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Join Bot ClubWhat is Memory, in plain English?
Memory is ChatGPT’s “notes about you” feature. When it’s on, ChatGPT can keep relevant preferences and details from your chats (and, depending on your plan and region, other sources like saved memories, custom instructions, Library files, or connected apps) so later chats feel more personal. It does not remember every detail from every conversation — OpenAI’s help says ChatGPT picks what’s relevant, and Memory can change as your context changes.
Memory vs Custom Instructions vs Custom GPT
Learns useful details over time (and from sources you enable). You can review, correct, or delete them.
A sticky note you write once about how you like replies. See our Custom Instructions guide.
A separate helper with its own job and knowledge. See our first Custom GPT guide.
OpenAI’s Memory FAQ says Custom Instructions are direct guidance you provide; Memory can use relevant information that develops across conversations and other available sources. They work together, but they are different tools.
How to turn Memory on or off
- Open chatgpt.com (or the ChatGPT app) and sign in.
- Open Settings.
- Choose Personalization.
- Select Memory.
- Turn Memory (or “Enable memory”) on or off, depending on the controls you see.
Depending on your account, you may also see toggles like Reference saved memories and Reference chat history. Turning Memory off does not delete your past chats. If you turn it back on later, ChatGPT may create new remembered information from chats that are still in your history.
See what ChatGPT remembers
- Open Settings → Personalization → Memory and look at the memory summary (a high-level view — OpenAI says it may not show every detail).
- In any chat, ask:
What do you remember about me? - When personalization is used, a Sources section may appear under a reply so you can see what contributed (a past chat, saved memory, custom instruction, file, or connected email).
Delete, correct, or “don’t mention this”
- Correct: tell ChatGPT something is wrong, or edit the memory summary / a saved memory when those controls are available.
- Don’t mention this again: use that option when you see it, or ask ChatGPT not to use the detail. This changes personalization; it does not delete the original chat or file.
- Delete remembered info: delete items from the memory summary or saved-memory controls. For a full cleanup of something sensitive, OpenAI says you may also need to delete the chat where it appeared, remove relevant Library files, and disconnect apps that contain it.
- Delete and turn off memory: from the memory summary’s more-options menu (•••) when available — deletes remembered info shown in the summary and turns Memory off, without deleting past chats.
Saved memories vs chat history (when you see both)
Some accounts show two related controls:
- Reference saved memories: details you explicitly asked ChatGPT to remember (or that it saved as useful), stored separately from chat history.
- Reference chat history: lets ChatGPT use relevant info from past conversations; that kind of context can change over time as what’s useful updates.
You can also say things like Remember that I’m vegetarian when you recommend recipes to create a saved memory. Ask it to forget something when you change your mind.
Temporary Chat: the “don’t remember this” mode
Use Temporary Chat when you want a one-off conversation that doesn’t create or update memories. Before it starts, you can choose personalized (may use existing memories / custom instructions) or unpersonalized. Neither option creates or updates memories while the chat stays temporary. If you later save a temporary chat, it becomes a normal chat and follows your account’s Memory settings.
Official help: Temporary chat in ChatGPT.
Fun first things to try
- Turn Memory on, then say:
Remember I prefer short bullet answers and plain English. - Start a new chat and ask for a Tuesday plan — see if it already keeps replies short.
- Ask
What do you remember about me?and delete anything you don’t want. - Try a Temporary Chat for something you don’t want remembered.
Want more playful ideas after setup? Try our 25 fun things to try. Not sure which assistant fits you? Take the 2-minute quiz.
For parents: when you set up ChatGPT parental controls, one of the settings you manage for your teen is Reference saved memories, alongside Voice Mode, image generation and quiet hours.
Official sources
- OpenAI Help: Memory in ChatGPT
- OpenAI Help: Temporary chat in ChatGPT
- OpenAI Help: ChatGPT Custom Instructions
- OpenAI Academy: Personalizing ChatGPT
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- Fill in your “trip card”
- Plan a road trip like a human
- “Explain it like I’m 10”
- “Grade my answer, don’t write it”
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