How to Delete ChatGPT History

To delete one ChatGPT chat, open its ••• menu and select Delete; to delete them all, go to Settings > Data controls > Delete all chats. Memories, files and your whole account are deleted separately, and OpenAI removes deleted chats from its systems within 30 days.

To delete a ChatGPT chat, open the chat's ••• menu in the sidebar, select Delete and confirm; to delete every chat at once, go to Settings > Data controls > Delete all chats (OpenAI Help Center). Deleting is permanent: the chat disappears at once and is scheduled for deletion from OpenAI's systems within 30 days. Chats are only part of what ChatGPT keeps, though: memories, uploaded files, shared links and the account itself each have their own delete button, covered below, as of Nov 6, 2026.

Quick facts

One chat	••• > Delete (mobile: press and hold the title)
All chats	Settings > Data controls > Delete all chats (cannot be undone)
Memories	Settings > Personalization > Memory
Shared links	Settings > Data controls > Shared links > Manage
Account	Settings > Account > Delete account (web)
When it is gone from OpenAI	Within 30 days, with legal and security exceptions
Restore a deleted chat	Not possible, even through OpenAI Support

Delete one chat

In the sidebar, find the chat (or use Search, Ctrl+K or Cmd+K on the web).
Select the ••• menu next to it. On the phone apps, press and hold the chat's title.
Select Delete and confirm.

"Deleting is permanent," and OpenAI cannot restore it (OpenAI Help Center). If you only want it out of sight, select Archive instead: archived chats leave the sidebar but stay searchable, and you find them again under Settings > Data controls (OpenAI Help Center). Another option is a locked chat, hidden behind a PIN.

Delete all chats

Open Settings.
Select Data controls.
Select Delete all chats, review the confirmation and continue.

"The Delete all chats action cannot be undone" (OpenAI Help Center). If you might want your history later, export it first; an export can take up to 7 days to arrive.

Delete what ChatGPT remembers

Deleting chats does not delete memories. Saved memories are stored separately, so "deleting the chat does not delete the memory". To clear them:

Saved memories: Settings > Personalization > Memory, then Manage or Saved memories to review and delete them.
Memory summary: from its ••• menu, Delete and turn off memory deletes what the summary shows and turns Memory off (since Jun 12, 2026).
Reference chat history: turning it off means what ChatGPT remembered from past chats is "scheduled for deletion from OpenAI systems within 30 days".

OpenAI may keep logs of deleted saved memories for up to 30 days for safety and debugging (OpenAI Help Center). See Memory.

Delete files, images, projects and shared links

Files saved in Library or Space are not removed when you delete the chat they came from; delete them in the Library itself, where deleted files are permanently deleted within 30 days.
Images you made are kept at chatgpt.com/images; to delete one, delete its conversation.
Projects: deleting a project removes its chats from OpenAI's systems within 30 days.
Shared links keep showing a snapshot of the chat until you delete the link: Settings > Data controls > Shared links > Manage, then Delete shared link or Delete all shared links. Links have no expiration dates. See Sharing Chats.
Agent screenshots stay with an agent chat until you delete it, then are deleted within 90 days.
Work's cloud browser data (cookies and sign-ins): Settings > Cloud browser > Browser data (OpenAI Help Center).

Delete your ChatGPT account

On the web (OpenAI Help Center):

Open the account menu and select Settings, then Account.
Next to Delete account, select Delete.
Enter your account email or phone number and type DELETE.
Select Permanently delete my account.

On iOS, go to Data controls > Delete account (cancel any Apple subscription first under Manage subscriptions). On Android, Settings > Data controls > Delete OpenAI account. If the app fails, use OpenAI's Privacy Portal at privacy.openai.com: Make a Privacy Request > Delete my ChatGPT account.

What deleting the account does, as of Nov 6, 2026 (OpenAI Help Center):

It ends access to all OpenAI services on that account, ChatGPT and the API alike.
OpenAI deletes your data within 30 days, except what law requires or permits it to keep.
It cancels a subscription billed by chatgpt.com, but not one billed by Apple; cancel Apple or Google Play first (How to Cancel ChatGPT Plus).
A deleted account cannot be reactivated. You can sign up again with the same email after 30 days.
Business, Enterprise, Edu and Healthcare workspace members cannot delete themselves; ask the organization.

How long does OpenAI keep deleted data?

What you delete	When it is gone from OpenAI's systems
A chat, or all chats	Within 30 days, except de-identified data and legal or security holds
A temporary chat	Never in history; a copy may be kept up to 30 days for safety
A saved memory	Logs may be kept up to 30 days
A Library file	Within 30 days
An agent chat and its screenshots	Within 90 days
Voice audio and video clips	Retained 30 days
The account	Within 30 days

Business, Enterprise and Edu workspaces may also apply their own retention policy (OpenAI Help Center). For chats that should never be kept, use Temporary Chat from the start. Training controls are on Privacy and Data Controls.

Frequently asked questions

How do I delete all my ChatGPT history? Go to Settings > Data controls > Delete all chats and confirm. It cannot be undone, so export your data first if you want a copy.

Can I recover a deleted ChatGPT chat? No. OpenAI says you cannot restore a deleted chat in ChatGPT or through OpenAI Support; archive a chat instead if you may want it back.

Does deleting ChatGPT chats delete its memory? No. Saved memories are stored separately; delete them at Settings > Personalization > Memory, or use "Delete and turn off memory" from the memory summary.

How long does OpenAI keep deleted ChatGPT chats? OpenAI schedules deleted chats for permanent deletion from its systems within 30 days, with exceptions for de-identified data and legal or security obligations.

How do I permanently delete my ChatGPT account? On the web, go to Settings > Account > Delete account, type DELETE and select Permanently delete my account. Data is deleted within 30 days and the account cannot be reactivated.

Does deleting my ChatGPT account cancel my subscription? It cancels a subscription billed by chatgpt.com, but not one billed by Apple; cancel App Store and Google Play subscriptions yourself first.