- The catch: Claude keeps the work, not your whole life
- First, check which memory version you have
- Step 1: get your memories out of the old assistant
- Steps 2 and 3: import into Claude
- Taking your Claude memory with you
- How Gemini's memory import compares
- My verdict on importing memory into Claude
- Frequently asked questions
To import memory into Claude, open Settings > Your Claude, select Start import, run the prompt Claude gives you in the assistant you're leaving, then paste its answer back and click Add to memory. As of October 2026 it works on Free, Pro, Max, Team and Enterprise plans, on the web and in Claude Desktop, but it's experimental and Claude mainly keeps work-related details.
The catch: Claude keeps the work, not your whole life
People expect a perfect copy of everything ChatGPT or Gemini knew about them. That's not what happens. Anthropic says Claude's memory focuses on work-related topics, so it may not keep imported personal details that have nothing to do with work.
If something personal matters to you, you can push it in by hand. Go to Manage next to Your memory and use the box labelled Tell Claude what to change or remove, or just ask Claude in a chat to remember it.
Anthropic also says plainly that memory imports are experimental and still in active development, and that Claude may not always take in imported memories successfully. So treat the import as a head start, then check what landed.
First, check which memory version you have
Where the buttons live depends on whether your account has the new memory experience or the older one. A small number of Team and Enterprise organisations are still on the legacy version, as of October 2026.
| Detail | New experience | Legacy experience |
|---|---|---|
| How to spot it | Settings > Memory, or Memory from chats in Settings > Your Claude | Memory in Settings > Capabilities, or Generate memory from chat history |
| Where to import | Settings > Your Claude, then Start import | Settings > Memory, or Get started on the Import memory to Claude card on the home screen |
| What you get | Individual memory entries in the memory panel | Memory edits; the update can take up to 24 hours |
Step 1: get your memories out of the old assistant
Claude's import screen hands you a ready-made prompt to paste into the other service. In plain terms, it asks that assistant to list every memory and bit of learned context it holds about you, in one code block, with the date each was saved where it has one.
It covers how you like it to respond, personal details, your projects and goals, the tools and languages you use, corrections you've made and anything else it's stored. It also tells the assistant not to summarise or leave entries out, because a tidy summary loses the detail you're trying to move.
Two tips from Anthropic worth following. You can edit the prompt before you send it to leave out anything sensitive you'd rather not carry over. And if the other service can make files, ask it for a Markdown export too, so you keep a record of exactly what you moved.
Steps 2 and 3: import into Claude
- Open Settings > Your Claude (or Settings > Memory in the older layout) and select Start import.
- Copy the export prompt and paste it into your current AI service.
- Copy the single code block it returns.
- Paste it into Claude and click Add to memory.
- Review the entries and click See what Claude learned about you.
When you click Add to memory, Claude pulls out the key information and saves it as separate entries you can review. The last button opens a chat that asks Claude what it learned about you, which is the quickest way to spot anything it dropped or got wrong.
Taking your Claude memory with you
It works the other way too, for a backup or a move. Go to Settings > Your Claude and select Manage next to Your memory, and you'll see it exactly as Claude sees it. Or ask in a chat for Claude to write out its memories of you verbatim, exactly as they appear in its memory.
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Save that output somewhere safe, or paste it into another AI service. If you're already tidying what Claude remembers, my guide to how Claude's memory works and how to switch it off sits alongside this one.
How Gemini's memory import compares
Gemini has its own import, and the rules are tighter. It can bring in preferences, remembered facts and context, plus full chat history, from other AI platforms. But you need a personal Google Account, you must be 18 or over, and as of October 2026 it isn't available in the EEA, Switzerland or the United Kingdom.
| Destination | Where | How | Catch |
|---|---|---|---|
| Claude | Settings > Your Claude > Start import | Paste prompt result, Add to memory | Work-related focus; experimental |
| Gemini | Settings & help > Import memory to Gemini | Copy Gemini's prompt, paste other service's reply | Personal account, 18+, not in EEA, Switzerland or UK |
Gemini's import also doesn't work in Gemini in Google Messages, Gemini in Chrome or Gemini on Android XR. For anyone in the UK or Europe, that makes Claude the one that'll take your history today.
My verdict on importing memory into Claude
I'd do it if you've spent months teaching ChatGPT or Gemini how you write, what you're working on and which tools you use, because that's exactly the work-related detail Claude holds on to. I'd skip it, or trim the prompt hard, if most of what the old assistant knows is personal, since Claude may not keep it anyway. Whatever you import, click See what Claude learned about you straight after, and fix gaps by hand. It's on every plan, so you don't need to upgrade first; Claude's plans only matter for how much you use it.
Frequently asked questions
Can I import my ChatGPT memory into Claude?
Yes. Run Claude's export prompt in ChatGPT, copy the code block it returns, paste it into Settings > Your Claude > Start import and click Add to memory.
Why didn't Claude keep some of my imported memories?
Claude's memory focuses on work-related topics and the import is experimental, so personal details may be dropped. Add them through Manage next to Your memory.
Is memory import available on the free plan?
Yes. As of October 2026 it works on Free, Pro, Max, Team and Enterprise, on the web and Claude Desktop.
How long does a memory import take?
On the new experience the entries appear for review straight away. On the legacy experience the update can take up to 24 hours.
