Storage
Does ChatGPT store my conversations?
Yes. Conversations are stored against your account by default, used to improve models unless you change a setting, and retained for a period after deletion — and a preservation order in ongoing litigation has already required copies to be kept even after users deleted them.
What the controls actually do
Turning off chat history stops new conversations appearing in your sidebar and stops them being used for training going forward. It does not make the account anonymous, and it does not reach backwards.
Deleting a conversation removes it from your view. A copy typically persists for a defined window for abuse and safety review, and longer if a legal hold applies.
Temporary chat is the closest thing to off, and still involves the message reaching the server under your account.
The part the settings cannot reach
None of these controls change the fundamental shape: an account exists, it is yours, and conversations are associated with it. Every guarantee is a policy the company can revise, and policies have been revised.
The alternative is not a better setting but a different structure — no account to store anything against, and nothing written down once the answer is sent. That is what nokeep is, and the trade is real: no history means no coming back to a conversation tomorrow.
Asked before you asked
How long does ChatGPT keep deleted chats?
Typically around thirty days for deleted conversations, longer where safety review or a legal hold applies. Treat published windows as the floor rather than a guarantee.
Can OpenAI employees read my conversations?
Access is possible under defined circumstances such as abuse investigation and safety review. It is controlled and logged, not impossible.
Is the paid tier different?
Business and enterprise tiers change training defaults and add controls. The consumer paid tier does not fundamentally change that conversations are stored against your account.