Story
When I want to ask something I do not want kept, I want a chat that is clearly not saved, so I can ask freely and nothing shows up later.
Noor, a pharmacist in Manchester, planning her husband's surprise 40th on the family tablet.
- 01 Setting
Noor wants party ideas. Sam uses the same tablet every evening.
- 02 Trigger
She taps the ghost icon before she types.
- 03 Without it
"Sam's surprise 40th" sits at the top of the chat history, and the AI saves it to memory.
- 04 With it
The chat looks different the whole time, and says once what is and is not kept. She gets her ideas.
- 05 Outcome
She closes it. The history list is the same as before. The surprise is safe.
Live demo
This demo follows a script, so it plays the same every time - there is no real AI behind it. Change a setting to see the same moment play out differently.
What happens, step by step
| State | The person sees | The AI is | When | Screen reader |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | An empty chat with a ghost icon in the top bar. | Idle. | 0 s | - |
| 2 | "Temporary chat" in the header, the rules in 1 line, and a composer (the box people type in) that says "not saved". | Idle. | before the first message | “Temporary chat. Not saved to history or memory” |
| 3 | The ask, as in any chat. | Starts. | - | - |
| 4 | The answer. The chat still looks temporary. Nothing new appears in history. | Writes. | - | “Generating a response” |
| 5 | Closing asks once: Close, or Save to history. Saving makes it a normal chat. | Idle. | on close | “Chat saved to history, if saved” |
| 6 | The history list, with nothing from the temporary chat - unless people saved it. | - | later | - |
On each device
- phone
- The ghost icon sits in the top bar of a new chat. The header and composer change for the whole chat, because the history list is out of sight.
- tablet
- As on desktop. On a shared tablet, the empty history list is the proof.
- desktop
- The history list beside the chat stays as it was while people talk. The header and composer still change, in case the list is closed.
When to use it
- People ask about private things - health, money, gifts, job hunting.
- Devices or accounts are shared with family or colleagues.
- People want a fresh answer without their memory or past chats shaping it.
- People want to keep the chat but fix what the AI remembers. Use Memory controls instead.
- The worry is the AI training on (learning from) all chats, not 1 chat - give a setting for that. Use Consent and data controls instead.
- The work needs to last - a project, a long document. A temporary chat would lose it.
The parts of the pattern
- ATemporary headerSays it is temporary for the whole chat, not only at the start.
- BThe rules1 line: what is not kept, and the honest exception - a safety copy for up to 30 days.
- CComposer"Temporary chat - not saved" where people type, so they never forget.
- DCloseEnds the chat. Asks once whether to save it, so nothing is lost by accident.
Do and Avoid
Temporary chat
Ideas for Sam’s surprise 40th
Temporary chat - not saved
Private mode on
Ideas for Sam’s surprise 40th
Ask a follow-up
Not saved to history or memory. A copy may be kept for up to 30 days for safety.
Nothing you say here is ever stored.
Writing and accessibility
- Call it what it does: "Temporary chat". Avoid "Incognito" alone - not everyone knows the word.
- Say the rules in 1 line: "Not saved to your history or memory, and not used for training."
- Say the exception honestly, with the number of days.
- When people save it, say what changes: "Saved to your history as a normal chat."
- Announce "Temporary chat. Not saved to history or memory" when it turns on.
- The ghost button has a name and a pressed state: "Temporary chat, on".
- Do not use colour alone to show the mode - keep the words "Temporary chat" in the header and the composer.
- The close question is a dialog with 2 clear buttons. Escape keeps the chat open.
Seen in real products
- ChatGPTWeb and apps · Nov 2026Temporary chats do not appear in the chat list, do not create memories, and are not used for training. A copy may be kept for up to 30 days for safety. Custom instructions still apply.OpenAI Help: Temporary Chat FAQ ↗
- ClaudeWeb, desktop and mobile · Nov 2026A ghost icon at the top right of a new chat starts an incognito chat. It is not saved to chat history or to memory. It is available on all plans.Claude Help: How does Claude's memory work ↗
Each example comes from the product’s help pages, release notes or teardowns, with the month it was checked. Products change every month - tell us when 1 is out of date.
Check yourself
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