ChatGPT is one of the most popular AI assistants, but growing concerns about AI privacy, data security, and OpenAI as a company have spurred people to look up how to delete ChatGPT.
If you’ve decided it’s time to move on from ChatGPT — whether for privacy or moral reasons, to reduce your digital footprint, or simply because you’ve found a better ChatGPT alternative — this guide will walk you through exactly how to delete your ChatGPT account, cancel your subscription, and export your data before you go.
- How to delete your ChatGPT account
- What to do before deleting your ChatGPT account
- What happens after your ChatGPT account is deleted?
- Why delete your ChatGPT account?
- Choose an AI that respects your privacy
How to delete your ChatGPT account
Deleting your ChatGPT account is permanent and cannot be undone. Before you proceed, ensure that you’re ready to delete your ChatGPT account.
ChatGPT offers several methods for account deletion:
Delete your account directly in ChatGPT on web
1. Go to chatgpt.com and log in.
2. Click on your profile icon in the bottom-left corner.
3. Select Settings → Account → Delete account → Delete. If you haven’t logged in within the last ten minutes, you’ll be prompted to log in again.
4. In the confirmation screen, type your account email address and the word DELETE into the input fields.
5. Click Permanently delete my account to complete the deletion.
Delete your account through OpenAI’s Privacy Portal
1. Go to privacy.openai.com.
2. Click Make a Privacy Request in the top-right corner.
3. Select I have a consumer ChatGPT account.
4. Click Delete my ChatGPT account and follow the prompts to request your account deletion.
Delete your account on iOS
1. Open the ChatGPT app on your iOS device.
2. Tap the two horizontal lines in the top-left corner to open the menu.
3. Tap your user icon in the top-right corner.
4. Scroll down and select Data controls.
5. Select Delete account.
6. In the confirmation modal that appears, tap Delete account.
Delete your account on Android
1. Open the ChatGPT app on your Android device.
2. Tap the two horizontal lines in the top-left corner to open the menu.
3. Tap your user icon in the top-right corner.
4. Scroll down and select Data controls.
5. Select Delete OpenAI account.
6. In the confirmation modal that appears, tap Delete OpenAI account.
OpenAI will delete your data within 30 days, with certain exceptions. According to OpenAI’s privacy policy, even if your account is deleted, they may retain certain information for legal compliance, fraud prevention, or safety purposes. The exact retention period and what data is kept isn’t always immediately obvious, which is one reason many privacy-conscious users are switching to alternatives.
What to do before deleting your ChatGPT account
Before deleting your account, you should first export any conversations or information you’d like to keep. If you have a paid ChatGPT subscription, it’s best to cancel it before deleting your account to prevent future charges.
Export your ChatGPT data
You can export your ChatGPT data through a web browser. This applies even for the ChatGPT app on iOS and Android, which redirects you to export your data through web. Here’s how:
1. Go to chatgpt.com and log in.
2. Click your profile icon in the bottom-left corner.
3. Select Settings → Data controls.
4. Look for the Export data section, then click Export.
5. Click Confirm Export in the pop-up window.
You’ll receive an email notifying you when your export is complete and ready to download. This process can take a few hours to several days, depending on how much data you have.
Note: Your data will be exported as a ZIP file containing JSON files and an HTML file with your conversations, account information, uploaded or created images, and other data associated with your account. The download link in this email will expire after 24 hours, after which you’ll have to repeat the process if you don’t export by then.
Cancel your ChatGPT subscription
If you have a ChatGPT subscription, you should cancel it before deleting your account. Otherwise, you may continue to be charged even after your account is deleted.
If you subscribed through the ChatGPT website:
1. Go to chatgpt.com and log in.
2. Click your profile icon in the bottom-left corner.
3. Select Settings → Billing → Cancel subscription.
4. Click Cancel subscription in the popup.
You’ll receive an email confirmation of your cancellation. Your subscription will remain active until the end of your current billing period, but you won’t be charged again.
If you subscribed through the iOS App Store:
- Open the Settings app on your iOS device (not the ChatGPT app).
- Tap your name at the top of the screen.
- Select Subscriptions, then find and tap ChatGPT in your list of active subscriptions.
- Tap Cancel subscription and follow the prompts to confirm your cancellation.
If you subscribed through Google Play Store:
- Open the Google Play Store app.
- Tap your profile icon in the top-right corner.
- Select Payments & subscriptions → Subscriptions, then find and tap ChatGPT in your subscription list.
- Tap Cancel Subscription and follow the prompts to confirm your cancellation.
Once you’ve canceled your subscription, you can safely move on to deleting your ChatGPT account.
What happens after your ChatGPT account is deleted?
Once you delete your account:
- You’ll lose access to all conversation history, unless it’s already exported.
- Your ChatGPT subscription will be canceled (if you haven’t already done so through the website).
- You won’t be able to log in or use ChatGPT with that email address for 30 days.
- Any API keys associated with your account will be deactivated.
- Custom instructions and preferences will be permanently deleted.
- Your data will be deleted within 30 days, unless OpenAI chooses to retain information for legal, fraud prevention, or safety reasons.
Why delete your ChatGPT account?
There are several reasons to stop using ChatGPT, including its implications for personal privacy and OpenAI’s controversial track record.
Privacy concerns and data collection
OpenAI collects your conversations, account information, and usage patterns every time you interact with their platforms. And because ChatGPT doesn’t offer zero-access encryption, your personal data may be exposed in data breaches. This has already happened: In 2023, a ChatGPT bug(nowe okno) briefly allowed some users to see titles from other people’s chat histories, and in 2025, attackers breached an OpenAI vendor and gained access to sensitive information of ChatGPT business users.
AI model training
By default, your conversations are used to train and improve OpenAI’s models. Even if you opt out of having your data used for training or use ChatGPT in Temporary Mode, your conversations are still stored on OpenAI’s servers — at least temporarily. This creates a permanent record of potentially sensitive information, from confidential work discussions to personal questions, that can be at risk of being leaked.
Third-party access and legal compliance
As a US-based company, OpenAI is subject to government data requests and surveillance laws that may conflict with international privacy standards. Your ChatGPT conversations can be accessed by US authorities without your knowledge, regardless of where you live. OpenAI also shares data with third-party service providers for business operations. For people in privacy-conscious regions like the EU, this creates jurisdiction concerns, as your data crosses borders into legal frameworks that may offer less protection than your home country.
OpenAI controversies
OpenAI has faced mounting backlash that extend beyond technical privacy issues. The company’s partnership with the Pentagon(nowe okno) in using AI for military applications, including autonomous warfare systems, has raised serious ethical concerns and directly contradicts its stated mission of ensuring AI benefits all of humanity. OpenAI has also been criticized for messy internal governance(nowe okno), conflicts between its stated nonprofit mission and for-profit practices(nowe okno), lack of transparency(nowe okno) around safety protocols, and enabling the creation of misleading content(nowe okno).
Choose an AI that doesn’t compromise on privacy and values
If privacy and ethical concerns are driving your departure from ChatGPT, you don’t need to give up AI assistance entirely. There are alternatives built around your rights, not corporate profit or surveillance.
Proton’s Lumo is built with the same privacy principles as the rest of the Proton ecosystem. Your conversations are encrypted, your data is never stored or used for training, and you maintain full control. Built and hosted in Europe, away from US jurisdiction and under some of the world’s strictest privacy laws, your private data stays in the safest possible hands: yours.
Ready to explore AI that respects your privacy? Try Lumo, Proton’s AI assistant, for free today.
