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Before using ChatGPT, decide how much you want it to remember and whether new conversations may be used to improve OpenAI’s models. These five controls help you set those preferences, but they are not one universal privacy switch: availability and labels can vary by plan, region, platform, and workspace.
What these five settings control
They cover different things. Model-improvement sharing concerns whether new conversations may be used to improve models. Memory and Reference chat history affect personalization across conversations. Custom Instructions provide response preferences. Temporary Chat is a choice for an individual conversation, not an account-level setting.
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| Choice | Main effect | What it does not do |
|---|---|---|
| Improve the model for everyone | Controls whether new conversations on a personal account may be used to improve OpenAI models. | Turning it off does not remove regular chats from history. |
| Memory | Controls saved details used to personalize future responses. | Turning it off does not delete chats or necessarily erase saved memories. |
| Reference chat history | Where available, lets ChatGPT draw on information from past chats. | Turning it off does not delete the original chats. |
| Custom Instructions | Applies your response preferences to chats. | It is not a private vault for sensitive information. |
| Temporary Chat | Starts a conversation that stays out of chat history and does not create or update memories while temporary. | It is not an account-wide setting or a guarantee of zero retention. |
1. Review “Improve the model for everyone”
On the web, open Profile > Settings > Data Controls and switch off Improve the model for everyone. On mobile, open the sidebar, tap your profile, then go to Data Controls. OpenAI says the preference applies to your account across devices. After you opt out, new conversations are not used to improve models, but regular chats remain in your history. See OpenAI’s Data Controls FAQ.
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This is a model-improvement preference, not a history deletion control. OpenAI says content from Business, Enterprise, Edu, and ChatGPT for Healthcare workspaces is not used to improve models by default; managed workspaces may also have rules that affect what controls you see. For consumer services, see How OpenAI handles data in consumer services and the Privacy Center in ChatGPT.
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2. Review Memory
Open Settings > Personalization > Memory. Depending on your account and experience, you may see controls for saved memories, using past chats, or managing memories. OpenAI notes that available controls vary by plan, region, platform, and workspace; check your own menu rather than assuming every account has identical options. The Memory in ChatGPT help page explains the current distinctions.
Memory and chat history are separate. Turning Memory off does not delete past chats, and deleting a chat alone may not delete a saved memory associated with it. If you want a detail removed, remove it from memory controls and delete relevant source chats where applicable.
3. Check Reference chat history, if available
Reference chat history is a distinct control where it appears in Settings > Personalization. Switching it off schedules deletion of information ChatGPT remembered from past chats within 30 days; the original conversations remain unless you delete them separately. If Reference saved memories is enabled, turning that feature off also turns off Reference chat history. These controls are described in OpenAI’s Memory in ChatGPT guidance.
4. Set Custom Instructions deliberately
Use Custom Instructions for stable, non-sensitive preferences such as the level of detail you want, your technical background, or a preferred response format. They apply immediately to chats and can be edited or removed for future conversations. OpenAI says they are available on web, desktop, iOS, and Android. The instructions are not a confidential storage space: information from their use may be used to improve model performance, subject to your model-improvement settings. Details are in ChatGPT Custom Instructions.
5. Choose Temporary Chat for a particular conversation
- Start a new chat and select Temporary.
- Before sending your first message, choose Unpersonalized if you do not want the conversation to use existing memories, Custom Instructions, or plugins. Choose Personalized if you want those features to inform the chat.
- Send your message. The personalization choice cannot be changed after the conversation begins.
OpenAI says a Temporary Chat stays out of history and is not used to improve its models while it remains temporary. It does not create or update memories. OpenAI may retain a copy for up to 30 days for safety. If you save the chat, it becomes a regular conversation subject to your usual account settings. If a GPT uses an action, information sent to that third party is governed by the recipient’s privacy policy and may be retained under different terms. See Temporary chat in ChatGPT.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Which choices fit how you use ChatGPT?
- Want less model-improvement sharing but normal continuity? Turn off Improve the model for everyone; regular chats still remain in history.
- Want more continuity between chats? Review Memory, Reference chat history where available, and Custom Instructions, then keep only the personalization you find useful.
- Want a conversation without history or memory updates? Use Temporary Chat and choose Unpersonalized before you start if you also want to avoid using existing personalization.
- Use a managed work account? Your organization’s workspace settings and policies may determine which options are available and how data is handled.
These controls address different data-use and personalization behaviors. They do not delete chats unless you delete them separately, and they do not establish that an account is wholly private or secure.
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