# Temporary Chat

> A ChatGPT chat that doesn't appear in your history, doesn't use or create memories, and isn't used to train models.

**Category:** ChatGPT

**A Temporary Chat is a clean, one-off conversation.** It starts without your saved [memories](/glossary#chatgpt-memory), doesn't add anything new to them, doesn't show up in your chat list, and isn't used for training.

Use it when you want an answer that isn't coloured by what ChatGPT knows about you, or for a one-off you don't want in your history. OpenAI may still keep a copy for a limited time for safety reasons, so it is not a place for things you shouldn't share at all.

## At work

Testing how a prompt works for a colleague who has no history with ChatGPT? Try it in a Temporary Chat: you see the answer they would get.

## Often confused with

Deleting a chat. Deleting a normal chat removes it from your list, but a memory saved from it stays until you delete that memory too.

## Related terms

- Memory (ChatGPT)
- Data controls
- Chat

## See it in a lesson

[Giving ChatGPT context](/en/learn/chatgpt/getting-started/giving-chatgpt-context)

## Further reading

- [Memory in ChatGPT](https://help.openai.com/en/articles/8590148-memory-faq): Temporary Chat and how memory works around it.
- [Data controls in ChatGPT](https://help.openai.com/en/articles/7730893-data-controls-in-chatgpt): History, training, and retention settings.
- [ChatGPT release notes](https://help.openai.com/en/articles/6825453-chatgpt-release-notes): Recent changes to temporary chats and personalization.

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Last updated: 14/10/2026  
Source: Rollo Academy glossary