How to Review and Delete Your Personal Data in ChatGPT

ChatGPT gives you several separate controls for your information. You can decide whether new chats may help improve OpenAI's models, delete conversations, review or clear saved memories, use Temporary Chat, export a copy of your data, or permanently delete your account. These controls serve different purposes, so deleting a chat is not the same as deleting a saved memory.

Turn off model training for new chats

Open ChatGPT, select your profile, and go to Settings > Data Controls. Turn off Improve the model for everyone if you do not want new conversations used to improve OpenAI's models. The wording or location may differ slightly between the web and mobile apps.

This setting does not erase conversations already in your history. Review and delete those separately if you no longer need them.

Delete individual chats or clear chat history

To remove one conversation, open the chat list, select the menu beside the conversation, and choose Delete. To remove many conversations, look in Settings > Data Controls for the option to delete all chats. Deletion is permanent from the user's point of view, so export anything you may need first.

Archiving is different from deleting: an archived chat is hidden from the main list but remains in your account.

Use Temporary Chat for one-off conversations

Temporary Chat is useful when you do not want a conversation saved in normal chat history or used as a memory. Start a new chat and select the Temporary Chat option before entering sensitive context. Temporary chats may still be retained for a limited period for safety purposes, so they should not be treated as a place for passwords, payment-card details, private keys, or other secrets.

Review and delete ChatGPT memories

Chat history and memory are separate. Deleting a conversation does not necessarily remove information that ChatGPT saved as a memory. Go to Settings > Personalization to review the memory controls available to your account. You can turn memory off, remove individual saved memories, or clear them all.

You can also ask ChatGPT what it remembers about you, but the settings page is the better place to verify and remove saved items. OpenAI's personalization documentation explains how preferences and memories carry context between chats.

Export your data before deleting it

In Settings > Data Controls, choose the data export option and follow the confirmation instructions sent to your account email. The download link is time-limited. Exporting is useful before a large cleanup or account deletion because deleted chats cannot be restored through the interface.

Delete your ChatGPT account

Account deletion is broader than clearing conversations. In ChatGPT, open Settings, find the account deletion control, and complete the identity confirmation steps. You can also use OpenAI's Privacy Portal to submit a deletion request.

Account deletion is permanent. Check active subscriptions first: if you subscribed through Apple or Google, confirm the store subscription is canceled separately so billing does not continue under the app-store account.

Practical privacy habits

• Do not paste passwords, authentication tokens, medical records, financial identifiers, or confidential work material into a chat unless your organization has approved that use.
• Check both chat history and saved memories when removing personal context.
• Review connected apps and shared links as separate access points; deleting a local browser history does not change information stored in your ChatGPT account.
• Revisit Data Controls after major app updates because labels and available options can change.