Locked chats began rolling out on 20 October 2026. They hide eligible conversations from ordinary history and search behind account authentication. That change does not automatically withdraw a shared link created before the lock.
Inspect existing sharing separately
Current OpenAI help says previously shared content remains available through an existing link; new messages written while the chat is locked are not added to it. If you intend to stop access to that earlier shared snapshot, manage the link separately using the documented sharing controls.
On the web, look under Settings → Data controls → Shared links → Manage. Select the specific link you want to withdraw. For example, if an old test chat contains a mock agenda that you shared last week, check that the link for that agenda disappears from the list. A copy that someone already saved can remain with that person.
Check the intended outcome
After a permitted change, confirm both that the conversation is hidden where expected and that any link you meant to revoke no longer exposes its content. Locking is not deletion, and it does not change the account’s retention or model-improvement settings. Read the PIN-management warning before making changes: changing a known PIN and resetting a forgotten PIN have different consequences. No PIN reset is needed for this check.
Current help lists Free, Go, Plus, Pro, Business, Enterprise and Edu. On desktop, check eligible cloud conversations in the new ChatGPT app. Codex and local Work conversations are excluded. In a managed workspace, confirm the applicable sharing rules with your administrator.