Settings checked against each provider's official help and privacy pages on October 13, 2026. Apps update often and menu names can move, so follow the linked official pages if your screen looks different.
Free AI chatbots are incredibly useful, but what happens to what you type? By default, some services may use your conversations to improve their AI models, and some keep chats for a long time. The good news: every major chatbot lets you change this. Here's where to find the key privacy settings in ChatGPT, Gemini, Claude and Microsoft Copilot.
Quick comparison
| Chatbot | Stop training on your chats | Private chat mode |
|---|---|---|
| ChatGPT | Settings > Data controls > "Improve the model for everyone" | Temporary Chat |
| Google Gemini | Turn off "Keep Activity" in Gemini Apps Activity | Temporary chats |
| Claude | Privacy Settings > "Model Improvement" | Incognito chats |
| Microsoft Copilot | Privacy settings > training on conversation and voice | See Microsoft's privacy page |
1. ChatGPT
- Turn off training: go to Settings > Data controls and switch off Improve the model for everyone. OpenAI says that when it's off, "your new conversations won't be used to train OpenAI models."
- Temporary Chat: these chats aren't used to improve models and don't appear in your history, but OpenAI says they "may be retained for up to 30 days for safety purposes."
- Existing chats: turning off training doesn't delete past conversations. Delete individual chats, or your account, separately.
Official page: OpenAI Data Controls FAQ
2. Google Gemini
- Keep Activity: manage it in Gemini Apps Activity. Google says that if it's off, future chats don't appear in your activity and aren't used to train Google's AI models (unless you send feedback).
- Auto-delete: activity is deleted after 18 months by default. You can change this to 3 or 36 months, or delete chats manually.
- Temporary chats aren't used to train Google's AI models.
- Human review: Google says a subset of chats is reviewed by people. Reviewed chats are kept for up to three years, disconnected from your account, even if you later delete your activity.
- Good to know: even with Keep Activity off, Google keeps chats with your account for 72 hours to respond to you and protect its services.
Official page: Gemini Apps Privacy Hub
3. Claude
- Model Improvement: Claude Free, Pro and Max users choose whether chats can be used to improve Claude with the Model Improvement setting in Privacy Settings.
- Incognito chats: Anthropic says "your Incognito chats are not used to improve Claude, even if you have enabled Model Improvement."
- Feedback: if you rate a response with thumbs up or down, Anthropic says it stores the related conversation for up to 5 years, de-linked from your user ID.
Official page: Claude privacy: model training
4. Microsoft Copilot
- Training opt-out: Microsoft's help lists separate settings for training on conversation activity and training on voice conversations, found in Copilot's Privacy settings (via your profile icon).
- Memory: a Personalization and memory setting controls what Copilot remembers about you, and you can delete all memory. Microsoft notes this doesn't delete your conversation history.
- History: Microsoft says Copilot keeps conversation history for 18 months, and you can delete individual conversations or all of your history.
- Note: Microsoft released an updated Copilot app in August 2026, and its help says settings may be in slightly different places in the new version.
Official page: Microsoft Copilot privacy controls
Golden rules for any AI chatbot
- Never share passwords, bank details, ID numbers or one-time codes.
- Remove personal details from documents before uploading them, such as addresses, phone numbers and other people's information.
- Be careful with work data. Check your employer's rules before pasting client or company information into a personal AI account.
- Use private modes (Temporary, Incognito) for sensitive questions.
- Review settings regularly. Privacy options change as apps update.
Choosing a chatbot? Compare free plans in Best Free AI Chatbots in 2026.
Found a setting that's moved? Tell us through our Contact page and we'll update this guide.
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