How do I use ChatGPT memory and how do I turn it off?

ChatGPT's memory feature lets it remember useful details about you across separate conversations. Instead of explaining your job, your preferences or your project every time, ChatGPT can recall them and tailor its answers.

There are two kinds of memory to understand. The first is saved memories. These are specific facts ChatGPT stores, either because you asked ("remember that I teach Class 8 science") or because it decided something seemed useful long term. The second is reference to chat history, where ChatGPT can draw on your past conversations to give more personal answers, even if nothing was explicitly saved.

Used well, memory saves a lot of time. A small business owner can tell ChatGPT once about their products and tone of voice, and later requests for social media posts will already fit. A student can mention their exam and syllabus, and explanations will match that level.

To manage memory, open Settings and look for the Personalization section. There you can view the saved memories, delete individual items that are wrong or outdated, clear everything at once, or switch memory off entirely. You can also turn off the setting that lets ChatGPT reference your chat history while keeping saved memories, or the other way round. Menu names shift as the app is updated, but the controls stay in the personalisation area.

You can also manage memory by talking to it. Saying "forget that I live in Pune" or "what do you remember about me?" works in normal conversation.

If you want a single conversation that leaves no trace in memory, use Temporary Chat. These chats do not use or update memory and do not appear in your history. It is handy for one-off questions on sensitive topics or when you are using a shared computer.

A few practical tips:

1. Review your saved memories every few months. Old details, such as a previous job, can quietly skew answers.
2. Do not ask ChatGPT to remember passwords, account numbers or ID numbers.
3. If answers suddenly feel oddly personalised or off-target, check memory first. An incorrect stored fact is often the reason.

Memory is optional. If you prefer every chat to start fresh, simply turn it off and use custom instructions for the few preferences you always want applied.