ChatGPT adds a single-click option to wipe AI-synthesised memories and turn off the memory system
A new 'Delete and turn off memory' button on ChatGPT's memory summary page lets all web users clear Dreaming-generated memories without losing past chats.
ChatGPT now lets you reset the memory system in one step
OpenAI has added a “Delete and turn off memory” option to ChatGPT’s memory summary page. It does exactly what it says: one action wipes all the synthesised memories ChatGPT has built up about you and switches the memory system off entirely. Your past chats stay untouched.
The option sits in the three-dot menu on the memory summary page and is available now to all ChatGPT users on the web, across Free, Go, Plus, and Pro plans. A mobile rollout is coming soon.
What’s being deleted, exactly?
To understand what this button clears, it helps to know what’s generating these memories in the first place.
In early June 2026, OpenAI launched Dreaming V3, a new background memory architecture that replaced the old manual saved-memories list. Rather than requiring you to tell ChatGPT what to remember, Dreaming runs as a background process, reading across your conversation history and synthesising a memory state automatically. That state gets injected into the context window at the start of every new chat, so ChatGPT already knows relevant things about you before you type a word.
The system is meaningfully more capable than its predecessor. OpenAI’s internal evaluations show factual recall improving from 67.9% to 82.8%, preference adherence from 55.3% to 71.3%, and accuracy over time from 52.2% to 75.1%. One headline feature is temporal awareness: a memory that reads “you’re going to Singapore in July” rewrites itself to “you went to Singapore in July 2026” after the fact, with no input from you.
The memory summary page is where you can see a readable version of what Dreaming has synthesised. The new “Delete and turn off memory” option clears that synthesised layer and turns the system off.
What this means for you
Previously, if you wanted to both clear your memories and disable the feature, those were separate steps. This combines them into one.
There are a few things worth understanding before you use it.
First, the memory summary does not necessarily show everything ChatGPT may be drawing on. The summary is a readable highlight of your synthesised memory state, but the underlying data layer can contain more than what’s visible on that page.
Second, selecting “Don’t mention this again” on a memory entry reduces how often ChatGPT surfaces that detail, but it does not delete it. The entry remains in the data layer unless you explicitly remove it.
Third, if you turn memory back on after using “Delete and turn off memory”, ChatGPT may begin building new memories from chats that are still in your history. The slate isn’t permanently wiped as long as your chat history exists.
For a more thorough reset, OpenAI notes you may need to remove information from saved memories, chats, archived chats, files, the memory summary, and any connected apps where that information appears.
How to find it
On the web, go to your memory summary page and open the three-dot menu in the top-right corner. “Delete and turn off memory” will be listed there.
You can also make targeted adjustments without doing a full reset. The text box at the bottom of the memory summary page lets you type what you want changed, so you can update or remove specific details rather than clearing everything.
Memory settings more broadly live in Settings > Memory. If you prefer the older manual approach, you can revert to the legacy saved memories system via Settings > Memory > Saved memories. And if you want a conversation that doesn’t touch memory at all, Temporary Chats neither read from existing memories nor create new ones.
The broader picture
The “Delete and turn off memory” option is a practical follow-up to what Dreaming V3 introduced. A more powerful, automatic memory system naturally raises the question of how to reset it cleanly. OpenAI has answered that with a single control rather than requiring users to navigate multiple settings pages.
Memory sources are also being rolled out across consumer plans, letting you tap an icon below a response to see which saved memories, past chats, or custom instructions influenced it. Plus and Pro users can also see referenced files and emails from a connected Gmail account.
Dreaming V3 began rolling out to Plus and Pro users in the United States on June 4, 2026. Free and Go users, along with international rollout, are expected to follow over the coming weeks.