What Is ChatGPT’s New Group Chat Feature For?

OpenAI has started testing group chats in a few regions and calls it a new way for people to talk to one another in the same space as ChatGPT. The company announced that this test has gone live in Japan, New Zealand, South Korea and Taiwan. They said it works on mobile and web for people on Free, Go, Plus and Pro plans.

The idea is simple… People can add friends, partners or co workers into one shared chat and ask ChatGPT to help the whole group at the same time. The company said the feature can help during planning or when people need to settle questions that come up in day to day conversations. These chats sit apart from private chats which means personal memory does not appear inside them.

9to5Mac reported that this is also the first time a large chatbot has offered a multi person space in this way on iPhone. They said this marks a change from the usual one to one format.

OpenAI explained that a person can tap the people icon in the top right corner of a chat to start or build a group. When someone adds people to an existing chat, the system creates a fresh copy so the original conversation does not get mixed up. A link can be shared with up to twenty people and anyone inside the group can pass that link on.

The company said that ChatGPT reads the flow of the chat and chooses when to talk and when to stay quiet. If people want a reply at once they can type the word ChatGPT in the message. ChatGPT can also react with emojis and can use profile photos when creating images for the group.

Groups are powered through GPT 5.1 Auto. OpenAI said this tool chooses the best version of the model based on who is talking and the plan they pay for. Search, image tools, file upload, image generation and dictation all work inside these chats. Rate limits only apply when ChatGPT speaks which means people can talk to each other without worrying that every message counts.

Groups have a settings area where people can add or remove members or mute alerts. They can also name the group or set instructions that tell ChatGPT how to speak inside that specific space.

Why Are People Being Given This Feature?

OpenAI said the main idea is to help people talk and organise things together in one place. They pointed out everyday cases like planning a dinner, planning a weekend trip or choosing a restaurant that suits everyone. They said these groups can help when partners or roommates want to compare designs or check style ideas for a shared living space.

The company also said the feature can help at work or school. People can build outlines together or research a topic. They can drop articles or notes into the chat and ask ChatGPT to sort or sum them up in a clear way.

9to5Mac added that Microsoft recently brought a similar idea to Copilot which means these group spaces may start to appear across more tools.

How Is Privacy Managed In These Chats?

OpenAI said group chats do not draw from personal memory. They said ChatGPT does not store new memories from these group talks and they are looking at future controls that may give people more choice on this.

People must accept an invite before joining a group. Everyone in the chat can see who else is inside. People can leave whenever they want and group members can remove others except the creator. If the creator wants to leave they remove themselves.

For anyone under 18 the company said sensitive content is reduced for the whole group. Parents or guardians also have the option to turn the feature off through parental controls.

OpenAI said they will watch how people use these chats and train the next version of this space through early feedback.

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Based on reporting by techround.co.uk.