AI WORLDHow to Use ChatGPT's Memory to Remember Your Unique Preferences
Teach ChatGPT your personal writing style and working preferences once, and learn how to easily manage what it remembers.
Hook: Imagine never having to repeat your job description, writing style, or spelling preferences to ChatGPT ever again. This guide will show you how to use the "Memory" feature to make your digital assistant feel truly personal and save you heaps of time.
- You need a free or paid OpenAI account.
- Make sure you are logged into ChatGPT on your web browser or mobile app.
Teach ChatGPT a preference
ChatGPT has a built-in "Memory" feature. Think of this like a digital notepad the AI keeps in its back pocket. Instead of starting from scratch in every new conversation, ChatGPT can look at this notepad to remember details about you across different chats.
To save a memory, you simply tell ChatGPT to remember something during a normal conversation.
"Please remember that I prefer Australian English spelling, such as 'colour' and 'organise'."
Watch for the confirmation
When you tell ChatGPT to remember something, it processes the request and updates its digital notepad. You will see a small, subtle notification pop up near the text you just typed, usually saying "Memory updated". This is your confirmation that the AI has successfully filed this information away.
"Remember that I work as a project manager in a small team." Look just above or below the AI's response for a small grey message confirming the update.
Test your new memory in a new chat
The real magic of this feature is that it works across entirely different conversations. To test this, you need to clear the slate.
Find the button to start a new conversation (usually a plus sign or a pencil icon in the top-left corner, often labelled "New Chat"). Because this is a fresh conversation, ChatGPT would normally have no idea who you are. Let's see if it remembers.
"Write a brief email template inviting a client to a project update meeting."
Notice how the draft naturally uses Australian spelling and is written from the perspective of a project manager, without you having to explain those details again.
View and organise your memories
Sometimes, ChatGPT might remember something you did not intend, or your preferences might change. You can view everything on the AI's digital notepad at any time.
- Click on your profile icon (usually in the bottom-left or top-right corner of the screen).
- Look for a gear icon or a menu option labelled Settings.
- Select Personalisation (or look for a tab called Manage Memory).
- Here, you will see a neat list of every single bullet point ChatGPT has saved about you.
Delete or update memories
If you see a memory that is out of date, you can easily clean it up. You have two ways to do this: you can delete it manually in the settings menu, or just tell ChatGPT to forget it right in the chat.
"Forget that I am a project manager." Alternatively, go to your Manage Memory settings, find the line about your job, and click the bin icon next to it to delete it permanently.
- Treating it like a diary: Do not overload ChatGPT with highly sensitive personal details (like bank details or exact home addresses). Keep memories focused on styles, preferences, and general professional contexts.
- Confusing Memory with Custom Instructions: Custom instructions are static rules you type into a form. Memory is dynamic—it learns and adapts naturally as you chat. Use Memory for fluid, everyday preferences.
Open ChatGPT right now, start a new chat, and type: "Remember that I prefer my summaries formatted as a bulleted list with a brief, one-sentence introduction."
Once you see the "Memory updated" notification, paste a long email or article and say, "Summarise this." watch how it instantly formats the answer exactly how you like it!
✦ Original step-by-step guide by AI World Co.'s AI editorial team. Written in plain language, reviewed for accuracy.
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