OpenAI has announced the global rollout of a new group chat feature for ChatGPT, available to users on Free, Go, Plus, and Pro plans. This significant update, unveiled on Thursday, follows a recent pilot program in select regions including Japan and New Zealand.
With this innovative feature, users can connect and collaborate in real-time with up to 20 participants in a shared conversation, enhancing the traditional ChatGPT experience. OpenAI envisions group chats as a platform for groups of friends, family, or colleagues to coordinate travel plans, co-author documents, resolve disputes, and conduct joint research—all while leveraging ChatGPT’s capabilities for searching, summarizing, and comparing information.
Key features of the group chat function include:
- Participant Limit: Up to 20 users can join a single group chat via invitations.
- Privacy Assured: Individual account settings and memory details remain confidential for each participant.
- Interactive Setup: Users can initiate a group chat by clicking the people icon to add members directly or via a shareable link. Each participant must create a brief profile, including their name, username, and photo.
- Continuous Conversations: Adding a new person to a chat branch creates a separate conversation, preserving the original dialogue.
- Smart Interaction: ChatGPT can intelligently participate by responding to tagged queries or taking a backseat when necessary. Users can also request responses by mentioning “ChatGPT,” while the model can react using emojis and refer to profile images.
This launch underscores OpenAI’s commitment to evolving ChatGPT from a mere chatbot into a more dynamic social platform. The introduction of group chats initiates a series of enhancements aimed at fostering collaborative interactions, moving beyond solitary usage.
This announcement comes shortly after OpenAI’s release of GPT-5.1, which includes both Instant and Thinking versions of its model. Additionally, in September, the company unveiled Sora, a social app that enables users to create and share personal videos in a feed driven by an algorithm akin to TikTok.
