Feature Request: Private Vault — A Secure Space for Long-Term Personal Processes
I saw the recent “Private Projects / Conversations with Independent Locking” proposal, and I strongly support it. I also noticed that the discussion has already been closed.
I’d like to build on that idea with a slightly broader use case that I think is worth considering:
A Private Vault for long-term personal processes
The privacy problem is important, but I think there is an even deeper product opportunity here.
Some people don’t use ChatGPT only for questions or individual conversations. They use it to work through something over weeks or months.
For example:
- understanding a personal problem
- working through a difficult decision
- setting and following a personal goal
- preparing for a difficult conversation
- developing a private project
- creating a plan and adjusting it over time
- coming back when things don’t go as planned and asking for feedback
In these situations, continuity is the main value.
The user may spend hours with ChatGPT understanding the situation, identifying the underlying issue, creating a plan, and deciding what to try next.
A week later they might return and say:
«“I tried what we discussed, but something unexpected happened.”»
Or:
«“I’m struggling again and I’m not sure what to do next.”»
The ideal experience is that ChatGPT already understands the history, conclusions, attempts, setbacks, and goals.
But these can also be conversations that a user does not want a partner, child, family member, friend, or colleague to see when they temporarily use the user’s already-unlocked phone.
That’s where I think a Private Vault could go beyond simply locking a Project.
The concept
A Private Vault would be a separately authenticated space containing:
- Private Projects
- Private conversations
- Private files
- Private context
- Private Memory
- Long-term personal processes
The Vault would be completely hidden from the normal ChatGPT experience while locked.
Access could require Face ID, fingerprint, PIN, or another authentication method.
The key feature: Private Continuity
The most important part for me isn’t the lock.
It’s that the user can safely leave and return to a process without losing the context.
Imagine:
Week 1:
“I don’t really understand why I’m struggling with this.”
Week 2:
“I tried the plan we created.”
Week 3:
“This didn’t work. Here’s what happened.”
Week 4:
“I’m feeling discouraged and I’m thinking about giving up.”
ChatGPT should be able to understand all of that as one continuous process.
The user shouldn’t have to start from zero every time.
Private Memory
I think this could also introduce a useful concept of Vault-specific Memory.
For example:
«“My goal in this process is X.”»
«“We identified Y as the main obstacle.”»
«“I decided to try Z for three weeks.”»
That information could remain available inside the Vault while being isolated from normal ChatGPT conversations unless the user explicitly chooses to share it.
This would make the feature much more than a locked folder.
It would become a private workspace for long-term human + AI collaboration.
Why this is different from Temporary Chat
Temporary Chat is useful when the user doesn’t want a conversation to persist.
This is almost the opposite use case.
The user does want persistence.
They want ChatGPT to remember enough to be genuinely useful — they just don’t want someone else who happens to use their unlocked device to access that information.
So the product principle becomes:
«Privacy should not require sacrificing continuity.»
A simple MVP could be:
- Private Vault accessible from Settings.
- Face ID / PIN / device authentication.
- Move existing conversations or Projects into the Vault.
- Create conversations directly inside the Vault.
- Hide Vault content from normal sidebar/search/history previews.
- Quick Lock.
- Clearly scoped Vault Memory.
- Clear controls explaining what is stored, remembered, retained, and shared.
I think the existing Private Projects proposal is a great foundation.
My suggestion is simply to think one level beyond “How do we hide a conversation?”
The bigger question is:
«“How do we give people a private place where ChatGPT can help them work through something meaningful over time?”»
That could turn privacy from a defensive feature into an enabler of much deeper use of ChatGPT.
From: “Ask ChatGPT a question.”
To: “Work with ChatGPT on something important — privately, continuously, and over time.”