OpenAI Launches Group Chats in ChatGPT for Collaborative Conversations

OpenAI has unveiled a new group chat feature within ChatGPT designed to facilitate collaboration among multiple users plus the AI in one shared conversation space. The pilot rollout began on November 13, 2025, targeting users in Japan, New Zealand, South Korea, and Taiwan across Free, Go, Plus, and Pro plans. By enabling up to 20 participants in a chat, the new feature allows teams, families, and friends to work together seamlessly with real-time AI assistance.

This goes beyond individual AI conversations by making ChatGPT a social assistant that can intelligently join group discussions, responding contextually based on when it is relevant. Users start group chats by tapping a people icon, which duplicates the original chat so private conversations remain separate. Inviting participants is as simple as sharing a link, with each member setting up a profile featuring name, username, and photo for clarity.

The group chats show up in a dedicated sidebar section for quick access. ChatGPT uses its GPT-5.1 Auto model to select the best response approach depending on the user's plan. It can manage rich interactions including emojis, personalized image creation from profile photos, voice dictation, file uploads, and in-chat search capabilities.

Importantly, privacy is a priority: personal ChatGPT memory remains private and is not shared or created in group chats. The feature includes safety filters for participants under 18 and parental controls to disable group chat access if desired.

OpenAI describes this launch as an early move toward richer shared AI experiences, with plans to expand availability as they learn from this pilot phase. Ultimately, this innovation aims to transform ChatGPT into a versatile collaborative platform, helping users plan events, complete work projects, solve problems, and make decisions together more effectively.OpenAI officially launched group chats in ChatGPT on November 13, 2025, marking the company's first shared experience feature for end users. The new capability allows multiple participants to collaborate within a single ChatGPT conversation, inviting up to 20 friends, family members, or coworkers to brainstorm, plan, and make decisions together with AI assistance. The feature is currently available as a pilot rollout in Japan, New Zealand, South Korea, and Taiwan for users across Free, Go, Plus, and Pro subscription plans on both mobile and web platforms.​

This update transforms ChatGPT from a solo conversation tool into a collaborative platform where teams and groups can engage with the AI simultaneously. OpenAI is testing the feature in select regions to gather early feedback before expanding availability globally.​

How Group Chats Work

Users can start a group chat by tapping a people icon in ChatGPT's interface, which duplicates the original conversation to keep personal chats private and separate. Inviting participants is as simple as sharing a URL link, and anyone clicking the link joins the group instantly. Each participant creates a profile with a name, username, and photo for transparency and easy identification within the chat.​

Group chats appear in a dedicated sidebar section for quick access, functioning similarly to regular ChatGPT conversations but with multiple active users. ChatGPT intelligently decides when to respond based on the context, can react with emojis, and even generates personalized group images using participants' profile photos.​

Privacy and Customization Features

OpenAI emphasized that personal ChatGPT memory remains completely private and is never shared within group chats or visible to other participants. Each user's individual conversation history and AI memory stays separate from the group experience.​

The feature also supports custom instructions per group, allowing users to set specific tones or behaviors for ChatGPT depending on the context—formal for work projects or casual for friend groups. Behind the scenes, group chats run on GPT-5.1 Auto, which selects the best available model based on each participant's subscription tier, meaning responses are tailored individually even within the same conversation.​

Collaboration Capabilities

Group chats support a range of interactive features including typing indicators, message reactions, file uploads, image generation, voice dictation, and in-chat search. Rate limits apply only to ChatGPT's responses, not user messages, and all AI replies count toward individual users' subscription limits.​

Safety measures include filters for participants under 18 and parental controls that allow guardians to disable group chat access if desired.​

Looking Ahead

OpenAI described this pilot as an early step toward richer shared AI experiences, with plans to refine the feature based on user feedback before broader deployment. The company will evaluate how users collaborate with ChatGPT in groups and expand availability to more regions and subscription tiers accordingly.​

This launch positions ChatGPT as a serious competitor to messaging platforms like WhatsApp and Telegram by offering AI-powered assistance that enhances group productivity beyond basic messaging capabilities.