⚡️AI SIGNAL
( ⏱️ Read time: 6 minutes)
I'm going to admit something embarrassing.
For months, I watched Reddit threads where people asked: "Why doesn't ChatGPT remember anything about me?"
Every time, someone replied: "Have you tried telling it to remember?"
That's the entire solution. Two words: "Remember this."
AI MEMORY
The Problem
Found this Reddit post that captures the pain:
"I often need to reintroduce the background, specific needs, coding standards, and more. It takes 5-10 minutes just to bring ChatGPT back to the level of understanding it should already have."
5-10 minutes. Every. Single. Chat.
3-4 AI conversations daily? You're losing 20-40 minutes re-explaining who you are.
The workarounds people create are elaborate:
Notion databases full of prompts to copy-paste
2,000-word mega-prompts
Google Docs with "everything ChatGPT needs to know"
Chrome extensions to auto-paste setup
All for a feature that already exists.
The Fix Takes 10 Seconds
ChatGPT: Type "Remember this: [whatever you want it to remember]"
That's it. ChatGPT confirms, then uses that knowledge in every future conversation.
What To Tell It
Your role and industry
Your writing style
Current projects
Names of people you work with
Communication preferences
📌 ChatGPT Plus/Pro subscribers:
You pay $20/month. Memory is included. Project Memory is included. Access since August 2025.
Check Settings → Personalization → Memory now.
If it's OFF, you're paying for a feature you're not using.
The 4 Commands
Command | What It Does |
"Remember this: [info]" | Saves permanently |
"What do you remember about me?" | Shows all memories |
"Forget that I [old info]" | Removes outdated info |
"Update my memory: I'm now [new info]" | Modifies existing |
Memory Settings Location
ChatGPT: Settings → Personalization → Memory
Make sure it's ON. Many people have it disabled unknowingly.
Memory Limits
Total capacity: roughly 1,200-1,400 words.
Save dozens of facts over months? You'll hit the limit. ChatGPT will refuse new memories until you delete old ones.
Fix: Review stored memories every few months. Delete outdated project context. Think browser cache—routine maintenance.
HIDDEN FEATURES
Project Memory: The Hidden Feature
Here's what almost nobody knows.
August 2025: ChatGPT added Project Memory.
Before this, all memories mixed together. Client work bled into personal. One client's requirements surfaced while working with another.
Project Memory fixes this.
I found Reddit threads from January 2026 (this month!) where Plus subscribers asked "how do I keep client work separate?"—not knowing they've had Project Memory since August.
$20/month subscribers: You've had this 5 months. Probably didn't know.
How It Works
Create a new Project in ChatGPT
Enable "Project Memory" during setup
All conversations in that project share context—ONLY within that project
Nothing leaks into other chats
Why It Matters
Client A stays separate from Client B
Newsletter work doesn't mix with consulting
Personal use stays separate from professional
Sensitive details don't surface elsewhere
ChatGPT Setup Guide
Global Memory
Settings → Personalization → Memory
Make sure it's ON
Start a new chat:
Remember this: I'm a [role] working on [project].
I prefer [communication style].
Current focus: [what you're working on].4. Verify: "What do you remember about me?"
Project Memory (Client Work)
Click + New Project in sidebar
Name it (e.g., "Client: Acme Corp")
Toggle Project Memory ON
First chat:
Remember: This project is for [Client Name].
Industry: [X]
Main goal: [Y]
Style: [Z]All future chats in this project = automatic context.
🔍 Claude
Claude: The Transparent Option
Claude's memory lives within Projects. Key difference: you see exactly what's stored.
What Makes Claude Different
Full conversation history (not snippets like ChatGPT)
See and edit memories anytime
Most transparent—you know exactly what Claude "knows"
Setup
Create a Project for your main work
Add context to project instructions
All project conversations share that context
🎯 Perplexity
Perplexity: Shows Its Reasoning
Perplexity does something unique: it tells you which memories influenced its answer.
Ask a question—Perplexity shows sources, including which stored memories it pulled from. You see exactly why it gave that response.
Why It Matters
Perfect for research
Trace how conclusions were reached
Works across ALL Perplexity models
Setup
Settings → Memory → Enable
Start asking questions—it learns automatically
Add key facts: "Remember that I prefer [X] over [Y]"
⚠️ Gemini
Gemini: Use Flash, Skip Pro
Counterintuitive finding: Gemini 3 Flash outperforms Pro for memory-sensitive work.
Flash advantages:
3x faster than Pro
More stable (no context loss)
Pro issues: Context loss after 4-5 turns, memory bugs.
Recommendation: Use Flash for long conversations. Skip Pro until next update.
Coming: Deep Workspace integration (Gmail + Docs + Sheets sharing memory) expected mid-2026. That's when Gemini could become the enterprise memory leader.
Quick Reference
If You Need... | Use This |
Zero setup, just works | ChatGPT |
Client/project isolation | ChatGPT Projects |
See exactly what's stored | Claude |
Understand AI's reasoning | Perplexity |
Why Nobody Knows This
1. Buried in settings. Memory lives under "Personalization"—not obvious.
2. Natural language confusion. Does "remember this" work? What about "can you remember this"? Users don't know what triggers it.
3. Early adopters got burned. Memory launched in early 2024 but was unreliable. Those who tried it gave up.
What changed: Major April 2025 improvements—ChatGPT now references ALL past chats.
Tried memory in 2024? Try again.
✅ Your 5-Minute Checklist
ChatGPT
☐ Settings → Personalization → Memory → ON
☐ Type "Remember this: I'm a [role] working on [project]"
☐ Verify: "What do you remember about me?"
☐ Create Project with Project Memory enabled
⏱️ 5 minutes | Save 20-40 min/day
Claude
☐ Create Project for main work
☐ Add context to project instructions
☐ All conversations in that project share context
Perplexity
☐ Settings → Memory → Enable
☐ Start asking questions (learns automatically)
☐ Add key facts: "Remember that I prefer [X]"
What's Your Biggest AI Frustration?
Reply and tell me—it might already be solved (like this one), or it might become the next deep dive.
Found this useful? Forward it to someone still copy-pasting their ChatGPT setup every morning.