ChatGPT is a productivity rocket booster, but it’s not a black box. If you’ve ever wondered whether your prompts are stored, the short answer is yes—by default, OpenAI retains your conversations and may use them to improve its models. The good news: you can limit that, delete what’s stored, and even opt out of training.
Here’s exactly what ChatGPT saves, how to stop training on your messages, how to remove your history, and how to permanently erase your account data if you want a clean break.
What ChatGPT saves and why
OpenAI’s consumer ChatGPT service collects your prompts, responses, and associated metadata such as IP address, device and browser details, approximate location, and account information. If you’re a paying subscriber, billing-related details are also processed. This is typical for online services, but it has clear privacy implications when your chats include sensitive content.
By default, conversations may be reviewed by human moderators for safety and quality, and content can be used to improve future models through fine-tuning and evaluation. OpenAI has stated that API data is not used for training by default, while enterprise and business offerings keep customer data out of training by design—differences that matter if you’re deciding which product to use at work.
Operationally, ChatGPT runs on Microsoft Azure infrastructure. OpenAI says access to user data is tightly controlled and subject to confidentiality requirements. Still, like any online platform, content may be disclosed in response to valid legal requests.
How to stop training on your chats
The fastest control is Chat History & Training. Turning it off prevents new chats from being used to improve models and removes them from the visible history sidebar.
On web or mobile: open Settings > Data Controls > toggle off “Chat history & training.” New conversations won’t be saved to history. OpenAI retains them for a limited period (typically around 30 days) for abuse monitoring, after which they’re deleted unless legally required to keep them.
You can also start a Temporary Chat (available in the chat composer on many platforms). Temporary chats aren’t added to your history and aren’t used for training, offering a one-off privacy mode without changing your global setting. If you’re using ChatGPT without signing in, look for the in-session control asking whether to allow content to improve services and set it to off.
Delete conversations and export your data
To delete an individual thread: hover over a conversation title in the sidebar, click the three dots, and choose Delete. To remove everything at once: go to Settings > Data Controls > Clear all chats. This cleans up your view and instructs OpenAI to remove the content from its systems, subject to short-term safety retention and legal obligations.
You can also export your ChatGPT data for your records. Head to Settings > Data Controls > Export data. You’ll receive an email with a downloadable archive (typically JSON files) containing your conversations and account metadata. It’s useful for audits or for migrating notes elsewhere.
Remember, deleting chats affects future access—you won’t be able to restore content once it’s cleared. If you rely on past prompts, export before you delete.
Close your account for full deletion
If you want your ChatGPT data removed in full, the most definitive step is account deletion. Go to Settings > Data Controls > Delete account and follow the verification prompts. This action is permanent and erases your account and associated content after processing.
Deletion typically completes within one to two weeks, though some information may be retained where legally necessary or for security purposes. If you can’t access settings, you can submit a deletion request through OpenAI’s support channels.
Security incidents and real-world risks
OpenAI hasn’t reported a catastrophic breach of ChatGPT, but there have been notable incidents. In March 2023, a Redis bug briefly exposed some users’ chat titles and, for a subset of Plus subscribers (about 1.2% according to OpenAI), partial billing details like the last four digits of a credit card and expiration date. Full chat content wasn’t widely exposed, but it was a reminder that stored data creates risk.
Regulators have increased scrutiny. Italy’s data protection authority temporarily restricted ChatGPT in 2023, pushing for clearer disclosures and stronger controls, while privacy watchdogs across the EU continue to probe generative AI services under GDPR. On the enterprise side, several companies have restricted employee use after accidental sharing of proprietary code and documents.
Practical advice still applies: don’t paste medical details, trade secrets, credentials, or regulated data into a consumer chatbot. If you must handle sensitive information, consider enterprise offerings with contractual protections, or keep such data out of the model entirely.
Bottom line
Yes, ChatGPT saves your data by default, and your chats can be used to improve the service. You can curb that by disabling Chat History & Training or using Temporary Chats, and you can delete specific conversations, export your data, or permanently close your account. Treat the chatbot like any cloud app: use the controls, minimize sensitive inputs, and assume anything you share could one day be seen by someone else.