# Plan a surprise on the family computer without spoiling it

> The plan hides from your chat list and search, and it opens only with your PIN or Face ID.

Plan a birthday, anniversary or proposal surprise in a ChatGPT chat you lock with a PIN, so nobody sharing your laptop or phone stumbles on it in your history.

- Page: https://thesolocreators.com/prompts/plan-a-surprise-in-a-locked-chat/
- Category: Hidden AI superpowers
- Made for: Everyone
- Works in: ChatGPT
- Time: About 15 minutes for the full plan
- Effort: A few steps
- Note: Locked chats are rolling out on all plans from Oct 20, 2026. Resetting your PIN deletes your locked chats.
- Published: 2026-10-21

## How do I keep a ChatGPT chat private on a shared computer?

Lock the chat. Open the chat's three-dot menu and select Lock chat, then open it later with your 4-digit PIN or Face ID (as of October 2026). It's the right pick when you want to keep the plan and come back to it. If you only need a one-off answer you never want saved, a temporary chat fits better. Locking hides the chat from history and search, but it isn't encryption, so treat it as privacy from people nearby.

## The prompt

Fill in the parts in [square brackets], or leave them and the AI will ask you for them.

```text
I'm planning a surprise for [THE OCCASION, e.g. my wife's 50th birthday] on [THE DATE, e.g. Saturday, March 14]. My budget is [YOUR BUDGET, e.g. about $600] and the people involved are [YOUR HELPERS, e.g. our two kids and her sister].

Things they love: [WHAT THEY LOVE, e.g. jazz, Italian food, the beach]
Things to avoid: [THINGS TO AVOID, e.g. big crowds, being on stage]

Please give me:
1. Three surprise ideas that fit the budget, each with a one-line reason it suits them.
2. For the idea I pick, a countdown checklist from today to the day.
3. A cover story I can use if they ask what I'm up to.
4. Short, friendly messages I can send to each helper with their job.

Keep it realistic and easy to pull off. Ask me which idea I want before you build the checklist.
```

## Step by step

1. Start a new chat in ChatGPT and paste the prompt with your details.
2. Click the three dots next to the chat and select Lock chat.
3. Set your 4-digit PIN, or use Face ID or Touch ID on your phone.
4. Open Locked Chats whenever you need to update the plan.

## What you'll get

Three surprise ideas, then a countdown checklist, a cover story and messages for each helper, all kept in a locked chat.

## Good to know

**How do I keep a ChatGPT chat private on a shared computer?** Lock the chat. Open the chat's three-dot menu and select Lock chat, then open it later with your 4-digit PIN or Face ID (as of October 2026). It's the right pick when you want to keep the plan and come back to it. If you only need a one-off answer you never want saved, a temporary chat fits better. Locking hides the chat from history and search, but it isn't encryption, so treat it as privacy from people nearby.

**Which AI tools does this work in?** It works in ChatGPT. On this page, ChatGPT opens with your prompt already typed in. Locked chats are rolling out on all plans from Oct 20, 2026. Resetting your PIN deletes your locked chats.

**How long does it take?** About 15 minutes for the full plan. It's rated "A few steps". There are 4 steps, listed above.

**What do I need before I start?** Just your details for 6 blanks: the occasion, the date, your budget, your helpers, what they love and things to avoid. You can skip any, and your AI will ask for them.

**What will I get back?** Three surprise ideas, then a countdown checklist, a cover story and messages for each helper, all kept in a locked chat.

Idea spotted on the official docs, shared by @ChatGPT: https://x.com/ChatGPT/status/2112597766333673624. The prompt is The Solo Creators' own version.

## Go further

Ready-made skills in the Solo Creators AI Studio (https://thesolocreators.com/studio/) that fit this: No AI Slop (A sharp editor that cuts the AI tells from any draft. Your point and your voice stay); TLDR (Your AI stops writing walls of text: every reply leads with the next action, numbered and skimmable).

From AI Use Cases and Prompts by The Solo Creators: https://thesolocreators.com/prompts/. Free to use; please link back to the page when you share it.