OpenAI is testing an update to ChatGPT’s “Temporary Chat” feature. Temporary Chat allows you to “have a conversation with a blank slate” where “ChatGPT won’t be aware of previous conversations or access memories.” It’s a lot like Incognito Mode in Chrome, which you can use to “privately” browse the web—except here, it’s chatting.
The update to Temporary Chat will sort of tweak this, allowing ChatGPT to retain your personal customizations without the conversation itself being saved or affecting your overall account.
This change was first discovered by AI engineer Tibor Blaho on social media, who found an undisclosed setting for it in the AI chatbot. He describes it as “a new, currently hidden option that lets you still use personalization (memory, chat history, style and tone preferences) even though the chat is only temporary.”
The new Temporary Chat setting will be optional (for now?) and can be disabled. It isn’t yet available to all users. However, for security reasons, OpenAI may store copies of your chats for up to 30 days.