Anthropic announced that Claude users on supported plans can now retrieve and reference earlier chat threads without leaving the current conversation. Once the feature is enabled in account settings under “Search and reference chats,” it can be toggled on or off at any time. This rollout is part of Anthropic’s efforts to make Claude a more effective long-term assistant.

Unlike some competitors, Claude’s new memory capability is not always active in the background. The system retrieves past conversations only when the user requests it, reducing passive data collection. This design allows for greater control over what information is carried forward between sessions.

The feature could benefit professionals who use Claude for research, project tracking, or ongoing collaboration. By recalling prior exchanges, Claude can resume a workflow without requiring the user to restate information. Anthropic noted that the capability will be expanded to more plans in the coming months.

Privacy controls remain central to the update. Users can review what conversations Claude references, and they can disable the function at any time through the settings menu.