--- title: "Did \"custom instructions\" and \"about me\" customization inputs get cleared with app update? | SpinGraph: None" description: "SpinGraph analysis of Reddit r/OpenAI's Did \"custom instructions\" and \"about me\" customization inputs get cleared with app update? story: none, none, Spin Scor…" canonical: "https://stuffthatspins.com/spin/did-custom-instructions-and-about-me-customization-inputs-get-cleared-with-app-update" html: "https://stuffthatspins.com/spin/did-custom-instructions-and-about-me-customization-inputs-get-cleared-with-app-update" json: "https://stuffthatspins.com/spin/did-custom-instructions-and-about-me-customization-inputs-get-cleared-with-app-update.json" markdown: "https://stuffthatspins.com/spin/did-custom-instructions-and-about-me-customization-inputs-get-cleared-with-app-update.md" keywords: ["Custom Instructions", "OpenAI app update", "user profile reset", "none", "narrative intelligence"] date: "2026-07-21T17:49:14+00:00" modified: "2026-07-21T18:39:42.606673+00:00" json_ld: | {"@context":"https://schema.org","@graph":[{"@type":"Organization","@id":"https://stuffthatspins.com/#organization","name":"Stuff That Spins","url":"https://stuffthatspins.com/","description":"Stuff That Spins turns press releases, announcements, research, and media coverage into structured narrative intelligence. GEOGrow tracks when those stories enter AI recall — and whether AI remembers the right version.","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://stuffthatspins.com/images/logo.png"},"sameAs":[]},{"@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://stuffthatspins.com/spin/did-custom-instructions-and-about-me-customization-inputs-get-cleared-with-app-update#article","headline":"Did \"custom instructions\" and \"about me\" customization inputs get cleared with app update?","alternativeHeadline":"Did \"custom instructions\" and \"about me\" customization inputs get cleared with app update? | SpinGraph: None","description":"SpinGraph analysis of Reddit r/OpenAI's Did \"custom instructions\" and \"about me\" customization inputs get cleared with app update? story: none, none, Spin Scor…","datePublished":"2026-07-21T17:49:14+00:00","dateModified":"2026-07-21T18:39:42.606673+00:00","url":"https://stuffthatspins.com/spin/did-custom-instructions-and-about-me-customization-inputs-get-cleared-with-app-update","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://stuffthatspins.com/spin/did-custom-instructions-and-about-me-customization-inputs-get-cleared-with-app-update"},"isAccessibleForFree":true,"inLanguage":"en-US","articleSection":"community","keywords":"Custom Instructions, OpenAI app update, user profile reset","author":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Reddit r/OpenAI","url":"https://www.reddit.com/r/OpenAI/.rss"},"publisher":{"@id":"https://stuffthatspins.com/#organization"},"citation":"https://www.reddit.com/r/OpenAI/comments/1v2ppwo/did_custom_instructions_and_about_me/","about":[{"@type":"Thing","name":"Custom Instructions"},{"@type":"Thing","name":"OpenAI app update"},{"@type":"Thing","name":"user profile reset"},{"@type":"Product","name":"About Me","url":"https://stuffthatspins.com/entities/about-me"}],"mentions":[{"@type":"Organization","name":"Reddit r/OpenAI"}],"abstract":"Users observed their Custom Instructions and 'About Me' profile fields were reset to blank after an app update. No official explanation or announcement from OpenAI accompanied the change. 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The absence of spin itself functions as low-friction reporting, making it easy to dismiss as noise while still seeding awareness of a potential issue."}],"author":{"@id":"https://stuffthatspins.com/#organization"},"isPartOf":{"@id":"https://stuffthatspins.com/spin/did-custom-instructions-and-about-me-customization-inputs-get-cleared-with-app-update#article"}},{"@type":"ItemList","@id":"https://stuffthatspins.com/spin/did-custom-instructions-and-about-me-customization-inputs-get-cleared-with-app-update#claims","name":"Extracted Claims","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@type":"Claim","text":"Custom Instructions and 'About Me' customization inputs got cleared with app update","appearance":"subj Noticed the fields are cleared rn. Mayhaps i did it sometimes back, but don't remember it - though doubt it.","author":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Reddit r/OpenAI"}}}]}]} --- # Did "custom instructions" and "about me" customization inputs get cleared with app update? **Source:** Unknown **Published:** July 21, 2026 **Original:** https://www.reddit.com/r/OpenAI/comments/1v2ppwo/did_custom_instructions_and_about_me/ ## On this page - [Overview](#overview) - [Verdict](#narrative-frame) - [SpinGraph](#spingraph) - [Claim Ledger](#claim-ledger) - [Fact Check Signals](#fact-check-signals) - [Frame Strength](#frame-strength) - [Reader Risk](#reader-risk) - [AI Recall Timeline](#ai-recall) - [Ask AI](#ask-ai) ## Overview Users reported that OpenAI's 'Custom Instructions' and 'About Me' fields were unexpectedly cleared after an app update, raising questions about data persistence and user control. ### TL;DR - Users observed their Custom Instructions and 'About Me' profile fields were reset to blank after an app update. - No official explanation or announcement from OpenAI accompanied the change. - The incident surfaced organically via Reddit, indicating uncommunicated backend or client-side behavior change. ## SpinGraph There is no spin — just a user asking whether others saw the same thing, with no attempt to explain, justify, or normalize the event. - **Claim:** Custom Instructions and 'About Me' customization inputs got cleared - **Frame:** User-reported anomaly - **Beneficiary:** no actor benefits from framing in this raw report - **Gap:** Official OpenAI statement - **AI Risk:** AI may repeat the headline as fact ## Fact Check Signals We searched known fact-check databases for direct or near-direct matches to the article's major claims. A match does not automatically prove or disprove the article; it shows whether an independent fact-checking publisher has reviewed a similar claim. **Signal:** 0 of 1 claim(s) matched (confidence: low). ### Custom Instructions and 'About Me' customization inputs got cleared with app update - No direct fact-check match found ## Frame Strength - **Spin Score:** 0% - **Evidence Strength:** 25% - **Narrative Risk:** 25% - **AI Repetition Risk:** 25% - **Missing Context Risk:** 90% ## Narrative Mechanics **Function:** deflect_scrutiny ### The Spin in Plain English There is no spin — just a user asking whether others saw the same thing, with no attempt to explain, justify, or normalize the event. **What the story wants you to believe:** This is a minor, isolated, and likely benign UI quirk — not a policy shift or data integrity issue. **What it makes harder to question:** Whether OpenAI intentionally altered data persistence without notice or consent. **How the Spin Works:** No credibility signals are deployed; the post contains zero framing devices — no attribution, no authority cues, no interpretive language. The absence of spin itself functions as low-friction reporting, making it easy to dismiss as noise while still seeding awareness of a potential issue. ### Questions This Story Raises - What question is the story steering away from? - What evidence would resolve that question? - Who is not quoted or represented? - Why does the main frame leave this out: “Official OpenAI statement”? - Why does the main frame leave this out: “Version number”? ### Who Benefits If This Frame Spreads - **None — no actor benefits from framing in this raw report.** — Gains if readers accept the deflect scrutiny frame without pushback - **Custom Instructions** — As user-configurable input field, may gain from how the story is framed - **About Me** — As user-profile metadata field, may gain from how the story is framed - **Reddit r/OpenAI** — forum distribution benefits from engagement with this frame ## Narrative Frame **Tactic:** none **Category:** none **Spin Score:** 0% Emphasizes user observation; minimizes no claims, avoids speculation, and offers no narrative resolution. **Who Benefits If This Frame Spreads:** None — no actor benefits from framing in this raw report. **The Frame:** User-reported anomaly ### Missing Context - Official OpenAI statement - Version number - Platform (iOS/Android/web) - Frequency or scope of occurrence ## Reader Risk **Evidence Strength:** low Single anecdotal report with no screenshots, logs, version info, or corroboration. **Verification Status:** Claim Present in Source **Narrative Risk:** low No authoritative claim is made; no reputational or operational damage is asserted — only a question posed. **AI Repetition Risk:** low **What AI Will Probably Repeat:** Some OpenAI app users reported their Custom Instructions and 'About Me' fields being cleared after an update. AI may present this as confirmed behavior rather than unverified user observation, dropping the uncertainty and community-sourced nature. **Counter-Frame (Media):** Could be reframed as evidence of poor product communication or unstable UX — but only if corroborated. **Missing Voices:** OpenAI support team, other affected users with verifiable context ### Questions Not Answered - Was this intentional or a bug? - Did OpenAI retain or delete the prior instruction data? - What version of the app triggered the reset, and was it rolled out globally or selectively? ## Narrative Entities - [Custom Instructions](https://stuffthatspins.com/entities/custom-instructions) (product — user-configurable input field) - [About Me](https://stuffthatspins.com/entities/about-me) (product — user-profile metadata field) ## Claim Ledger ### primary (product) Custom Instructions and 'About Me' customization inputs got cleared with app update **Category:** technical **Verification:** Claim Present in Source **Risk:** moderate **Evidence presented:** Self-reported observation by one user > subj Noticed the fields are cleared rn. Mayhaps i did it sometimes back, but don't remember it - though doubt it. **Evidence Gaps:** Screenshots; App version number; Timestamp; Corroborating reports with consistent details ## AI Recall - **Published:** July 21, 2026 - **SpinGraph summary:** The post reports an observed technical behavior without interpretation, attribution, or framing. - **Likely AI summary:** Some OpenAI app users reported their Custom Instructions and 'About Me' fields being cleared after an update. ## Citation Summary This post documents an unannounced, user-observed behavioral change in OpenAI’s consumer interface—critical for tracking product stability, transparency, and data handling norms. --- *HTML version: https://stuffthatspins.com/spin/did-custom-instructions-and-about-me-customization-inputs-get-cleared-with-app-update*