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Choose the control that matches your goal
| Your goal | Use this control | What it does | What it does not do |
|---|---|---|---|
| Keep chats in history but stop new conversations being used to improve models | Turn off Improve the model for everyone in Data controls | Applies your account’s model-improvement preference across devices | Does not delete or hide saved chats. A conversation associated with feedback may still be used for training. |
| Keep a new conversation out of normal history and avoid creating memories | Start a Temporary Chat | Does not appear in history or create or update memories, and is not used to improve models while temporary | Does not guarantee zero retention: a copy may be kept for safety for up to 30 days. Saving it makes it a regular chat. |
| Remove a saved conversation from your account | Delete the chat | Removes it from your account view immediately; permanent deletion is scheduled within 30 days, subject to exceptions | Deletion cannot be undone, and a separately saved Library file may remain. |
| Hide a conversation without deleting it | Archive the chat | Hides it from the ordinary sidebar view | Does not change retention or model-improvement eligibility. |
| Remove remembered details | Manage memories in Personalization | Lets you manage saved memories separately | Turning off Reference chat history alone does not delete saved memories. |
Turn off model improvement while keeping chat history
For a signed-in personal account, open the account menu and select Settings > Data controls. Switch off Improve the model for everyone. OpenAI says new conversations will then not be used to train its models, but saved conversations can remain visible in your history. This setting applies across your devices.
On mobile, open the sidebar, tap your profile icon, select Data Controls, and switch off the same setting. Labels and availability can vary by plan, account, or workspace.
This preference concerns model improvement; it is not a history switch. OpenAI also says that if you submit feedback, such as a thumbs-up or thumbs-down, the conversation associated with that feedback may be used to train models even after you opt out.
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Use Temporary Chat to keep a conversation out of history
Start a Temporary Chat when you want a conversation not to appear in normal chat history. While it remains temporary, it does not create or update memories and is not used to improve models. OpenAI may keep a copy for up to 30 days for safety purposes.
Choose whether the temporary chat can use personalization
Temporary Chat can be personalized or non-personalized. A personalized temporary conversation may use existing memories, custom instructions, and plugins, subject to account or workspace restrictions, but it will not create or update memories while temporary. A non-personalized temporary chat does not use those personalization inputs.
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Know what happens if you save it or use an external action
If you save a Temporary Chat, it becomes a regular chat and your account-level settings apply. 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.
Manage memories separately from chat history
Memory and model improvement are independent controls. OpenAI places memory settings under Settings > Personalization. Turning off Reference chat history does not itself delete saved memories; manage those separately if you want remembered details removed.
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Workspace type also matters. OpenAI says content from ChatGPT Business, Enterprise, Edu, and Healthcare workspaces, and the API Platform, is not used to improve models by default unless the customer explicitly opts in. These managed environments may have different controls or restrictions from personal accounts.
Delete or archive chats, and handle files separately
Delete a chat
Deleting a saved chat removes it from your account view immediately. OpenAI schedules permanent deletion within 30 days, except where content has already been de-identified and disassociated or must be kept longer for security or legal obligations. A deleted chat cannot be restored.
Archive a chat
Archiving hides a conversation from the ordinary sidebar view; it does not delete the chat or change its retention.
Check Library, projects, and custom GPTs for files
Files may be stored separately from the conversation. Deleting a chat does not remove a file that remains in Library, so delete that Library copy too if you want it removed. 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.
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Account for plan and workspace differences
Account type, plan, administrator restrictions, and workspace retention policies can affect which settings are available and how data is handled. If you use a managed workspace, check its controls and policies rather than assuming the personal-account options apply. For personal accounts, the model-improvement preference is account-level and applies across devices.
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