ChatGPT locked chats hide a thread behind a PIN
A locked chat stays in the account but drops out of history, pins, and search. Open it with a 4-digit PIN or device authentication. Retention settings do not change.
Official source (opens in a new tab)
OpenAI's ChatGPT release notes for 20 October 2026 add locked chats. A locked conversation stays in the account and is hidden from regular chat history, pinned chats, and search. You open it with the account's 4-digit PIN or with supported device authentication. Retention and model-improvement settings stay as they were.
The rollout is gradual, for Free, Go, Plus, and Pro, on the web, in the iOS and Android apps, and in the ChatGPT desktop app for macOS and Windows. To lock a chat, open its more-options menu and choose Lock chat.
Who it's for: someone who wants a single conversation out of the normal history list without changing how long OpenAI keeps data.
Fits: no ranking change. Locked chats are a privacy control on a conversation, not a better writer or a better coder.