To change your ChatGPT account PIN, open Settings, then Security and login, then Account PIN, and choose Change. You'll need your current PIN. If you've forgotten it, the Reset option creates a new PIN but permanently deletes all your locked chats and the files protected only by the old PIN. Changing keeps everything; resetting doesn't.
ChatGPT's account PIN arrived with locked chats on 20 October 2026. It's a 4-digit code that guards the conversations you've hidden from your regular history. Most people will set it once and forget it, which is exactly why this page exists.
There are two very different jobs here: changing a PIN you know, and resetting one you've forgotten. They sit next to each other in the same menu, and one of them wipes your locked chats. Read the difference before you tap.
Change or reset: the difference in one table
| Change PIN | Reset PIN | |
|---|---|---|
| When to use it | You know your current PIN and want a new one | You've forgotten your PIN |
| Needs your current PIN | Yes, even if you use Face ID or Touch ID | No, you verify your identity instead |
| Locked chats | Kept | Permanently deleted |
| Files protected by the old PIN | Kept | Permanently deleted |
| Can OpenAI undo it | Nothing to undo | No, support can't recover deleted content |
If you only take one thing from this page, take the bottom two rows of that table.
How to create your PIN the first time
You don't set a PIN in advance. ChatGPT asks you to create one the first time you lock a chat or open the Locked chats area. OpenAI's steps:
- Select Create a PIN.
- Enter a 4-digit PIN.
- Enter it again to confirm.
The same PIN works on every supported device where you're signed in to the same OpenAI account. Face ID, Touch ID and Android's device unlock are set up separately on each device, so turning one on for your phone doesn't change your laptop.
How to change your ChatGPT PIN
Changing your PIN doesn't delete anything. You'll need your current PIN for this, even if you normally open locked chats with your face or fingerprint.
- Open Settings.
- Select Security and login.
- Select Account PIN.
- Under Change PIN, select Change on the web or desktop, or Change PIN on iPhone or Android.
- Enter your current PIN.
- Create and confirm your new 4-digit PIN.
Your other devices pick up the new PIN the next time ChatGPT asks you to authenticate. You don't need to change it device by device.
How to reset a forgotten ChatGPT PIN
Here's the part to slow down for. Forgetting your PIN doesn't delete your locked chats by itself. Resetting it does. OpenAI's page says a reset permanently deletes all locked chats, anything remembered only within them, and files or other content protected only by your previous PIN, including files added before or after you locked the chat. It can't be undone.
If you're sure you want to go ahead:
- Open Settings.
- Select Security and login.
- Select Account PIN.
- Under Reset PIN, select Reset on the web or desktop, or Reset PIN on iPhone or Android.
- Verify your identity when prompted.
- Read the warning, then confirm. The button says Reset PIN & Delete on the web, desktop and Android, or Delete all and reset on iPhone.
- Create and confirm a new 4-digit PIN.
The deleted conversations then follow OpenAI's standard retention policy, the same as any other chat you delete.
Before you reset, try these first
Because a reset is final, it's worth ruling out the easy fixes:
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- Try your phone. If you turned on Face ID, Touch ID or device unlock on your phone, you may still be able to open locked chats there without typing the PIN. Device authentication works alongside your PIN, so it's worth checking.
- Check your password manager. If you saved the PIN when you created it, it'll be there.
- Wait out a lockout. After too many wrong attempts ChatGPT temporarily disables access. That's a timer, not a deletion. Wait for the retry period to end and try again calmly.
- Rescue what matters. If you do get back in, permanently unlock any chat you can't afford to lose before you change anything else.
Can your workspace admin reset it?
No. OpenAI says a workspace administrator can't reset your account PIN or open your locked chats for you. Your PIN belongs to your OpenAI account, not to a particular workspace, so if you use two OpenAI accounts, each has its own PIN to manage.
That's good for privacy and bad for forgetful teams. If your staff use ChatGPT Business and lock client conversations, tell them plainly that a forgotten PIN can mean lost work, because there's no admin rescue.
Choosing a PIN you won't forget
Four digits isn't much, so the PIN's job is to stop a casual glance, not a determined attacker. Pick something you'll remember but that isn't the code for your phone screen or your bank card PIN, and store it in your password manager the moment you create it.
If you're new to the feature, my guide to ChatGPT temporary chats explains the option to use when you'd rather a conversation wasn't saved at all, and my ChatGPT memory guide covers how remembered details behave. Locked chats sit between the two: saved, but out of sight.
My advice
Set the PIN, save it somewhere safe today, and turn on Face ID or device unlock on your phone as a backup way in. Then treat Reset as a last resort. For business owners rolling ChatGPT out to a team, a short written rule about PINs saves a lot of grief, and it's one of the practical guardrails I set up with clients in my AI consulting work.
Frequently asked questions
Where is the ChatGPT account PIN setting?
Open Settings, then Security and login, then Account PIN. Change and Reset both live there.
Does changing my ChatGPT PIN delete my locked chats?
No. Changing your PIN keeps every locked chat. You need your current PIN to do it.
What does resetting my ChatGPT PIN delete?
All locked chats, anything remembered only inside them, and files protected only by your previous PIN. OpenAI says this can't be undone.
Can OpenAI support recover my locked chats after a reset?
No. OpenAI's help page says support can't recover content deleted by a PIN reset.
How many digits is the ChatGPT PIN?
It's a 4-digit PIN, and the same PIN works on every device signed in to your OpenAI account.
