Have you outgrown ChatGPT, or would you like to erase your tracks? Then you may need to delete ChatGPT history or account. We’ll guide you through the process, and show you how to export your data for local storage.
Whether it’s to try it out and see how it works, or to use it for a personal or professional project, many of us have used ChatGPT since its launch to the general public. But if you no longer need the conversational agent, you may be tempted to delete your OpenAI account, or at least your search and chat history, to protect your personal data.
How do I delete ChatGPT history?
If you don’t want to get rid of your ChatGPT account, but would still like to remove certain traces of your use of the service, ChatGPT lets you delete your chat history.
Delete ChatGPT history
Once you’ve logged into your OpenAI account in ChatGPT, click on the three small dots next to your username to open a menu. Select “Clear conversations”, an option highlighted by a trashcan icon. Then click on “Confirm clear conversations” to confirm the operation. Your history has been deleted!
Disable ChatGPT history
By default, ChatGPT keeps your conversation history with no size or time limits. You can disable this by going to “Settings”, then to the “Data controls” section. Uncheck the “Chat History & Training” option.
By doing so, you will no longer have access to your ChatGPT history at all. OpenAI specifies that it retains this data for a period of 30 days, after which it is deleted from its systems. It also specifies that this feature does not synchronize across devices and browsers, even if you use the same account on your different devices. You therefore need to repeat the operation each time you use a new browser or device.
How do I export my ChatGPT data?
Before permanently deleting your ChatGPT account, you may be interested in recovering your data, and in particular your conversations with the chatbot, which will otherwise be lost for good when the account is deleted.
Generate export
Click on the three small dots to the right of your name to open a context menu, then choose “Settings”. Go to “Data controls”, then click on the “Export data” button. Select the green “Confirm export” button to validate your request and obtain your account information and conversations.
Retrieve the export file
You will receive an e-mail from OpenAI entitled “ChatGPT – Your data export is ready” in the mailbox associated with your account. The waiting time may vary depending on the status of OpenAI’s servers and the volume of data involved.
Click on the green “Download data export” button in the body of the e-mail to start downloading the ZIP file. This contains all your data, in HTML and JSON format.
How do I delete ChatGPT account?
Once you’ve obtained your data, you can proceed to deleting your account. Please note that this is a definitive decision, and that you will not be able to retrieve your data at a later date. What’s more, OpenAI specifies that you will no longer be able to use the same e-mail address or telephone number to create another account, so weigh up your choice carefully.
Refresh login
As for the previous actions, click on the ellipsis at the bottom left of the interface to bring up the menu, then choose “Settings”.
In the “Data controls” section, click on the red “Delete” button, opposite “Delete account”.
For security reasons, if your last login was less than 10 minutes ago, you will be asked to log in again. Click on “Refresh login” to do so, and repeat the previous steps. The system will make you start from scratch.
Delete ChatGPT account
This time, after clicking on the red “Delete” button, a confirmation window appears. In the first field, “Please type your account email”, enter your account’s email address. In the second field, “To proceed, type “DELETE” in the input field below”, write “DELETE”.
If everything is correct, the greyed-out button with a lock and the word “Locked” turns red, with a triangular danger sign and the text “Permanently delete my account”. Click on it to permanently delete your account and all your profile, conversation and API usage data.
Deleting your account is no trivial matter. We advise you not to do so if you think ChatGPT could be useful to you in the future, and you’re likely to want to create a new account with the same e-mail address and telephone number.
In some cases, simply delete ChatGPT history may be enough to eliminate the data you wish to remove. And if you want to keep your information, don’t forget to export it before deleting your account or history.
