memory entry separately if you have deleted the conversation that produced it.
- Review imported entries after using the experimental migration flow.
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