Quick answer: open ChatGPT, go to Settings > Data controls and switch off Improve the model for everyone. New conversations will no longer be used to train OpenAI’s models. The setting is tied to your account, so it applies on every device you sign in to.
By default, conversations in personal ChatGPT accounts can be used to help train and improve OpenAI’s models. For most casual use that may not bother you. For a business that pastes in draft contracts, client emails, pricing or staff information, it’s worth switching off, and it only takes a minute.
This guide shows where the setting is on each device, what it actually changes, what it doesn’t, and the other tools you have, such as Temporary Chat, data export and business plans. It’s based on OpenAI’s help centre, checked in October 2026.
How to turn off training on the web
Why this matters for a small business
Think about what actually goes into ChatGPT in a typical week. A café owner asks it to reply to a complaint and pastes in the customer’s email. An accountant asks for help wording a letter about a client’s tax position. A recruiter pastes in a CV to draft interview questions. None of that is unusual, and none of it is information you’d want used beyond the task in hand. Switching off training doesn’t make careless use safe, but it removes one route by which your content leaves your control, at no cost and with no loss of features.
- Sign in at chatgpt.com.
- Click your profile icon in the bottom-left corner and choose Settings.
- Open Data controls.
- Switch off Improve the model for everyone.
If you use ChatGPT without signing in, the setting is still available: click the question mark icon in the bottom-right corner, then Settings > Data controls.
How to turn off training on iPhone
- Open the ChatGPT app.
- Tap the three dots in the top-right corner, then Settings.
- Tap Data controls.
- Switch off Improve the model for everyone.
How to turn off training on Android
- Open the ChatGPT app.
- Tap the menu in the top-left corner, then Settings.
- Tap Data controls.
- Switch off Improve the model for everyone.
Because the setting is stored on your account, changing it in one place changes it everywhere. If you have more than one ChatGPT account, for example a personal one and a work one, you need to change it on each.
What the setting changes, and what it doesn’t
| With training switched off | Still true |
|---|---|
| New conversations are not used to train OpenAI’s models | Your chats still appear in your history |
| Applies across all your devices | Chats from before you changed it may already have been used |
| You keep all ChatGPT features | OpenAI can still review chats to check for abuse |
| No extra cost | Memory works separately and may still save details |
The important point is that this is about training, not storage. Your conversations are still saved to your account until you delete them. If you also want to remove them, see how to delete ChatGPT history, chats and memory.
Use Temporary Chat for sensitive questions
Temporary Chat is the closest thing to an incognito mode. Start one from the top of a new chat. Temporary chats don’t appear in your history, don’t create memories and aren’t used for training. OpenAI keeps them for up to 30 days so it can check for abuse, then deletes them. It’s a good habit for anything involving a named customer, an employee or a supplier dispute.
Business plans and the API
If several people in your business use ChatGPT for work, a business plan is worth considering. OpenAI’s business products, including its workspace plans and its API, are not used for training by default, and the account owner controls settings for everyone. That avoids relying on each person remembering to switch the toggle off, and keeps work chats separate from personal accounts.
If you’re comparing costs, our guide to ChatGPT pricing in the UK sets out the plans. If you build your own tools on the OpenAI API, data sent through the API is handled under OpenAI’s business terms rather than the consumer settings described here.
Export your data first
If you want a copy of everything before you start cleaning up, go to Settings > Data controls > Export data and confirm. OpenAI emails you a link to a .zip file containing your chat history as a readable chat.html page and your other stored data. The link expires after 24 hours.
What about UK GDPR?
If you put other people’s personal data into ChatGPT, you’re responsible for having a lawful reason to do so and for keeping it to a minimum. Switching off training reduces how that data is used, but it doesn’t make it acceptable to paste in anything at all. The safest approach is to remove names and identifying details before you paste. OpenAI also runs a privacy portal where you can make data requests, such as asking for a copy of your data or objecting to the use of your content for training. Our guide to AI tools and UK GDPR covers the basics.
A two-minute privacy checklist
- Switch off Improve the model for everyone on every account you use for work.
- Use Temporary Chat for anything involving personal data.
- Review memory in Settings > Personalization and delete anything sensitive.
- Delete old chats you no longer need.
- Move team use onto a business plan where the owner controls settings.
- Agree a short written rule for staff on what never goes into AI tools.
How other AI tools compare
Setting up staff accounts
If staff use their own personal ChatGPT accounts for work, you can’t easily check their settings. Ask them to switch training off and to use Temporary Chat for anything involving customers, and write that into a short AI use policy. For more than two or three regular users, a workspace plan is usually simpler: everyone has their own login, chats are kept separate, and the owner sets the rules once.
What OpenAI can still see
Switching off training doesn’t hide your conversations from OpenAI entirely. Chats are still stored on its systems while they’re in your history, and OpenAI may review conversations to investigate abuse or comply with the law. Deleted chats are removed within 30 days, with some exceptions. If you need stronger guarantees, such as contractual data processing terms, those come with business plans rather than personal accounts.
How to check the setting is off
Open Settings > Data controls on any device signed in to your account. The toggle for Improve the model for everyone should be off. If you’ve just changed it on your phone, refresh the web page and check it there too. It’s worth checking again after major app updates.
Common misunderstandings
- “Turning off training deletes my data.” It doesn’t. It only stops new chats being used for training.
- “Temporary Chat is completely private.” It isn’t saved to your history, but OpenAI keeps it for up to 30 days to check for abuse.
- “Paid plans are never used for training.” Personal paid plans use the same toggle as free accounts. It’s business products that are excluded by default.
- “If I delete a chat, ChatGPT forgets it.” Saved memories are separate and need deleting on their own.
Most mainstream assistants now have a similar control, though the names differ. Google Gemini ties history to Gemini Apps Activity in your Google account, and turning off Keep Activity stops new chats being saved for most purposes; see how to delete Gemini chats. Anthropic’s Claude has its own privacy settings, and its business plans are not used for training by default. Whichever tool you use, check its data settings when you first set it up, and again after major updates, because defaults sometimes change.
Frequently asked questions
Does ChatGPT use my chats to train its models?
For personal accounts, it can unless you switch off Improve the model for everyone in Settings > Data controls.
Will turning off training delete my chat history?
No. Your chats stay in your history. Delete them separately if you want them gone.
Does the setting apply to past chats?
It applies to new conversations. Chats from before you changed it may already have been used.
Is Temporary Chat used for training?
No. Temporary chats aren’t used for training and are deleted within 30 days.
Are ChatGPT business plans used for training?
OpenAI says its business products are not used for training by default.
Do I need to change the setting on my phone too?
No. It’s tied to your account and syncs across devices.
Sources
- OpenAI Help: Data controls FAQ
- OpenAI Help: How to delete and archive chats
- OpenAI Help: Exporting your ChatGPT history and data
- OpenAI: Enterprise privacy
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