Hey everyone! I'm trying to wrap my head around how memory works in ChatGPT right now. I've seen some information suggesting that I'm part of an alpha program where my chats can be remembered, but I'm really confused about how it operates. From what I've gathered, memory seems to work across threads, but only for info that gets explicitly saved, like when I correct or confirm something. I'm not able to reference every chat I've had unless it's stored somewhere. Sometimes it feels like it remembers everything, but other times it feels like starting fresh again. It seems like there's a mix of long-term memory and temporary context in play, but I'm uncertain about the overall functionality. Can anyone clarify how this memory system really works? Thanks!
5 Answers
Honestly, they can’t even provide more than 32k context for pro users, so expecting actual memory across all chats feels like a stretch. It seems more like a gimmick—I'd suggest just disabling it to avoid any confusion.
My chat mentioned it got rid of memories, and it certainly acts like it!
When you start a conversation, it attempts to draw from previous conversations via something called reference chat history, but often it can bring up totally unrelated tidbits. It only remembers what's relevant once when you start a thread, so if you want new context, you need to open a new conversation. Custom instructions and saved memories stay around, but often the "memory" it shows is just an illusion. Just saying, Samantha might not be what you think...
From what I've seen, it looks like each thread you have with ChatGPT receives a summary, and those summaries can be searched over future conversations. However, it’s still a bit fuzzy. It could also add context alongside the system prompt, which might cause issues if it mixes things up. I'd love to hear more thoughts on this!
I think it does search through past threads contextually, but it doesn’t always do a great job and can mix up details. Sometimes it just grabs irrelevant bits from the past.
Yeah, it’s definitely confusing! According to the update from April 10, 2025, memory is more comprehensive now. It includes both saved memories and chat history insights, which should make responses feel more relevant.