How to Bulk Delete ChatGPT Chats: Multiple or All at Once (2026)
ChatGPT can delete one chat at a time or every chat at once, but it cannot select several specific chats and delete only those. To delete all chats, open Settings, Data controls, Delete all chats. To delete multiple chosen chats at once, use a Chrome extension such as AI Toolbox: open Manage Chats, tick the chats, and click Delete. Deleted chats cannot be restored (OpenAI Help Center, 2026).
Disclosure: the author, Adi Leviim, is Co-Founder at Infi Developments, the company behind AI Toolbox (formerly ChatGPT Toolbox). The native ChatGPT method comes first below, and it is the right choice whenever you want to clear everything.
This guide is based on OpenAI's Help Center article on deleting and archiving chats, updated in September 2026, OpenAI's articles on projects and memory, and the AI Toolbox extension's own source code for the bulk delete steps and plan limits. It covers the two native paths, the selective path, what deleting actually removes, and how to keep a copy first.
By Adi Leviim, Co-Founder at Infi Developments. 7+ years building AI productivity tools. Last reviewed September 2026.
What Native ChatGPT Does and Doesn't Do
ChatGPT has built-in deletion, just not selective bulk deletion. According to OpenAI's article on deleting and archiving chats in ChatGPT, you can delete or archive a single chat from its more options menu (•••), and you can archive or delete all chats from Settings, Data controls. There is no option to tick several chats and delete only those.
What you want
Native ChatGPT
Where
Delete one chat
Yes
More options (•••) next to the chat, Delete
Delete every chat
Yes
Settings, Data controls, Delete all chats
Archive every chat
Yes
Settings, Data controls, Archive all chats
Delete all chats in one project
Yes, with the project
Project menu (•••), Delete project
Delete several chosen chats, keep the rest
No
Needs an extension such as AI Toolbox
Undo a deletion
No
Deleted chats cannot be restored
How to Delete All Chats in ChatGPT
Use this when nothing in your history is worth keeping. It takes under a minute and needs no extension. These are OpenAI's steps:
Open Settings (click your profile name or picture).
Select Data controls.
Select Delete all chats.
Review the confirmation message, then continue.
OpenAI notes that this "can affect chats in your current account or workspace, including chats in projects", and that Delete all chats "cannot be undone". Chats disappear from your account view immediately and are scheduled for permanent deletion from OpenAI's systems within 30 days, unless they were already de-identified or OpenAI must keep them longer for security or legal reasons (OpenAI Help Center).
Several accounts or workspaces: the action applies to the account or workspace you are in. Switch and repeat for each one.
Codex chats work differently. In the ChatGPT app, a Codex chat must be archived before it can be deleted, from Settings, Archived chats (OpenAI Help Center).
How to Delete Multiple ChatGPT Chats at Once (Selected Chats Only)
This is the method for keeping some chats and removing the rest. AI Toolbox's ChatGPT module adds a Manage Chats panel to the ChatGPT sidebar with a checkbox next to every conversation.
Install AI Toolbox from the Chrome Web Store. It runs on Chrome, Edge, Brave, Opera, Arc, and other Chromium browsers.
Open chatgpt.com and click Manage Chats in the sidebar. The panel opens on the Active Chats tab, with chats inside ChatGPT Projects grouped under their project.
Narrow the list. Type in "Search chat titles", filter by tag, or switch on "Hide chats in folders" so chats you have already filed stay out of the way.
Tick the chats to delete, or use Select All Chats. The counter shows how many are selected.
Click Delete, then confirm "Are you sure you want to delete the N selected chats?". A progress bar tracks the deletions.
The same panel has Archive, Export, Move to Folder, and Tag buttons, and an Archived Chats tab where you can unarchive or delete archived conversations in bulk.
Manage Chats action
AI Toolbox Free
AI Toolbox Premium
Delete selected chats
Up to 5 chats per action
No cap
Archive or unarchive selected chats
Up to 5 chats per action
No cap
Bulk export selected chats
Not included
TXT, Markdown, JSON, PDF
Move selected chats to a folder
Not included
Included
Price
Free
$9.99/month or $99 lifetime
How the deletion works: AI Toolbox sends each deletion to ChatGPT through your own signed-in session, a few at a time, so a large selection takes a moment and follows ChatGPT's rate limits. The chats are deleted in your OpenAI account, exactly as if you had deleted them one by one, so OpenAI's rules above apply: they cannot be restored and are scheduled for permanent deletion within 30 days.
Check any extension before you install it. AI Toolbox is listed on the Chrome Web Store by ai-toolbox.co (Infi Developments), with the Featured badge and a 4.7/5 rating from 816 ratings. By default it runs only on chatgpt.com, and it asks for access to claude.ai, gemini.google.com or grok.com through Chrome's own permission prompt only when you switch that module on. The privacy policy explains what stays in your browser and what is stored on AI Toolbox servers, such as your folders and pins.
Clearing out hundreds of ChatGPT chats? AI Toolbox (formerly ChatGPT Toolbox) adds checkbox bulk delete, bulk archive, bulk export, folders, and full-text search to ChatGPT, so you remove what you do not need and keep what you do. 40,000+ users, 4.7/5 on the Chrome Web Store.
Deletion is permanent, so the only safety net is a copy you made first. OpenAI says deleted chats "cannot be restored", including chats removed with Delete all chats, and OpenAI Support cannot restore them either.
Native export: Settings, Data controls, Export data sends a ZIP of your whole account. OpenAI says it can take up to 7 days to arrive, and the download link expires 24 hours after you receive it (OpenAI Help Center). Good for a full backup before Delete all chats, if you can wait for it.
AI Toolbox export: in Manage Chats, tick the chats you want to keep a copy of, click Export, and choose TXT, Markdown, JSON, or PDF. Bulk export is a Premium feature. Then delete the same selection. The bulk export guide walks through it, and the ChatGPT export guide compares every method.
Delete All vs Select and Delete: Side by Side
Feature
Native Delete all chats
Native one by one
AI Toolbox Manage Chats
Choose which chats go
No, everything
Yes, one at a time
Yes, any selection
Includes chats in projects
Yes
One at a time
Yes, grouped by project
Find chats first
Not needed
Sidebar search
Title search, tag filter, hide filed chats
Export the same selection
Whole-account export only
Whole-account export only
Yes (Premium)
Bulk archive instead
Archive all chats
One at a time
Yes, any selection
Works in the mobile apps
Yes
Yes
No, desktop Chromium browsers
Undo
No
No
No
Cost
Free
Free
Free up to 5 per action, Premium for more
Can You Bulk Delete ChatGPT Chats on iPhone or Android?
All at once, yes. Selectively, no. The ChatGPT mobile apps have the same Settings, Data controls path to Delete all chats, and you can delete a single chat from its menu. Neither app can select several chats at once, and browser extensions do not run inside the ChatGPT apps or in Chrome for Android.
Deletions sync, because chats live in your OpenAI account rather than on the device: chats you delete on a computer are gone from your phone too. So the practical route for selective cleanup is a desktop Chromium browser. If you find AI Toolbox on your phone, the Chrome Web Store's "Add to desktop" option sends it to Chrome on your computer.
What Deleting a ChatGPT Chat Does and Doesn't Remove
Saved memories stay. OpenAI says saved memories "are stored separately from chat history" and deleting the original chat "does not automatically delete a separate saved memory". Delete the memory itself in Settings, Personalization, Memory (OpenAI Memory FAQ). The ChatGPT memory guide shows how.
Shared links stop working. Deleting a chat removes any shared link you created for it (OpenAI Help Center).
Library files stay until you delete them from Library.
Connected app data: deleting a chat removes app data retained in that chat, not the original data in the connected app.
Deleting a project permanently removes its chats, instructions, and files stored only in the project; Library files are not deleted (OpenAI Help Center).
Workspaces: in Business and Enterprise, authorized compliance tools may still access eligible workspace data under the organization's retention policy.
Your plan and limits do not change. Deleting chats does not reset usage limits.
If You Only Want a Cleaner Sidebar: Archive Instead
Archiving hides a chat without deleting it, and it is reversible. Archived chats stay in your account, remain searchable, and can be unarchived from Settings, Data controls, Archived chats. Natively you can archive one chat or all of them; AI Toolbox's Archive button archives any selection. The bulk archive and unarchive guide covers both, and folders are the longer-term fix for a crowded sidebar.
Limitations and What Native ChatGPT Handles Well
For a full reset, native Delete all chats is faster than any extension and needs nothing installed. AI Toolbox's bulk delete is limited to desktop Chromium browsers, caps free users at 5 chats per action, and cannot undo a deletion any more than ChatGPT can. Scripts and browser automation tools that call ChatGPT's private endpoints can also delete chats, but they need your session token and break when ChatGPT changes, so they are not a safe choice for most people.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can you delete multiple chats in ChatGPT at once?
Not selectively. ChatGPT can delete one chat at a time or all chats at once from Settings, Data controls, Delete all chats. To delete several chosen chats in one action and keep the rest, use a Chrome extension such as AI Toolbox, which adds checkboxes and a Delete button in a Manage Chats panel.
How do I delete all my ChatGPT chats at once?
Open Settings, select Data controls, select Delete all chats, and confirm. It removes every chat in the current account or workspace, including chats inside projects, and cannot be undone. Export anything you want to keep first, because OpenAI cannot restore deleted chats.
Does ChatGPT keep deleted chats?
Only for a limited time. OpenAI removes a deleted chat from your account immediately and schedules it for permanent deletion from its systems within 30 days, unless it was already de-identified or OpenAI must keep it longer for security or legal reasons. You cannot access it during that time.
What's the difference between archive all chats and delete all chats?
Archive all chats hides every chat from the sidebar but keeps them in your account, searchable and restorable from Settings, Data controls, Archived chats. Delete all chats removes them permanently and cannot be undone. Archiving does not change how long chats are kept.
Can deleted ChatGPT chats be recovered?
No. OpenAI says deleted chats cannot be restored in ChatGPT or through OpenAI Support, including chats removed with Delete all chats. The only way back is a copy made before deleting, such as a data export ZIP or a file you exported yourself.
Does deleting chats delete ChatGPT memory?
No. OpenAI stores saved memories separately from chat history, and deleting the chat does not automatically delete a memory created from it. To remove a memory, delete it in Settings, Personalization, Memory, or ask ChatGPT to forget it, and delete the chat too if you want the information gone from both.
Can I bulk delete chats inside a ChatGPT project?
Natively, you can delete a whole project, which permanently removes its chats, instructions, and project-only files, or delete its chats one at a time. AI Toolbox's Manage Chats lists project chats under their project, so you can tick some of them and delete only those.
Is bulk delete free in AI Toolbox?
Partly. On the free plan, Manage Chats deletes or archives up to 5 selected chats per action. Premium removes that cap and adds bulk export and moving chats to folders, for $9.99 per month or $99 lifetime.
Bottom Line
To wipe everything, use ChatGPT's own Settings, Data controls, Delete all chats. To delete some chats and keep the rest, ChatGPT has no option, so use AI Toolbox's Manage Chats: tick, Delete, confirm. Both are permanent, so export what matters first.
A Full Stack Developer with 7+ years of experience building AI productivity tools. Leads product development and frontend architecture for AI Toolbox, the Chrome extension suite (ChatGPT, Gemini, Grok, and Claude modules) that helps users search, organize, and export their AI conversations.
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