OpenAI to rival WhatsApp as it tests group chats in ChatGPT: How it works

ChatGPT is adding support for multi-user group chats, now in pilot across four regions with features like link-based invites, shared profiles, and GPT-5.1 Auto-powered responses

OpenAI is piloting a group chat feature in ChatGPT that lets up to 20 people collaborate in a single, shared conversation alongside the assistant. The feature is available on mobile and web for logged-in users on Free, Go, Plus and Pro plans in Japan, New Zealand, South Korea and Taiwan. Group chats support links-based invites, built-in profile setup, and GPT-5.1 Auto responses. It includes capabilities such as search, image and file uploads, image generation and dictation.

 

The pilot adds a new section to the ChatGPT sidebar where group conversations are listed separately from private chats. When you add someone to an existing chat, ChatGPT copies that conversation into a new group chat so the original stays separate. Hosts can invite one to 20 people via a shareable link; anyone in the group can then re-share that link. New participants are asked to set a short profile (name, username, photo) when they join.

 

How group chats work in ChatGPT

• ChatGPT in group chats responds using GPT-5.1 Auto, which selects a model based on the prompt and the respondent’s plan (Free, Go, Plus, Pro).
• Supported features when ChatGPT replies include search, image and file upload, image generation, and dictation.
• Rate limits apply only to ChatGPT’s responses (not to messages between users). Each response from ChatGPT counts against the rate limit of the person ChatGPT is replying to.
• Users can mention “ChatGPT” to prompt a reply. The assistant has been taught conversational behaviours so it decides when to speak or stay silent depending on context; it can also react with emojis and reference profile photos for personalized content.
• Group settings let participants rename the group, add or remove members, mute notifications, and set per-group custom instructions that influence ChatGPT’s tone or behaviour.

Group chats in ChatGPT: Privacy and controls

OpenAI says group chats are treated separately from private conversations: personal ChatGPT memory is not used in group chats, and ChatGPT does not create new memories from these conversations.

 

Users must accept an invite before joining; everyone in a group can see its members and can leave at any time. Participants (except the group’s creator) can be removed by other members; the creator can only be removed if they leave. For under-18 users, ChatGPT will automatically reduce exposure to sensitive content for everyone in the chat, and parents or guardians can disable group chats via parental controls. 

Group chats in ChatGPT: Availability

Group chats are in a limited pilot in Japan, New Zealand, South Korea and Taiwan on mobile and web. OpenAI says this is an early test to gather feedback and guide wider rollout decisions; it expects to refine the feature based on usage during the pilot.