ChatGPT Launches Group Chats - Global Availability

ChatGPT Introduces Global Group Chat Functionality

OpenAI has announced the global rollout of group chats within ChatGPT for all users, encompassing those on Free, Go, Plus, and Pro subscription plans. This expansion follows a week-long pilot program initiated in select regions, notably Japan and New Zealand.

Collaborative Conversations with ChatGPT

This new feature facilitates collaboration between users and ChatGPT within a unified conversational space. OpenAI envisions this shift transforming ChatGPT from a purely individual assistant into a platform for collective work, enabling friends, families, and colleagues to jointly plan, create, and reach conclusions.

The company highlights the potential for group chats to streamline activities such as trip coordination, document co-authoring, debate resolution, and collaborative research. ChatGPT will assist by providing search capabilities, summarization, and comparative analysis of options.

Group Chat Details and Privacy

A maximum of 20 participants can join a group chat, provided they accept an invitation. Importantly, each user’s personal settings and conversation history remain private and are not shared within the group.

Initiating a group chat is straightforward; users simply tap the people icon and add participants, either directly or via a shareable link. All participants will be prompted to create a brief profile including their name, username, and a profile picture.

Adding a user to an existing chat does not alter the original conversation; instead, it creates a new, separate chat thread.

ChatGPT's Role in Group Dynamics

OpenAI has designed ChatGPT to intelligently participate in group conversations, knowing when to contribute and when to remain silent. Users can specifically request a response from ChatGPT by tagging its name.

Furthermore, ChatGPT can now react to messages using emojis and can reference user profile photos within the chat.

Expanding ChatGPT's Social Capabilities

This launch represents OpenAI’s continued effort to evolve ChatGPT beyond a simple chatbot and into a more socially-oriented platform. The company anticipates that group chats are merely the first step towards a more collaborative environment, moving beyond a single-user experience.

According to a statement provided to TechCrunch, OpenAI foresees ChatGPT taking on a more proactive role in group interactions, actively assisting users in planning, creating, and executing tasks together.

Recent OpenAI Developments

The announcement of global group chats arrives less than two weeks after the release of GPT‑5.1, which introduced both Instant and Thinking model versions. Previously, in September, OpenAI launched Sora, a social application focused on video generation for sharing on algorithmic feeds similar to TikTok.

Here's a summary of key features:

• Up to 20 participants per chat.
• Private user settings and memory.
• Ability to tag ChatGPT for direct responses.
• Emoji reactions and profile photo referencing.