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Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsFix Now →Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesFind Drivers →Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errorsFree Scan →ChatGPT has no single switch that both turns off chat history and stops model training. For a personal account, go to Settings > Data controls and turn off Improve the model for everyone to keep new conversations from being used to improve OpenAI’s models while retaining them in your chat history. To keep a new conversation out of normal history, start a Temporary Chat. To remove or hide existing conversations, delete or archive them separately.
Choose the control that matches your goal
| Your goal | Use this control | What it changes |
|---|---|---|
| Keep chats in history but stop new conversations being used to improve models | Improve the model for everyone in Data controls | Applies your account’s model-improvement preference across devices. It does not hide or delete saved chats, and feedback-linked conversations may still be used for training. |
| Keep a new conversation out of normal history and avoid creating memories | Temporary Chat | While temporary, the chat does not appear in history, create or update memories, or get used to improve models. OpenAI may retain a copy for safety for up to 30 days. |
| Remove a saved conversation | Delete the chat | Removes it from your account view immediately; permanent deletion is scheduled within 30 days, subject to exceptions. Separately stored Library files may remain. |
| Hide a saved conversation without deleting it | Archive the chat | Hides it from the ordinary sidebar view but does not change retention. |
| Remove details ChatGPT remembers | Manage memories in Personalization | Lets you manage saved memories separately from chat history and model improvement. |
Stop new conversations being used to improve models
For a signed-in personal account, open the account menu and select Settings > Data controls. Turn off Improve the model for everyone. OpenAI says new conversations will not be used to train its models when this setting is off; your saved chats can still appear in history. This is an account-level preference that applies across devices.
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On mobile, open the sidebar, tap your profile icon, choose Data Controls, and switch off the same setting. Labels and availability can differ by plan, account, or workspace, so a managed account may not show the same options.
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Random freezes, missing sound and display glitches usually trace back to one bad driver. Find and replace yours safely.Free scan · under a minuteThere is a stated feedback exception: OpenAI says a conversation associated with feedback, such as a thumbs-up or thumbs-down, may be used to train models even after you opt out. Turning off model improvement is therefore not a promise that no conversation can ever be used in a feedback context. See OpenAI’s Data controls FAQ.
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Keep a new conversation out of normal history
Start a Temporary Chat before entering information you do not want saved in your ordinary chat list. While it remains temporary, it does not appear in history, create or update memories, or get used to improve models. OpenAI may keep a copy for up to 30 days for safety purposes. Temporary Chat is not a zero-retention mode.
Choose whether the temporary chat uses personalization
Temporary Chat lets you choose between personalized and non-personalized use. A personalized temporary chat may use existing memories, custom instructions, and plugins, subject to account and workspace restrictions, but it does not create or update memories while temporary. A non-personalized temporary chat does not use those personalization inputs.
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If you save a Temporary Chat, it becomes a regular chat and account-level settings apply. Also, if a GPT action sends information to a third party, that recipient’s privacy policy governs the data it receives; the recipient may keep it longer than 30 days or use it for other purposes. Read OpenAI’s Temporary Chat FAQ for its current description of the feature.
Manage memory separately from chat history
Memory and model improvement are separate controls. Memory settings are under Settings > Personalization. Turning off Reference chat history does not itself delete saved memories; manage those separately in Personalization. Choose the setting based on the behavior you want to change, rather than treating it as a history or training switch. See OpenAI’s Memory FAQ.
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Delete or archive existing conversations
Delete when you want removal from your account
Deleting a saved chat removes it from your account view immediately, and OpenAI says permanent deletion is scheduled within 30 days. Exceptions include content already de-identified and disassociated from your account, or content that must be kept longer for security or legal obligations. A deleted chat cannot be restored.
Archive when you only want to hide a chat
Archiving removes a chat from the ordinary sidebar view; it does not delete the chat or alter its retention. Regular and archived chats remain saved until deleted or affected by a workspace retention policy.
Check separately stored files
Deleting a conversation does not necessarily delete a file saved separately in Library. Remove that Library copy too if you want it gone. Files added to custom GPTs or projects persist until the relevant GPT, project, or file is deleted, subject to workspace retention policies and the stated deletion exceptions. OpenAI’s chat retention guidance describes these distinctions.
Personal accounts and managed workspaces differ
OpenAI says content from ChatGPT Business, Enterprise, Edu, Healthcare workspaces, and the API Platform is not used to improve models by default unless the customer explicitly opts in. Workspace administrators and retention policies can affect which settings are available and how data is handled, so do not assume that a personal account’s controls or retention behavior apply unchanged to a managed workspace. See OpenAI’s explanation of how data is used to improve model performance.
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