What they do with your chats

ChatGPT

Settings → Data controls → Improve the model for everyone → off

OpenAI says it may use content from consumer ChatGPT to train its models. Business, Enterprise and Edu accounts are excluded by default. If you give a thumbs-up or thumbs-down, the whole conversation may still be used for training.¹

A Temporary Chat stays out of your history and isn't used for training, though OpenAI may keep a copy for up to 30 days for safety.² Chats you delete are removed within 30 days, with exceptions for security or legal reasons.³

Claude

Settings → Privacy → Help improve Claude

In August 2025 Anthropic changed its consumer terms: it now trains on chats from Free, Pro and Max accounts only when that setting is on. The choice doesn't apply to work, government, education or API accounts.¹⁷

The setting also changes how long your data is kept. With training on, Anthropic keeps data for up to five years. With it off, the standard is 30 days.¹⁷ Incognito chats are never used for training, even if the setting is on.⁴ Chats flagged for safety violations can be kept longer.¹⁸

Gemini

gemini.google.com → Settings & help → Activity → Turn off (or Turn off and delete activity)

For users 18 and older, "Keep Activity" is on by default.⁶ While it's on, your chats are saved and used to improve Google's services. Activity auto-deletes after 18 months unless you change it to 3 or 36 months.⁷

Some chats are read by human reviewers, and reviewed chats can be kept for up to three years.⁷ Temporary chats are kept for 72 hours and not used to improve Google AI with human reviewers.^7,19

Microsoft Copilot

copilot.com → Profile → Privacy → Training on conversation activity and Training on voice conversations → off

Microsoft says it uses data from Copilot for AI training. Work accounts, users under 18 and signed-out users are excluded.⁸ Opting out covers future conversations.⁹ Conversation history is kept for 18 months unless you delete it, and some conversations get automated and human review.⁸

Perplexity

Account → Preferences → AI data retention → off

"AI Data Retention" is on by default for Free, Pro and Max users. Perplexity says turning it off applies only to data collected afterward, and training data already collected can't be removed.¹⁰ Incognito threads expire after 24 hours.¹¹ Your data is kept as long as your account is active.²⁰

Grok

App: Settings → Data Controls → Improve the model. Web: Settings → Data → Improve the Model

xAI says it may use your prompts and Grok's responses to train its models. Once you switch the setting off, new conversations aren't used, and a limited number of authorized staff may review conversations.¹² Private Chat (the ghost icon) keeps chats out of your history and deletes them within 30 days, with legal and safety exceptions.¹³ Grok used inside the X app follows X's own privacy terms.

Meta AI

Meta has said it uses what people share with its AI features to improve its products, but doesn't train on your private messages with friends and family unless someone in the chat shares them with the AI.¹⁴ In May 2026 it began rolling out Incognito Chat in WhatsApp and the Meta AI app, where messages disappear by default.¹⁵ Meta's settings pages weren't readable by our tools, so check them directly in Meta's help center.²¹