Delete ChatGPT memory
How to delete one ChatGPT memory, wipe all of it, or turn memory off. Plus the difference between clearing memory and deleting chats.
Guide
How to delete all your ChatGPT chats at once
Open Settings, then Data controls, and choose Delete all chats. To delete a single chat, use the ••• menu next to it. Deletion in ChatGPT is permanent.
Export your data before you delete, because deleted chats do not come back. If you only want a tidy sidebar, archiving hides chats and keeps them in your account.
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How to delete one chat
- 1
Open your chat history
It is in the ChatGPT sidebar.
- 2
Open the chat's menu
Select ••• next to the chat you want to delete.
- 3
Delete it
Select Delete, then confirm.
Checked in October 2026 against the official help pages: Deleting and archiving chats in ChatGPT, Chat and file retention in ChatGPT, Sharing conversations in ChatGPT, Memory in ChatGPT and Data controls in ChatGPT. Menu names change, so check there if an option is not where we say.
How to delete every chat at once
- 1
Export first
Settings, then Data controls, then Export data. Wait for the file to arrive and open it before you go on.
- 2
Open Data controls
It is in ChatGPT settings.
- 3
Delete all
Choose Delete all chats, read the confirmation, then continue. It can include the chats in your projects.
There is no undo once you confirm, and OpenAI cannot restore the chats.
Can you delete several chats without deleting them all?
OpenAI's help page describes two ways to delete: one chat at a time, or everything. To clear a lot of chats from the sidebar, delete them one by one, or choose Archive all chats in the same place and bring back the ones you need from your archived chats.
How do you remove ChatGPT chats from Google?
A chat is only visible outside your account if you shared a link to it. So delete the link: Settings, Data controls, then Manage next to Shared links. Delete it there, or remove every link from More actions.
Deleting a link stops it opening from then on. It does not delete the original chat, or a copy someone saved by continuing the chat in their own account. Deleting the chat itself also deletes its link.
What is left after you delete a chat?
| Item | After deletion |
|---|---|
| The chat | Gone from your account at once; OpenAI deletes it from its systems within 30 days, unless it must keep it longer for security or legal reasons. |
| What memory saved from it | It may remain. Delete it under Settings, Personalization, Memory. |
| Files saved to Library | They stay until you delete them from Library. |
| Connected app data | What the chat held is deleted; the original stays in the app. |
| Its share link | Deleted with the chat. |
Where Memory Bridge fits
Before you delete months of chats, keep what you will need from them. Upload your export to Memory Bridge and pick the conversations that matter; what was decided in them stays as notes in your memory, readable by all your AI tools. Then delete whatever you like in ChatGPT.
Common questions
Can I get back a chat I deleted?
No. OpenAI cannot restore it, in ChatGPT or through Support. What you can still do is in the guide to recovering ChatGPT chats.
How do I delete chats in the mobile app?
Open the sidebar and tap your profile icon to reach Settings, then Data controls, where you will find Delete all chats. A single chat is deleted from its own menu, as on the web.
Does turning off model training delete my chats?
No. It stops new chats being used for training, and your history stays; deleting is a separate step. See Are ChatGPT chats private?
Keep reading
Export ChatGPT conversations
How to export all your ChatGPT conversations in one file, what the file contains, and how to use it in another tool or keep it as a backup.
An AI memory you can read and edit
Your AI memory is a set of clear notes inside projects. Read what was saved, correct it, go back to an earlier version, and download a copy to keep.
One memory. Every tool you use.
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