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Short answer: In personal ChatGPT, open Settings → Data controls and turn off Improve the model for everyone. New conversations then are not used to train OpenAI models, although your existing history stays visible. In consumer Claude Free, Pro, and Max, Anthropic says chats are not used to train models by default; you do not need to switch off a comparable training toggle.

Both services have exceptions. Feedback can make an associated conversation eligible for improvement, and safety reviews can involve analysis of chats. Business and work accounts follow organization-level policies that may differ from personal accounts. The instructions and policy descriptions below reflect the providers’ documentation available on October 13, 2026.

ChatGPT and Claude do not use the same default

The most important distinction is whether you must change a personal-account setting. OpenAI gives personal ChatGPT users an opt-out control. Anthropic says consumer Claude conversations are excluded from model training by default.

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Question ChatGPT personal account Claude Free, Pro, or Max
Starting position OpenAI provides a model-improvement setting that users can turn off. Anthropic says chats and coding sessions are not used to train models by default.
Where to change it Settings → Data controls → Improve the model for everyone No comparable opt-out is required for the default consumer policy.
What happens to new chats With the setting off, new conversations are not used to train OpenAI models. They remain outside model training by default, subject to the stated exceptions.
Feedback For individual plans, the conversation associated with submitted feedback may be used to improve models even after opting out. Thumbs-up/down feedback or an explicit request can give Anthropic permission to use a conversation.
Temporary conversations Temporary Chat is excluded from model improvement while temporary, does not appear in history, and may be retained for up to 30 days for safety. Anthropic’s consumer guidance does not establish an equivalent Claude retention or temporary-chat rule.
Work accounts Business, Enterprise, Edu, Healthcare, and API content is not used by default; organization controls can change data-sharing behavior. Claude for Work data is handled on the customer organization’s instructions and is not used to train generative models, according to Anthropic.

What “not used to improve models” actually means

These controls address whether a provider may use conversation content to improve its models. They are not the same as deleting a chat, preventing all access, or setting a universal retention period. A service may still need to process content to deliver a reply, secure the system, investigate abuse, comply with law, or conduct a safety review.

That distinction explains why a chat can remain in your history after you opt out, or why a provider can review a flagged conversation even when ordinary training is disabled. Treat “training,” “history,” “memory,” “retention,” and “human or automated access” as separate questions. Ask all five when you are handling confidential material.

How to stop ChatGPT from using conversations to improve models

Turn off the personal-account setting

Use this path while signed in to the ChatGPT account whose conversations you want to protect from model improvement:

  1. Open ChatGPT and select your profile or account menu.
  2. Choose Settings.
  3. Open Data controls.
  4. Switch off Improve the model for everyone.
  5. Leave the setting disabled when you start future conversations.

OpenAI says the choice applies across devices for that account. It is an account-level control, not a setting you must repeat separately on every phone or computer. The exact availability can vary with sign-in status, plan, and workspace administration, so a managed workspace may show different controls.

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After changing it, reopen the settings screen and confirm that the switch still shows off. This simple check catches a common mistake: changing a browser or app profile while another device is signed in to a different account. If several people use the same computer, verify the avatar or account email before relying on the setting.

What turning the setting off does—and does not do

  • It does stop new conversations from being used to train OpenAI models, according to OpenAI’s Data controls guidance.
  • It does not delete existing chats. Conversations already in your history remain there unless you delete them separately.
  • It does not hide your history. The opt-out concerns model improvement, not whether you can view saved conversations.
  • It is not a universal deletion request. Other retention, security, legal, or safety handling can still apply under OpenAI’s policies.
  • It is not retroactive for every possible use. Read the feedback exception below before rating an older conversation.

Use the same control on iPhone or Android

OpenAI documents the setting in the mobile settings flow as well. Open the account menu in the ChatGPT app, enter Settings, choose Data controls, and turn off Improve the model for everyone. If the label or menu is different, confirm that you are signed in to the intended account and check OpenAI’s current “Data controls in ChatGPT” help page; labels and availability can change.

Do not assume that uninstalling the app changes the account setting. The preference belongs to the account, while app removal only removes local software. If you use both mobile and web versions, make the change while signed in and verify it on the other interface.

If you use ChatGPT while signed out

OpenAI says signed-out users can make the choice in browser settings, where it is saved in that browser. That is different from an account-wide preference: a choice made while signed out may not follow you to another browser, device, or signed-in account. If you need the setting to travel with you, sign in and set it on the account.

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Browser-specific storage also means clearing site data, using a private window, or switching browsers can remove the remembered choice. Before entering sensitive text while signed out, inspect the current browser setting again. For consistent behavior across devices, an account-level setting is the safer workflow.

Do not submit feedback on a sensitive conversation

OpenAI states that, for individual plans, submitting feedback such as a thumbs-up or thumbs-down can make the entire conversation associated with that feedback eligible for model improvement, even when Improve the model for everyone is off. Treat the feedback buttons as a separate permission path. If a conversation contains information you do not want considered for improvement, avoid rating it.

This exception applies to the conversation associated with the feedback, not merely the short comment you type. A rating made accidentally is therefore worth treating seriously. Stop submitting additional feedback, record the account and approximate time, and contact OpenAI through its current support channel if you need to ask what options are available. Turning the switch off again does not promise to reverse a prior feedback submission.

Use Temporary Chat for a conversation you do not want in history

Temporary Chat provides a different set of protections from the account-level opt-out:

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  • Open a new conversation and select the Temporary Chat option in the ChatGPT interface.
  • While it remains temporary, OpenAI says it is not used to improve models.
  • It does not appear in your normal chat history.
  • It does not create or update memories.
  • OpenAI may retain a copy for up to 30 days for safety purposes.

Temporary does not mean instantly deleted. If you save a Temporary Chat, OpenAI says it becomes a regular chat and then follows your account’s model-improvement settings. Saving it can therefore put it back into history and change how the normal account controls apply.

Use Temporary Chat when you need the interface protections of no history or no memory update, not as a promise that the provider has no copy at all. Do not paste secrets merely because a chat is labeled temporary; the 30-day safety retention possibility and ordinary security processing still matter.

ChatGPT workspaces and the API are different

OpenAI says content from ChatGPT Business, Enterprise, Edu, Healthcare, and the API Platform is not used by default to improve models. This is a provider default for those products, not a promise that every organization has identical settings. OpenAI also says API organization owners may enable data sharing.

If you are using a company-managed workspace, your administrator can affect which controls you see and how data is handled. Ask the workspace administrator which product you are using, whether any data-sharing option is enabled, and what internal retention rules apply. Do not assume that a personal-account toggle governs an organization account.

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For API users, the relevant decision may be made by an organization owner rather than by an individual developer. Confirm the organization tied to the API key, whether data sharing is enabled, and whether your employer has additional logging or monitoring. A personal ChatGPT setting cannot override an organization’s API configuration.

Does Claude use your chats to train its AI?

Consumer Claude is excluded by default

Anthropic’s consumer help guidance says conversations and coding sessions on Claude Free, Pro, and Max are not used to train models by default. For a normal personal Claude account, the default is therefore different from an opt-out design: you generally do not need to find and disable a training switch.

“Not used for model training by default” is narrower than “never accessed.” Anthropic says access is limited to a small number of personnel for explicit business purposes and describes de-linking user IDs before review. The consumer policy also preserves specific exceptions.

Because there is no required consumer toggle, your practical task is confirmation rather than configuration: make sure you are using a personal Free, Pro, or Max account, avoid granting permission through feedback, and understand that flagged material can enter a safety process. If you move into a team or enterprise workspace, stop relying on the consumer default and read that organization’s terms.

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Claude feedback and explicit permission are exceptions

Anthropic identifies two permission-based routes:

  • You explicitly allow use by submitting thumbs-up or thumbs-down feedback.
  • You contact Anthropic with a request that gives permission to use the conversation.

When you use either route, do not assume only the single sentence you rated is considered. The provider’s explanation concerns the conversation associated with the feedback or request.

If you routinely rate outputs to improve your own experience, separate that habit from sensitive work. Remove confidential details before sending feedback, or skip the rating on a conversation you do not want to authorize for improvement. Feedback is optional; a missing rating does not stop Claude from answering.

Trust-and-safety review is separate from ordinary training

Anthropic says a conversation flagged for trust-and-safety review may be used or analyzed to improve detection and enforcement, including training trust-and-safety classifiers. This is a safety-related exception, not a statement that all consumer chats are routinely used to train the general-purpose model.

Consequently, the consumer default should not be read as a guarantee that no employee or system can ever access a conversation. It describes how Anthropic treats chats for model training under ordinary conditions while preserving safety and permission-based handling.

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How Claude for Work and Claude Code programs differ

Claude for Work

Anthropic says the customer organization controls submitted Claude for Work data and that Anthropic processes it on the customer’s instructions. It also says Claude for Work data is not used to train generative models. Your organization can still impose its own retention, monitoring, access, or acceptable-use rules, so ask an administrator what applies to your account.

Ask specifically whether your workspace is governed by a contract or internal policy that limits who can export prompts, how long logs remain, and whether administrators can review sessions. Those are organization questions, not settings you can answer from a personal Claude account.

Claude Code Development Partner Program

Anthropic documents a separate, optional Development Partner Program for eligible organizations that voluntarily share Claude Code sessions. It is organization-wide rather than an automatic setting for consumer Claude chats. An organization can leave the program, while data already provided may be stored for up to two years. This narrowly scoped program should not be confused with the default treatment of Claude Free, Pro, or Max conversations.

If you use Claude Code at work, ask whether your organization enrolled before assuming the consumer default applies. The program’s organization-wide scope means an individual developer may not be able to opt out session by session. Confirm participation with the administrator and avoid placing personal material in a work-managed coding environment.

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Choose the right protection for your situation

You want to keep ChatGPT history but stop model improvement

  1. Sign in to the correct ChatGPT account.
  2. Set Settings → Data controls → Improve the model for everyone to off.
  3. Keep using normal chats if you want them to remain in history.
  4. Do not submit thumbs-up or thumbs-down feedback on conversations you want excluded, because OpenAI says feedback can override the opt-out for that associated conversation.

You want a ChatGPT conversation out of history as well

Start it as Temporary Chat. It will not appear in normal history or update memories, but OpenAI may keep a copy for up to 30 days for safety. Do not save it unless you accept the consequences of converting it to a regular chat.

You use Claude personally

Anthropic’s default already excludes Free, Pro, and Max chats from model training. Avoid feedback on sensitive conversations and remember that trust-and-safety review can involve flagged chats. The default does not establish that a conversation is deleted, nor does it specify a universal retention period.

You use a company account

Identify the product and ask the administrator. OpenAI’s Business, Enterprise, Edu, Healthcare, and API products have a no-training-by-default position but may permit organization-level data sharing. Anthropic’s Work products are governed by customer instructions, and the Claude Code Development Partner Program is an opt-in organizational program with its own terms.

You need the strongest practical separation

Use the least data necessary, redact names and account numbers, and keep personal and work accounts separate. Choose Temporary Chat when you do not want a ChatGPT conversation in history, and leave feedback controls untouched on sensitive threads. These steps reduce exposure but do not replace your employer’s confidentiality rules or a provider’s safety and legal processes.

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Troubleshooting missing or unexpected controls

The ChatGPT switch is not visible

  • Confirm whether you are signed in or signed out; OpenAI presents the preference differently in those states.
  • Check that you are in the intended personal account rather than a managed workspace.
  • Verify the exact product and plan, since availability can vary by plan and workspace settings.
  • Update the app or reload the web page, then open the account menu again.
  • Consult OpenAI’s current “Data controls in ChatGPT” documentation because interface labels and policy wording can change.

A chat still appears in ChatGPT history

That is expected after turning off model improvement. The setting stops new chats from being used to train models; it does not erase or hide existing history. Delete the conversation separately if your goal is removal from the visible history, and consider Temporary Chat for future conversations that should not appear there.

You rated a conversation by mistake

OpenAI says feedback can make the associated individual-plan conversation eligible for improvement despite the opt-out. Changing the toggle again does not undo the stated feedback exception. For a Claude conversation, Anthropic likewise treats thumbs-up/down feedback as an explicit permission route; contact the provider if you need to ask about a specific submission.

Your administrator gives a different answer

Organization policy can supersede the personal guidance shown in public consumer menus. Ask which workspace product is active, whether data sharing has been enabled, who can access submitted content, and how long the organization retains it. Keep personal and work accounts separate when the data has different handling requirements.

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A quick privacy checklist before you paste anything

  1. Identify whether the account is personal, business, enterprise, education, healthcare, or API-based.
  2. For personal ChatGPT, verify Improve the model for everyone is off if you want the opt-out.
  3. For Claude, confirm whether the account is consumer or organization-managed.
  4. Remove unnecessary names, credentials, customer records, and proprietary source code.
  5. Do not rate a sensitive thread unless you accept the provider’s feedback exception.
  6. Use ChatGPT Temporary Chat when history and memory behavior matter, while remembering the possible 30-day safety retention.
  7. Ask a workspace administrator about data sharing, monitoring, retention, and any Claude Code program enrollment.
  8. Recheck the live provider help pages after a plan change or interface redesign.

Keeping these settings accurate over time

Provider names, plan tiers, menu labels, and exceptions can change. Recheck OpenAI’s Data controls and model-performance help pages and Anthropic’s current consumer and work-account guidance whenever you create a new account, join a workspace, change plans, or notice a settings redesign. A screenshot or browser preference from an older version is not proof of the current policy.

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The official pages to revisit are OpenAI’s “Data controls in ChatGPT” and “How your data is used to improve model performance,” plus Anthropic’s consumer conversation-access, Claude for Work, and Development Partner Program guidance. Checking those pages is especially important before handling regulated, client, or employment-sensitive information.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I stop ChatGPT from using my conversations to train its models?

Sign in to ChatGPT, open Settings → Data controls, and turn off Improve the model for everyone. OpenAI says new conversations are then not used to train its models. Existing chats remain in history, and feedback on a response can create an exception for the associated conversation.

Can I keep my ChatGPT history but opt out?

Yes. Turning off model improvement does not delete or hide saved conversations. Continue using regular chats if you want them in history; delete individual chats separately only if you want them removed from the visible list.

Does Claude use my chats to train its AI?

Anthropic says Claude Free, Pro, and Max conversations and coding sessions are not used to train models by default. Thumbs-up/down feedback, an explicit request, and certain trust-and-safety reviews are exceptions.

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Does Temporary Chat mean my ChatGPT chat is deleted?

No. Temporary Chat does not appear in normal history, does not update memories, and is excluded from model improvement while temporary, but OpenAI may retain a copy for up to 30 days for safety. Saving it converts it to a regular chat.

What if I use ChatGPT through my employer?

Identify the workspace product and ask the administrator. OpenAI says Business, Enterprise, Edu, Healthcare, and API content is not used by default, but organization owners may enable data sharing and administrators control workspace policies.

Is Claude for Work covered by the consumer default?

Treat it separately. Anthropic says Claude for Work data is handled on the customer organization’s instructions and is not used to train generative models. Your administrator can explain retention, monitoring, and access rules.

Can feedback override a ChatGPT opt-out?

For individual ChatGPT plans, OpenAI says the entire conversation associated with thumbs-up or thumbs-down feedback may be used to improve models even when the setting is off. Avoid rating sensitive conversations.

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What happens if I accidentally rate a sensitive Claude or ChatGPT chat?

Stop sending additional feedback and contact the relevant provider through its current support channel if you need account-specific guidance. Turning a setting off afterward does not promise to reverse an earlier feedback permission.

The Bottom Line

For personal ChatGPT, turn off Settings → Data controls → Improve the model for everyone; your history stays, but feedback can create an exception. For Claude Free, Pro, and Max, Anthropic says chats are excluded from training by default, subject to feedback and trust-and-safety exceptions. Temporary Chat changes ChatGPT history and memory behavior but may be retained for up to 30 days. Business, API, Work, and Claude Code accounts follow organization-level rules, so verify those with an administrator.

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