Feature request: Ephemeral chats with auto-deletion

ChatGPT Feature requests
1

Feature request: Ephemeral chats with auto-deletion

I’d like ChatGPT to offer ephemeral chats that automatically delete themselves after a user-defined period.

Use case Sometimes I use ChatGPT like a search engine for quick research. Once I have the answer, I don’t want the conversation to remain indefinitely in my chat history.

Suggested feature Add an option when creating a chat, such as:

  • Delete after 3 days

  • Delete after 10 days

  • Custom duration

Why it would help

  • Cleaner chat history

  • Better privacy for short-lived queries

  • Better separation between long-term projects and temporary searches

A good implementation could be either:

  • a dedicated “ephemeral chat” mode, or

  • a per-chat retention setting configurable by the user.

2

Hey @Ted1! This is a practical suggestion, especially for quick searches or one-off research that does not need to stay in chat history long term.

There isn’t currently a per-chat auto-delete timer where you can choose something like 3 days, 10 days, or a custom duration. The closest workaround today is using Temporary Chat for short-lived conversations, since those chats do not appear in your history.

To start a Temporary Chat, open a new chat and click the pill-shaped Temporary button in the top-right corner of the page.

For regular chats, you can manually delete them when you no longer need them.

That said, I can see how a user-defined retention setting would be cleaner than having to remember to delete chats manually. It would also help separate temporary searches from long-term projects more clearly.

I can’t share a timeline right now, but I’ll pass this feedback along internally.

- Sunny