How to delete your ChatGPT account, and save your data first

Deleting a ChatGPT account is permanent. OpenAI says it deletes the account’s data within 30 days, “except we may retain a limited set of data for longer where required or permitted by law.” A deleted account cannot be reactivated.

Export your data first. An export needs a working account.

Before you start

• Mobile subscriptions. Deleting the account cancels a subscription billed directly by ChatGPT. It does not cancel one billed through the Apple App Store or Google Play. Cancel those in the store first.
• Work and school accounts. OpenAI says self-service deletion is not available in ChatGPT Business, Enterprise, Edu or ChatGPT for Healthcare workspaces. Ask your organization.
• Ads accounts. If the same email address runs an OpenAI Ads account, OpenAI says deleting may not pause or cancel active campaigns, and they could keep charging. Pause or end them in Ads Manager first.

Step 1: Export your data

In ChatGPT settings:

1. Sign in to ChatGPT.
2. Open your profile menu.
3. Select Settings.
4. Select Data controls.
5. Under Export data, select Export.
6. On the confirmation screen, select Confirm export.

In the Android app, OpenAI gives a shorter path: tap your profile icon in the top-right corner, scroll down to Data Controls, select Export Data, then tap Export Data again to confirm.

If you can’t sign in, use OpenAI’s Privacy Portal:

1. Go to the Privacy Portal.
2. Select Make a Privacy Request.
3. Select I have a consumer ChatGPT account.
4. Select Download my data, then follow the instructions.

What happens next:

• ChatGPT sends an email or text message when the export is ready. OpenAI says this can take up to 7 days.
• Open the message and select Download data export. The link expires 24 hours after you receive it.
• Download it while signed in to the same account that asked for it.
• The file is a ZIP with your chat history and other account data. Open it and check your conversations are there before you delete anything. An export cannot bring back chats you already deleted.

Settings export works for Free, Go, Plus and Pro accounts. It is not available for Business, Enterprise or ChatGPT for Healthcare workspaces.

Step 2: Delete the account

On the web:

1. Sign in to ChatGPT.
2. Open your account menu and select Settings.
3. Select Account.
4. Next to Delete account, select Delete.
5. Enter your account email or phone number and type DELETE when prompted.
6. Select Permanently delete my account.

On iPhone:

1. Open the ChatGPT app.
2. Go to your account settings.
3. Tap Data Controls.
4. Select Delete Account.
5. Confirm with Delete Account, or tap Cancel to stop.

On Android:

1. Tap your profile icon in the top-right corner.
2. Scroll down to Data Controls.
3. Select Delete OpenAI account.
4. In the confirmation dialog, select Delete OpenAI account.

If you can’t sign in, use the Privacy Portal: select Make a Privacy Request, then I have a consumer ChatGPT account, then Delete my ChatGPT account, and follow the verification steps. You need access to the email address or phone number linked to the account.

What OpenAI says it keeps

• Your data, for up to 30 days. OpenAI says it deletes account data within 30 days. Deleted chats are removed within 30 days “unless they were already de-identified and disassociated from your account or must be retained for security or legal reasons.”
• Content already used for training. The privacy policy says the 30-day deletion does not apply to content that “has already been de-identified and disassociated from your account” when you let OpenAI use it to improve its models.
• Some data, for longer. The privacy policy lists what it may keep after you delete: content or accounts banned for breaking its usage policies, data it is legally required to keep (a subpoena, for example), payment and transaction records, and a record of your deletion request.

Using the same email again

OpenAI’s main deletion article says you can sign up again with the same email address after 30 days, if the old account was fully deleted and not deactivated. OpenAI’s iOS and Android help pages still say the opposite: “You will NOT be able to create a new account using the same email address.” The main article is the more recently updated of the two.