Start with what ChatGPT remembers about you
Open Settings, then Personalization and Memory. Review the memory summary, or ask ChatGPT, “What do you remember about me?” Correct anything stale and remove details that no longer help.
Deleting one chat may not fully remove a remembered detail. OpenAI says complete removal can require deleting every source where that information appears, including chats, archived chats, files, the memory summary, and connected apps.
Search before you rebuild old work
Use the magnifying glass in the sidebar to search past conversations by a specific word or phrase you remember. Archived chats can still appear; deleted conversations cannot.
For uploaded or generated files, open Library on the web. You can search and filter by file type, then add a saved file to a new chat instead of uploading it again.
Know what deleting a chat does not delete
Files saved in Library stay there until you delete them manually. Deleting the chat that originally contained a file does not delete the Library copy.
Temporary Chat is the cleaner option for a one-off file you do not want saved to history, memory, or Library. Avoid uploading sensitive information unless the task genuinely requires it.
Check where your account is still signed in
- Open Settings, choose Security, then Active sessions.
- Review the device, browser, approximate location, and first-party app information that appears.
- Log out of a session you do not recognize, or use Log out of all sessions for a full reset.
- Change your password and review sign-in methods if you suspect unauthorized activity.
The five-minute checkup
- Remove or correct one stale memory.
- Search for one old chat you keep recreating.
- Delete one Library file you no longer need.
- Review Active sessions and sign out anything unfamiliar.
- Check Data Controls if you want to change whether new chats help improve OpenAI's models.
What this check cannot show
The memory summary may not show every factor that shaped a response. Active sessions does not include every third-party connection or Codex CLI session, and some organization-managed SSO accounts do not expose the feature.
Treat this as routine account housekeeping, not proof that every privacy or security risk is gone.