THE IDEA
Here’s what you need to know.
Deleting one chat is not a complete ChatGPT privacy clean-up. Memories, conversations, files saved in Space or Library, and connected apps can follow separate controls. Work through all four storage and access areas below, then decide whether you also want to stop eligible conversations from being used for model improvement or permanently delete your entire account.
See the visual breakdown
- 1
Review and delete memories
- 2
Delete chats instead of archiving them
- 3
Delete saved Space or Library files
- 4
Disconnect apps you no longer use
Archive is not delete
An archived chat stays in your account until you delete it.
Memory is separate
Deleting a conversation does not automatically remove a saved memory.
Disconnect is not erase
Disconnecting an app stops future access but does not clean up past chats or files.
Opt out is not delete
Turning off model improvement does not remove data already saved to your account.
Official instructions
- Open
Memory controls
Review, edit, delete, or turn off ChatGPT memories.
- Open
Delete and archive chats
Understand why archiving does not delete a conversation.
- Open
Chat and file retention
See how saved Space or Library files can be retained separately from chats.
- Open
Disconnect app accounts
Stop ChatGPT from accessing a connected account in future.
- Open
Data Controls
Turn off Improve the model for everyone.
- Open
Delete your account
Read the permanent account-deletion steps and consequences.
PUT IT INTO PRACTICE
Follow the steps.
Tick off each step as you go. Your progress is saved on this browser.
- STEP 01
Open Settings, choose Personalization, then open Memory or Manage memories. Delete the details you do not want reused. Deleting a memory does not erase the original chat, and deleting a chat does not automatically erase a separately saved memory.
- STEP 02
Delete every conversation where you shared the information. Archive only removes a chat from the main sidebar. Check Settings, Data Controls, then Archived Chats for conversations you may have hidden instead of deleted.
- STEP 03
Open Space—formerly called Library—and review your saved documents, images, pages, and other files. Delete anything you no longer want stored. A file saved separately in Space or Library can remain when its original conversation or project is deleted.
- STEP 04
Open Settings, then review Apps, Connected apps, or Plugins—the label can vary by account and workspace. Select each account you no longer want ChatGPT to access and choose Disconnect. This stops future access through that connection, but it does not delete existing chats, saved files, memories, or the original data held by the provider.
- STEP 05
Disconnecting an app is only the access step. Delete any conversations that referenced connected-app data and remove related memories or Library files separately. Your original Google Drive, Notion, or other provider files must be managed with that provider.
- STEP 06
Open Settings, choose Data Controls, then turn off Improve the model for everyone. This changes whether eligible personal-account conversations can be used to improve OpenAI's models, but it does not delete your chat history, memories, files, or connected-app data.
- STEP 07
Open Settings, choose Account, then select Delete account. Account deletion is permanent. OpenAI says account data is deleted within 30 days, except for limited security or legal retention. Cancel an Apple App Store subscription separately before deleting the account.
A FEW THINGS THAT HELP
Get more out of it.
- Export anything you need before deleting it. Deleted chats cannot be recovered.
- OpenAI schedules deleted chats and personal-account data for deletion within 30 days, subject to de-identification and limited legal or security exceptions.
- Turning off Improve the model for everyone is a training control, not a delete button.
- Use Temporary Chat for sensitive future conversations. Temporary Chats do not create memories, do not appear in history, are not used for model training, and are deleted within 30 days.
- Space is the current name for the area formerly called Library. The exact label may depend on your account and rollout.
- Managed Business, Enterprise, Edu, and Healthcare workspaces can have different administrator and retention controls.