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How to Turn Off ChatGPT Chat History and Model Training Data Use (2026 Guide)

By Freedom251 Team · · 9 min read

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To stop new ChatGPT conversations from being used to improve OpenAI models, open your account menu, select Settings, go to Data controls, switch off Improve the model for everyone, and select Done. On iPhone or Android, open the sidebar, tap your profile icon, choose Data controls, and turn off the same switch. For a signed-in account, the choice applies on your other devices too; for a signed-out session, it is saved only in that browser.

This setting does not erase existing chats or remove them from your history. If a conversation must stay out of history, start a Temporary Chat before sending anything. The two controls solve different problems: one limits model-improvement use, while the other keeps a conversation out of your account history and memory.

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How do I stop new ChatGPT chats from training models?

Turn off Improve the model for everyone in Settings > Data controls. OpenAI says that when this switch is off, new conversations are not used to train OpenAI models.

On the ChatGPT website

  1. Open the account menu from your profile icon or account name.
  2. Select Settings.
  3. Open Data controls.
  4. Find Improve the model for everyone and switch it off.
  5. Select Done if the dialog presents a confirmation button.

The setting is tied to a signed-in account, so the choice carries over when you use that account on another computer or phone. You do not need to repeat the change on every device.

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On iPhone or Android

  1. Open the ChatGPT sidebar.
  2. Tap your profile icon.
  3. Choose Data controls.
  4. Turn off Improve the model for everyone.

Mobile and web use the same account-level control. If the labels differ slightly after an app update, look for Data controls inside the profile or settings area rather than a chat-specific menu.

When you are signed out

Signed-out users can change the choice in ChatGPT settings, but the preference is saved in that browser. It does not automatically follow you to another browser, device, or account because there is no signed-in account to synchronize it.

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What exactly changes when I turn off Improve the model for everyone?

The switch changes how eligible new conversations may be used for model improvement. It does not function as a delete button, a history switch, or a privacy wipe.

OpenAI’s stated behavior is: “When Improve the model for everyone is off, your new conversations won’t be used to train OpenAI models.”

  • New conversations: They are excluded from model-improvement training under this setting.
  • Existing regular chats: They remain in your chat history. Turning the switch off does not delete or hide them.
  • Archived chats: Archiving changes where a chat is displayed, not the model-improvement rule that applies to the account.
  • Feedback: If you submit a thumbs-up or thumbs-down on a response after opting out, OpenAI says the entire conversation associated with that feedback may be used to train models.

That feedback exception is easy to miss. If keeping a conversation out of training is critical, do not attach a thumbs-up or thumbs-down to it after opting out; explain a problem through the appropriate support or privacy channel instead if you need to report it.

Can I keep my chat history and still turn off training?

Yes. Turning off model improvement is specifically designed to let regular chats remain available in history while preventing new conversations from being used to improve models, subject to the feedback exception.

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Action Appears in regular history? Used to improve models? What else changes?
Switch off Improve the model for everyone Yes New conversations are not used, unless the feedback exception applies Saved chats stay available; archiving does not alter the rule
Archive a regular chat Moved out of the main list but still retained Follows the account’s model-improvement setting Archiving alone does not change training eligibility
Start a Temporary Chat No, while it remains temporary No, while it remains temporary Does not create or update memories; a safety copy may be retained for up to 30 days

Use the first option when you want searchable, ongoing conversations but do not want new chats contributing to model improvement. Use Temporary Chat when the conversation itself should not appear in history.

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How do I hide one conversation from ChatGPT history?

Start a Temporary Chat before you send the message. Temporary Chat is the history-free option, rather than a second way to archive an ordinary conversation.

Start a Temporary Chat

  1. Open a new conversation.
  2. Select Temporary in the new-chat interface.
  3. Choose Personalized or Unpersonalized.
  4. Send your message only after the temporary indicator is active.

A temporary conversation does not appear in your chat history, does not create or update memories, and is not used to improve OpenAI models while it remains temporary. OpenAI may retain a copy for up to 30 days for safety purposes, so “not in history” does not mean that no technical copy can exist during that period.

Personalized versus Unpersonalized Temporary Chat

Personalized Temporary Chat can use existing memories, custom instructions, and plugins to shape a response. Unpersonalized Temporary Chat does not use that personalization context. Neither choice creates or updates memories while the conversation remains temporary.

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Limited safety-relevant context may still be used in rare, high-risk situations. Temporary status therefore reduces ordinary history, memory, and model-improvement use; it is not a promise that safety systems will ignore a serious risk.

What if I save a Temporary Chat?

Saving converts it into a regular chat. Once saved, it follows your account’s personalization and model-improvement settings; if Memory is enabled, the saved conversation may be used to personalize future responses. Decide whether you need the content before selecting any save option.

What is the difference between model improvement, chat history, and Memory?

These controls answer different questions, so changing one does not automatically change the others.

Control Question it answers Effect when changed What it does not do
Improve the model for everyone Can eligible new chats help improve OpenAI models? When off, new conversations are not used for model improvement, apart from the feedback exception It does not remove regular chats from history
Chat history Should regular conversations remain available in the account? Regular chats remain listed unless you use a separate history or chat-management action Archiving does not change model-improvement eligibility
Memory and personalization Can remembered details shape future responses? Controls use of remembered information and personalization It is not the model-training opt-out
Temporary Chat Should this conversation stay out of history and memory? No history entry, no memory creation or update, and no model-improvement use while temporary It does not eliminate short-term safety retention

For example, turning off model improvement while leaving Memory enabled can preserve your regular chat history and continue personalization from information already allowed by your Memory settings. Starting an Unpersonalized Temporary Chat addresses the immediate conversation instead, but it does not erase memories created by earlier regular chats.

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What are the defaults for personal and managed workspaces?

Free, Plus, and Pro personal workspaces

For personal Free, Plus, and Pro workspaces, data sharing for model improvement is enabled by default. You can opt out in Data controls using the switch described above.

OpenAI’s Privacy Portal also provides a Do not train on my content choice. OpenAI says either the in-product route or the Privacy Portal route is sufficient for ChatGPT conversations and Codex tasks, so you do not need to submit both requests for the same purpose.

Business, Enterprise, Edu, and Healthcare workspaces

OpenAI says content from ChatGPT Business, Enterprise, Edu, and ChatGPT for Healthcare workspaces is not used by default to train its models. That default does not override an organization’s own retention, access, memory, security, or compliance policies.

A managed workspace can therefore look different from a personal account even when the chat interface is similar. If you use an employer-, school-, or clinic-managed account, ask the workspace administrator which retention and access rules apply; the organization’s policy governs those operational details.

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Which option should I use for a particular situation?

Choose based on whether you need history, personalization, or the strongest separation from ordinary account records.

Your goal Best choice Reason Important limitation
Keep conversations in history but stop new model-improvement use Turn off Improve the model for everyone Regular chats remain available while new chats are excluded from model improvement A conversation attached to thumbs-up or thumbs-down feedback may still be used
Ask a one-off question without adding it to history Temporary Chat It stays out of history and does not create or update memories A safety copy may be retained for up to 30 days
Use existing personalization without creating a new memory Personalized Temporary Chat Existing memories, custom instructions, and plugins can inform the response The chat remains subject to limited safety context in rare high-risk cases
Avoid personalization for a temporary conversation Unpersonalized Temporary Chat Starts without personalization context and does not update Memory It still is not a guarantee against safety retention
Use a managed organizational account Follow the workspace policy Managed plans have a no-training-by-default position Retention and access are controlled by the organization’s rules

What happens to old, archived, or saved chats after I opt out?

Opting out affects the handling of new conversations; it does not retroactively delete or hide regular chats already in your account. Those chats remain subject to the account’s chat-history controls.

Archiving is an organizational action inside history. It does not change whether a conversation can be used for model improvement because that decision follows the account’s model-improvement setting. If you need a conversation to avoid history from the start, Temporary Chat is the relevant choice rather than archive.

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Saving a Temporary Chat changes its status. After saving, it behaves as a regular chat and follows the settings for the account, including personalization and model-improvement controls.

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What should I know about feedback after opting out?

Thumbs-up and thumbs-down feedback is a separate path from simply leaving a conversation open. OpenAI says that the entire conversation associated with feedback may be used to train models, even after you have turned off Improve the model for everyone.

If the subject matter is sensitive and your priority is preventing model-improvement use, avoid submitting either rating on that conversation. The exception applies to the conversation attached to the feedback, not merely to the single message on which you clicked the button.

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Why can’t I find the setting or why does it seem not to work?

The menu is in a different place

On the web, enter the account menu, then Settings, then Data controls. In the mobile app, open the sidebar, tap the profile icon, and select Data controls. The wording can move after interface updates, but the control is named Improve the model for everyone.

The preference changed on one device but not another

Check whether you are signed in to the same account. Signed-in preferences apply across devices; a signed-out preference is stored only in the browser where you set it.

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The chat still appears in history

That is expected when you only turned off model improvement. The switch controls model-improvement use, not the presence of regular chats in history. Start a Temporary Chat for a conversation that must not appear there.

A temporary chat appears after I saved it

Saving converts a Temporary Chat into a regular chat. Once saved, it no longer has temporary status and follows normal history, memory, and model-improvement settings.

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You are using an organization-managed account

Business, Enterprise, Edu, and Healthcare workspaces have different defaults from personal workspaces, but administrators can set retention, access, memory, and compliance rules. Follow the workspace policy rather than assuming that personal-account behavior applies.

What is a practical privacy checklist before sending a sensitive prompt?

  • Decide whether you need the conversation later. If not, start a Temporary Chat before typing the prompt.
  • If you need history, turn off Improve the model for everyone first.
  • Choose Personalized or Unpersonalized Temporary Chat deliberately, depending on whether existing personalization should be used.
  • Do not submit thumbs-up or thumbs-down feedback on a conversation you want excluded from model improvement.
  • Do not save a Temporary Chat if keeping it outside history and Memory is the priority.
  • On a managed workspace, check the organization’s retention and access policy.
  • Remember that Temporary Chat may be retained for safety for up to 30 days.

These steps address the ordinary product controls. They do not replace your employer’s, school’s, or healthcare provider’s rules when you are using a managed workspace.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Does turning off model improvement apply to conversations I already had?

The setting governs new conversations, while existing regular chats remain in your history. The available information does not describe a retroactive conversion of old chats, so do not treat the switch as a way to rewrite how earlier conversations were handled.

Will turning off training delete or reset my saved memories?

No. Model-improvement controls and Memory are separate. Changing the training setting does not by itself remove remembered details or stop personalization that is controlled by your Memory settings.

Can a Temporary Chat use my custom instructions?

Yes, if you choose the Personalized version. Personalized Temporary Chat can use existing memories, custom instructions, and plugins, but it still does not create or update memories while it remains temporary.

Is a signed-out privacy choice shared with my other browsers?

No. A signed-out preference is saved in that browser rather than attached to an account. To use the same choice elsewhere, sign in to the same account or set the preference separately in each browser.

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