How to find archived chats in ChatGPT

To find archived chats in ChatGPT, open Settings, go to Data controls, and open the archived chats list. Archiving hides a conversation from your sidebar without deleting it, so everything is still there. You can also search your chats, because archived ones still appear in search results.

In this guide, you’ll learn what archiving does, where archived chats live, and how to bring one back.

What is the difference between archiving and deleting?

Think of archiving as moving a folder from your desk into a drawer. It is out of sight, but nothing has been thrown away.

• Archive: the chat disappears from your sidebar but stays saved in your account. You can find it, read it, and restore it whenever you like.
• Delete: the chat is removed from your account straight away. OpenAI says deleted chats are scheduled for permanent deletion within 30 days, with some exceptions. You cannot get a deleted chat back.

Archiving does not change how long a chat is kept. It is a tidying tool, not a privacy tool.

How do you find your archived chats?

The route is the same on the website and the apps, although the wording differs slightly from device to device.

1. Open ChatGPT and sign in.
2. Open Settings. On the website this is in your account menu; on the apps, look for your profile or account area.
3. Go to Data controls.
4. Open the archived chats option. Depending on your device it may be called “Archived chats” or “View archived chats”.
5. Browse the list and open the chat you want.

If you remember roughly what the conversation was about, searching your chats can be quicker. Archived chats appear in search results alongside your regular ones.

How do you unarchive a chat?

From the archived chats list in Data controls, find the conversation and choose Unarchive. It returns to your normal chat history in the sidebar. The same list also lets you delete an archived chat for good.

How do you archive a chat in the first place?

In your chat history, open the more options menu for the chat (usually shown as three dots) and choose Archive. There is no confirmation step, so it happens straight away. Settings also has an option to archive all your chats at once, which asks you to confirm first.

A prompt for when you reopen an old chat

When you come back to an archived conversation, it helps to get your bearings before carrying on. Paste this at the end of the chat:

I'm coming back to this conversation after a break.
Please summarise what we covered, list any decisions we made,
and tell me what we were about to do next.

Next steps

If you are still finding your way around, our guide on how to use ChatGPT covers the basics. For tips on keeping long conversations useful, read managing long conversations.