If you've been thinking about making the switch from ChatGPT to Claude, you're not alone. Following OpenAI's deal with the US Department of War — and Anthropic's very public refusal to accept similar terms — users have been leaving ChatGPT in their millions. According to data from Sensor Tower, reported by TechCrunch, US uninstalls of the ChatGPT mobile app surged 295% in a single day on 28 February. Claude, meanwhile, shot to the number one spot on the US App Store for the first time in the app's history.

But switching AI tools isn't just a matter of downloading a new app. The more you've used ChatGPT, the more it knows about you — your tone preferences, your projects, your working style. Starting from scratch can feel like losing months of work. The good news? Anthropic has made it remarkably easy to bring your context with you.

Here's exactly how to switch from ChatGPT to Claude without leaving everything behind.

Why so many people are switching from ChatGPT to Claude right now

The backstory matters here, because it explains why this isn't just a passing trend. In late February 2026, OpenAI announced a deal with the US Department of Defense (now officially renamed the Department of War under the Trump administration), allowing its models to be deployed on classified military networks. Anthropic was offered a similar arrangement and turned it down flat, with CEO Dario Amodei stating publicly that the company could not "in good conscience" agree to terms that could enable mass domestic surveillance or fully autonomous weapons systems.

The public reaction was swift. ChatGPT's one-star reviews jumped 775% on the Saturday after the announcement, according to Sensor Tower data. Downloads fell. Uninstalls spiked. And Claude — a platform that had been sitting around number 42 on the App Store just weeks earlier — climbed to number one.

Whether or not you agree with the politics, the practical question for a lot of people right now is: how do you actually make the move?

What you'll need before you start

The transfer process is straightforward, but it helps to have a few things in place first:

• A Claude account — free or paid (Claude.ai, or the iOS/Android app)
• Access to your existing ChatGPT account
• Around five to ten minutes

Anthropic recently made its Memory feature available to free users, so you don't need a Claude Pro subscription to take advantage of this. That's a significant move — it signals that Anthropic is actively trying to lower the barrier for newcomers.

Step 1: Open Claude settings and start the import

Head to Claude.ai and log into your account. Navigate to your settings page and select Capabilities from the sidebar. You'll see a section titled Import memory from other AI providers — click the Start import button.

A pop-up will appear with a pre-written prompt. Copy it. This is the prompt you'll paste into ChatGPT in the next step.

Step 2: Paste the prompt into ChatGPT

Open a new chat in ChatGPT and paste in the prompt. It instructs ChatGPT to export everything it knows about you — your instructions, identity, career history, projects, preferences, and working style — all in a structured format.

The full prompt, provided by Anthropic, covers categories including explicit instructions you've given the model ("always reply in bullet points", "never use jargon"), personal identity details, career history, projects you've worked on, and general preferences. It asks ChatGPT to output everything in a single code block, sorted by date.

ChatGPT will generate a structured summary of your stored memories and any context it has built up from your conversations. This is the data you'll be taking with you.

Step 3: Copy the output and paste it into Claude

Once ChatGPT has finished generating the export, copy the entire response. Go back to Claude's settings page — specifically the import section from Step 1 — paste the output into the text box, and click Add to memory.

A panel called Manage memory will appear, showing all the information Claude now holds about you. It typically takes a couple of minutes for the new data to fully update. After that, Claude should have a solid working understanding of who you are, how you like to communicate, and what you've been working on.

One important step: review what's been imported before you start relying on it. ChatGPT's understanding of you might include things that are outdated, irrelevant to how you plan to use Claude, or just plain wrong. Delete anything that doesn't apply.

Is it really a seamless switch?

Mostly, yes — with a couple of caveats worth knowing about.

First, this process transfers memory and context, not your actual conversation history. If you need to refer back to specific past chats, you'll still need to log into ChatGPT for those. OpenAI does allow you to export your full conversation archive via Settings > Data controls > Export data, which arrives as a ZIP file — though this can take several hours depending on how much history you have.

Second, Claude's memory is currently focused on work-relevant context. Anthropic has noted that the AI may not retain personal details unrelated to your working life. Worth bearing in mind if you're used to ChatGPT remembering, say, your pet's name.

Third — and this is a genuine positive — Claude's memory is editable and transparent. You can see exactly what it knows, remove anything you're not comfortable with, and add new details manually. That level of control is genuinely useful, and notably more visible than how most AI platforms handle personal data by default.

Is Claude actually worth switching to?

That depends on what you use AI for. Claude has long had a strong reputation among writers, researchers, and developers for its nuanced, well-structured responses and its ability to handle long, complex documents. Claude Opus 4.6, released earlier this year, topped the Artificial Analysis benchmark rankings, placing it ahead of GPT-5.2 and Google's Gemini at the time of writing. If you want a full side-by-side breakdown before committing, our best AI assistant UK guide compares Claude, ChatGPT, Gemini, and Perplexity in detail.

For everyday use — drafting emails, summarising documents, research assistance, creative writing — Claude is a very capable alternative. The free tier is solid. Claude Pro (£18/month at the time of writing) unlocks higher usage limits, access to more powerful models, and priority access during busy periods.

A note on Gemini users

The same import process works for Google Gemini. From Claude's settings, select Gemini as the platform you're leaving, and follow the same steps. The prompt adapts to whichever platform you're importing from, so the process is essentially identical.

The verdict

If you've been thinking about switching AI tools, now is probably the easiest it has ever been to do it. The context transfer feature genuinely works, the setup takes less than ten minutes, and the memory import reduces the "starting from scratch" problem that's historically put people off changing platforms. Whether your reasons are ethical, practical, or just curiosity, making the switch from ChatGPT to Claude is far less painful than it used to be.

Frequently asked questions

Is it free to switch from ChatGPT to Claude?

Yes. Claude has a free tier, and the memory import feature is available to free users. You don't need a paid subscription to transfer your context. Claude Pro is available for around £18 per month if you want higher usage limits and access to more powerful models.

Will Claude remember everything ChatGPT knew about me?

Claude will import whatever ChatGPT has stored in its memory and whatever context it can extract from your conversations. However, this transfer covers preferences, instructions, and working context — not your full chat history. Claude also focuses primarily on work-relevant information, so very personal details may not be retained.

Can I transfer my actual ChatGPT conversation history to Claude?

Not directly. The import tool transfers context and memory, not individual conversations. If you want to export your full chat history from ChatGPT, you can do so via Settings > Data controls > Export data in ChatGPT. That will give you a downloadable ZIP file of your conversations, though it can take several hours.

How long does the Claude memory import take?

The import itself takes a few minutes once you've pasted the data. Claude's memory panel may take a couple of minutes to update after you click "Add to memory." After that, Claude should reflect your imported context in new conversations.

Is Claude better than ChatGPT?

It depends on your use case. Claude is widely regarded as particularly strong for writing, research, and handling long documents. ChatGPT has a larger user base and a broader range of integrations. Claude Opus 4.6 currently ranks highly on independent benchmarks such as Artificial Analysis, but the "best" AI tool is ultimately the one that fits how you actually work.

Can I also import my context from Google Gemini?

Yes. Claude's memory import feature supports both ChatGPT and Google Gemini. The process is the same — open the import section in Claude's settings, select Gemini, copy the provided prompt, paste it into Gemini, and then copy the output back into Claude.

Why did so many people switch from ChatGPT to Claude in early 2026?

Following OpenAI's deal with the US Department of Defense in February 2026, many users chose to move to Anthropic's Claude as a statement of support for Anthropic's decision to refuse a similar arrangement. Anthropic cited concerns about mass surveillance and autonomous weapons use. According to data from Sensor Tower, reported by TechCrunch, US uninstalls of ChatGPT surged 295% in a single day on 28 February 2026.