What each AI keeps about you
thecontinuitylayer.com/privacy-watchdog/what-ai-keepsChecked 22 October 2026. Consumer apps only. Each claim links the provider page it comes from.
Your AI keeps more than the chat on your screen. This guide says, in plain words, what ChatGPT, Claude and Gemini keep, for how long, whether it trains their models unless you say no, and how to see, download and delete it. We use only the providers' own pages. Where they do not say, we say so.
ChatGPT (OpenAI)
Applies to: Free, Plus and Pro.
What it keeps
- Your chats stay in your history until you delete them. Archiving a chat hides it from the sidebar but does not delete it. (Source: Chat and file retention, checked 22 October 2026)
- Memory: saved memories, plus what ChatGPT draws from past chats when "Reference chat history" is on. Saved memories are stored separately from your chats. (Source: Memory FAQ, checked 22 October 2026)
- Files you save to your Library stay until you delete them; deleting a chat does not delete them. (Source: Chat and file retention, checked 22 October 2026)
- Voice: audio and video clips from voice chats are stored with the chat's transcript in your history. (Source: Voice Mode FAQ, checked 22 October 2026)
How long
- A deleted chat leaves your view at once and is scheduled for permanent deletion within 30 days, unless it was already de-identified or OpenAI must keep it for security or legal reasons. (Source: Chat and file retention, checked 22 October 2026)
- Temporary Chats are not kept in your history; OpenAI may keep a copy for up to 30 days for safety. (Source: Temporary Chat, checked 22 October 2026)
- Deleted memories: OpenAI may keep logs of them for up to 30 days for safety and debugging. (Source: Memory FAQ, checked 22 October 2026)
Used for training by default? How to opt out
- Yes. OpenAI says it may use your content to train its models on Free, Plus and Pro accounts. (Source: How your data is used, checked 22 October 2026)
- To opt out: Settings → Data controls → turn off "Improve the model for everyone". Or choose "Do not train on my content" in OpenAI's Privacy Portal. (Source: Data controls, checked 22 October 2026)
- Even after opting out, if you give a thumbs up or down, the whole conversation with that feedback may be used for training. (Source: Data controls, checked 22 October 2026)
See and download it
- See your memory: Settings → Personalization → Memory. (Source: Memory FAQ, checked 22 October 2026)
- Download everything: Settings → Data controls → Export data → Export, then confirm. A download link arrives by email; it can take up to 7 days and the link expires after 24 hours. (Source: Export your data, checked 22 October 2026)
Delete it
- Delete a chat from its menu in the sidebar. Deleting cannot be undone. (Source: Delete and archive chats, checked 22 October 2026)
- Deleting a chat does not delete a memory made from it. Delete the memory too: Settings → Personalization → Memory, or ask ChatGPT to forget it. (Source: Memory FAQ, checked 22 October 2026)
- Deleting a chat also deletes its voice audio and video clips within 30 days. (Source: Voice Mode FAQ, checked 22 October 2026)
- To remove your whole account, follow OpenAI's account deletion steps. (Source: Delete your account, checked 22 October 2026)
Claude (Anthropic)
Applies to: Free, Pro and Max.
What it keeps
- Your conversations stay in your history until you delete them. (Source: Can you delete data, checked 22 October 2026)
- Memory: when on, Claude keeps memory entries about you, listed by topic in Settings → Memory. (Source: Chat search and memory, checked 22 October 2026)
- Voice dictation on the mobile apps: the audio is deleted after it is turned into text; the text is kept like any other chat. (Source: Dictation on mobile, checked 22 October 2026)
- How long uploaded files are kept is not stated separately on the pages we checked. (Source: How long we store data, checked 22 October 2026)
How long
- A deleted conversation leaves your history at once and is deleted from Anthropic's back-end systems within 30 days. (Source: Can you delete data, checked 22 October 2026)
- If you allow training, data from new or resumed chats can be kept for up to five years. If you do not, the 30-day period applies. (Source: Consumer terms update, checked 22 October 2026)
- Chats flagged by Anthropic's safety systems can be kept for up to 2 years, and their safety scores for up to 7 years. (Source: How long we store data, checked 22 October 2026)
Used for training by default? How to opt out
- It is your choice. Since the 2025 consumer terms update, Anthropic asks Free, Pro and Max users whether to allow their chats to be used to improve Claude. (Source: Consumer terms update, checked 22 October 2026)
- To change it: Settings → Privacy → "Help improve our AI models". Turning it off stops new and previously stored chats being used in future training runs; training already under way is not undone. (Source: Model improvement settings, checked 22 October 2026)
- A conversation you delete will not be used for future training. Data already used in training is not removed. (Source: Can you delete data, checked 22 October 2026)
See and download it
- See your memory: Settings → Memory shows what Claude remembers, by topic. (Source: Chat search and memory, checked 22 October 2026)
- Download everything: on the web or desktop app, Settings → Privacy → Export data. A link arrives by email and expires after 24 hours. Not available in the iOS or Android apps. (Source: Export your data, checked 22 October 2026)
Delete it
- Delete a chat: hover over it, click ⋮, choose Delete, confirm. On iPhone, touch and hold it; on Android, use the ⋮ menu. (Source: Delete a conversation, checked 22 October 2026)
- Deleting a chat does not remove memory built from it. Delete those entries in Settings → Memory. "Reset memory" erases all of it and cannot be undone. (Source: Chat search and memory, checked 22 October 2026)
- Delete your account: Settings → Account → Delete account. It is permanent, so export first if you want a copy. (Source: Delete your account, checked 22 October 2026)
Gemini (Google)
Applies to: personal Google Account, 18 and over.
What it keeps
- With Keep Activity on (the default for adults), your Gemini chats are stored in your Google Account as Gemini Apps Activity. (Source: Gemini Apps Privacy Hub and Manage your activity, checked 22 October 2026)
- Gemini Live: transcripts and recordings (audio, video and screenshares), plus anything you upload, are saved in Gemini Apps Activity when Keep Activity is on. (Source: Gemini Apps Privacy Hub, checked 22 October 2026)
- Memory: Gemini can use your past chats to personalize answers when Keep Activity is on. Separately, it remembers instructions you add under Settings & help → Personal Intelligence → Instructions for Gemini. (Source: Memory of past chats and Instructions for Gemini, checked 22 October 2026)
How long
- Activity auto-deletes after 18 months by default. You can change that to 3 or 36 months, or turn auto-delete off. (Source: Manage your activity, checked 22 October 2026)
- With Keep Activity off, chats are still saved with your account for up to 72 hours. (Source: Manage your activity, checked 22 October 2026)
- Chats seen by human reviewers are not deleted when you delete your activity; they are kept for up to three years. (Source: Gemini Apps Privacy Hub, checked 22 October 2026)
Used for training by default? How to opt out
- Yes, with Keep Activity on (the default for adults), Google uses your chats to improve its services, including its AI models. Audio and Gemini Live video and screenshares are not used for this by default. (Source: Gemini Apps Privacy Hub and Manage your activity, checked 22 October 2026)
- To opt out: turn off Keep Activity (Gemini → Settings & help → Activity, or myactivity.google.com/product/gemini). If it is off and you send no feedback, future chats are not used to improve the models. (Source: Gemini Apps Privacy Hub and Manage your activity, checked 22 October 2026)
- Turning Keep Activity off also turns off features that rely on it, such as memory of past chats. (Source: Memory of past chats, checked 22 October 2026)
See and download it
- See it: in Gemini, Settings & help → Activity, or myactivity.google.com/product/gemini. (Source: Manage your activity, checked 22 October 2026)
- Download it: at takeout.google.com choose "Deselect all", then include your Gemini Gems data and your Gemini Apps activity. Downloading does not delete anything. (Source: Download your Gemini data, checked 22 October 2026)
Delete it
- Delete one chat: on the web, hover over it in the side panel → More → Delete. On a phone, touch and hold it under Recent → Delete. (Source: Manage your chats and Manage your chats (Android), checked 22 October 2026)
- Delete activity in bulk: Settings & help → Activity → Delete, then pick the last hour, last day, all time or a custom range. (Source: Manage your activity, checked 22 October 2026)
- To make Gemini forget something it learned from your chats, delete those chats from Gemini Apps Activity. There may be a short delay. (Source: Memory of past chats, checked 22 October 2026)
Work and school accounts follow different rules set by your organization. For what each provider lets you do with the memory it keeps, see Memory Check. If something here is out of date, tell us through Work with Adam.