OpenAI has announced an update to ChatGPT’s memory capabilities, introducing a feature named “Memory with Search.” This development was detailed in a changelog and support pages on OpenAI’s website. The feature allows ChatGPT to utilize details from past interactions, such as favorite foods, to enhance queries when performing web searches.
ChatGPT’s release notes, updated on April 16, 2025, included this new feature. However, some users have reported they have not yet experienced its rollout. This update follows a recent enhancement where ChatGPT was improved to reference a user’s entire chat history. OpenAI appears to be focusing on distinguishing ChatGPT from competing chatbots, such as Anthropic’s Claude and Google’s Gemini, which also feature memory capabilities.
According to OpenAI’s documentation, when Memory with Search is activated, and a user inputs a prompt requiring a web search, ChatGPT rephrases this prompt into a search query. This process may incorporate relevant information from previous interactions to optimize the search results. For example, if ChatGPT recalls the user is a vegan residing in San Francisco, it may transform a query like “what are some restaurants near me that I’d like” into “good vegan restaurants, San Francisco.”
Users have the option to disable Memory with Search by turning off the Memory feature within the ChatGPT settings. It remains unclear which users currently have access to this feature, though several accounts on social media platform X have indicated they began noticing the feature’s availability earlier in the week.
