# How to Lock Chats in ChatGPT With a PIN

> You can now lock chats in ChatGPT behind a PIN or Face ID. Useful for freelancers who share their screen and recruiters who work with private candidate notes.

- URL: https://hsalem.com/lock-chats-in-chatgpt/
- Author: Hassan Salem (https://hsalem.com/about/)
- Published: 2026-10-21
- Topics: AI, Security, Productivity, News

Have you ever shared your screen in a call, opened ChatGPT, and hoped nobody reads the sidebar? Since October 20 you can lock chats in ChatGPT. A locked chat disappears from your normal history and opens only with a 4-digit PIN or Face ID.

## What is new

OpenAI calls it [locked chats](https://help.openai.com/en/articles/20001411-using-locked-chats-in-chatgpt). You pick a chat, choose "Lock chat", and it moves into a separate "Locked chats" area. It is hidden from your history, your pinned chats and the normal search. To open it again, you enter your account PIN or use Face ID, Touch ID or your phone unlock.

It works on web, iOS, Android and the new desktop app, and on every plan: Free, Go, Plus, Pro, Business, Enterprise and Edu. It is a gradual rollout, so you may not see it yet. OpenAI does not list any region limits, but I could not confirm it is already live for everyone in Germany.

## Who it helps

**Freelancers who share their screen.** If you are a designer or consultant, you show your screen in client calls all the time. Your sidebar can show chats about another client, your pricing or a contract problem. Lock those, and the sidebar stays clean.

**Recruiters and HR people.** You may use ChatGPT to draft offer emails or summarize interview notes. Those chats should not appear when a colleague looks at your laptop for a minute.

People asked for this for a long time. On the OpenAI community forum there was a request in 2025 for chat locking with a code, because of shared devices and confidential work. TechCrunch also mentions simpler cases, like planning a surprise and then handing your phone to family.

## How to lock chats in ChatGPT

1. Open the chat you want to protect.
2. Click the three dots menu and choose **Lock chat**.
3. The first time, create a 4-digit PIN and confirm it.
4. On your phone, turn on Face ID or device unlock if you want.
5. To read it later, go to **Projects > Locked chats** and unlock.

You can also start a new chat directly inside Locked chats. A small habit I like: before any client call, start the sensitive chat there, for example:

> "Here are my notes from three client calls this week. Summarize what each client wants and which questions I still need to ask."

On the web, access ends when you leave the tab. On mobile, it ends after one minute in the background.

## The honest caveat

This is a lock on the screen, not a vault. OpenAI says clearly that it is not end-to-end encryption. It does not change how long chats are stored or your model training setting. In Enterprise and Edu workspaces, locked chats still appear in compliance logs. Temporary chats, group chats and chats with scheduled tasks cannot be locked.

And be careful with the PIN. If you forget it and reset it, all locked chats are deleted for good. Support cannot bring them back. Write the PIN in your password manager.

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## Sources

- [OpenAI Help: Using locked chats in ChatGPT](https://help.openai.com/en/articles/20001411-using-locked-chats-in-chatgpt)
- [OpenAI: ChatGPT release notes](https://help.openai.com/en/articles/6825453-chatgpt-release-notes)
- [TechCrunch: ChatGPT now lets you lock your chats](https://techcrunch.com/2026/10/20/chatgpt-now-lets-you-lock-your-chats/)
- [OpenAI Community: Add chat locking with password or code for privacy](https://community.openai.com/t/add-chat-locking-with-password-or-code-for-privacy/1279284)