ChatGPT Computer History: what it keeps, and how to turn it off

Since August 2026, the ChatGPT app for Mac can keep a history of what you do on your computer and turn it into “memories” it uses in later conversations. OpenAI calls it Computer History. Here is what it does, in OpenAI’s own terms, and how to control it.

What Computer History collects

From the apps and websites you allow, it logs interaction events: clicks, typing, keyboard shortcuts and app switches, plus the text and context those apps expose through macOS Accessibility. It turns them into text summaries and memory files.

It does not collect screenshots, the microphone, system audio, or activity in private browsing windows. It doesn’t need the Screen Recording permission.

Where your activity goes

1. On your Mac, for up to 48 hours. Interaction events are stored temporarily in the ChatGPT app’s App Group container, then deleted.
2. On OpenAI’s servers, briefly. OpenAI processes those event files on its servers to generate memories. It says it doesn’t keep the files after processing, unless the law requires it, and doesn’t train on them. Conversations that use memories may still help improve models, depending on your ChatGPT data controls.
3. On your Mac, until you delete them. The memories are plain-text Markdown files in:

~/.codex/memories/extensions/skysight/

(or $CODEX_HOME/memories/extensions/skysight/ if you changed Codex’s home folder). OpenAI warns that these files can contain sensitive information, are not encrypted by Computer History, and may be readable by other programs running as your macOS user.

How to turn it on — or check whether it is on

In the ChatGPT app for Mac, open Settings, then under Integrations choose Computer history. If it is off, you will see Turn on. It also requires ChatGPT’s Memories to be on.

It is available to ChatGPT Pro, Business and Enterprise users. On Business and Enterprise, an administrator has to allow it first; that doesn’t turn it on for you.

How to pause it

Click the ChatGPT icon in the menu bar, expand Computer History, and choose Pause (or Resume). While paused, no new events are collected, though a summary already in progress may finish.

How to exclude apps and websites

Open Settings › Computer history › Permissions:

• Exclude these apps / Exclude these websites to keep specific sources out;
• Include only these apps / Include only these websites to allow only what you choose.

You can also click an app’s icon in a History item to exclude that app. Changes apply to future history only. OpenAI suggests excluding apps with sensitive health, financial or personal information, and turning it off during conversations with other people unless they have agreed.

How to delete what it has kept

In Settings › Computer history › History, delete a single item, or clear the last 10 minutes, hour, day, or all of it. From the menu bar you can also clear the last session for a recent app. Deleting history also deletes the memories made from it, and can’t be undone.

To check what is left on disk, open Finder, press ⇧⌘G and go to ~/.codex/memories/extensions/skysight/.

How to turn it off

Turn Computer History off in Settings › Computer history to stop collecting new activity. Turning it off stops future collection; delete the history as above if you also want past memories gone.

Is it right for you?

Computer History is built to give ChatGPT context about your work. If that is what you want, and you are comfortable with your activity being processed on OpenAI’s servers, it does that well — with real controls.

If what you want is to find things you saw — a number, a sentence, an error — without your activity leaving your Mac and without logging what you type, a local screen memory is a different tool for a different job. We compare the two in ChatGPT Computer History vs DejaVu, and our privacy checklist works for both.