ChatGPT Rolls Out Group Chats Worldwide

OpenAI began rolling out group chats to all ChatGPT users globally, turning the chatbot into a shared space where people can plan, create, and decide together.

What Happened?

On November 20, 2025, OpenAI said it is expanding its new group chat feature to all logged‑in users around the world, with access arriving over the coming days. The rollout covers ChatGPT’s Free, Go, Plus, and Pro plans. Available on Free, Go, Plus, and Pro plans, the update follows a pilot that began on November 13, 2025, in Japan, New Zealand, South Korea, and Taiwan.

How It Works

Users can start a group chat from the people icon in any new or existing thread; adding someone to a one‑on‑one conversation creates a separate group, so the original chat remains intact. Up to 20 people can join one ChatGPT thread. ChatGPT, powered by GPT‑5.1 Auto, decides when to chime in and when to stay quiet, and you can explicitly prompt it by mentioning “ChatGPT.” It can react with emojis and even reference profile photos to generate personalized images for the conversation. Rate limits apply only when ChatGPT responds, and those responses count against the limit of the person it’s replying to.

Privacy And Controls

Group chats are kept separate from private conversations, and personal ChatGPT memory isn’t used in group chats. ChatGPT also does not create new memories from group discussions. Participation is invitation‑based; anyone can see who’s in the chat or leave at any time. Group members can remove other participants—except the creator, who can only be removed by leaving themselves. Additional safeguards reduce exposure to sensitive content when someone under 18 is in the chat, and parents or guardians can disable group chats via parental controls.

Why It Matters

The move nudges ChatGPT from a one‑to‑one assistant toward a more collaborative, social space. OpenAI frames group chats as a first step in making ChatGPT a place where teams, classmates, and families can coordinate plans, make decisions, and produce work together—while the AI helps summarize, compare options, and keep everyone on the same page.

Sources

• Introducing group chats in ChatGPT — OpenAI (November 20, 2025)
• ChatGPT — Release Notes — OpenAI (November 13, 2025)