ChatGPT Group Chats: Retired and Read-Only in the UK (2026)
ChatGPT group chats let up to 20 people share one conversation with ChatGPT, but OpenAI is retiring them. Since 9 July 2026 nobody can create or join a new group chat, and in the UK existing group chats are read-only. Shared projects are the closest replacement. We checked OpenAI's help page on 23 October 2026.
If you opened ChatGPT looking for the group chat button, you will not find a way to start one. OpenAI launched ChatGPT group chats in November 2025 and began winding them down on 9 July 2026. Many people in Britain now see old group chats that they can read but cannot reply in.
This guide explains what group chats were, what the UK read-only status means, how to keep your history and what to use instead. Every point was checked against OpenAI's own help pages on 23 October 2026.
In this guide
What were ChatGPT group chats?
Group chats let several people and ChatGPT share one conversation. OpenAI began a pilot on 13 November 2025 in Japan, New Zealand, South Korea and Taiwan. On 20 November 2025 it said it was expanding group chats to all logged-in users on the Free, Go, Plus and Pro plans worldwide.
According to OpenAI's launch post, you could invite between one and twenty people with a link. Everyone set up a short profile with a name, username and photo. ChatGPT followed the flow of the conversation and chose when to reply, and you could mention ChatGPT by name when you wanted an answer.
OpenAI also said your personal memory was not shared with anyone in the chat, and that ChatGPT did not create new memories from group conversations. Rate limits applied only when ChatGPT replied, and each reply counted towards the limit of the person it was answering. For how limits work on each plan, see our ChatGPT limits by plan guide.
Can you still use ChatGPT group chats in the UK?
No, not to start or join one, and UK members cannot send messages in the ones that exist. OpenAI's help article on retiring group chats says that since 9 July 2026 you can no longer create a group chat, turn an existing conversation into one or join through an invite link. In the UK, existing group chats are read-only.
The table shows what OpenAI says is possible now.
What you want to do | Status | Source |
Create a new group chat | Not possible since 9 July 2026 | OpenAI help article |
Turn an existing chat into a group chat | Not possible | OpenAI help article |
Join through an invite link | Not possible, including old links | OpenAI help article |
Open and read an existing group chat | Possible | OpenAI help article |
Send messages in a group chat in the UK | Not possible, chats are read-only | OpenAI help article |
Send messages in a group chat elsewhere | Possible while messaging is enabled | OpenAI help article |
Use your normal one-to-one chats | Not affected | OpenAI help article |
OpenAI describes the feature as being wound down during a transition period. It does not give a date for when other regions become read-only, so we cannot tell you when that will happen.
How did ChatGPT group chats work?
The steps below describe how the feature worked while it was live. They no longer start a new group chat.
Tap the people icon in the top right corner of a new or existing chat.
If you added someone to an existing chat, ChatGPT made a copy as a new group chat, so your original conversation stayed separate.
Share the invite link. Anyone in the group could pass it on, and each person had to accept the invitation.
Set up a short profile with a name, username and photo.
Name the group, mute notifications and add custom instructions for how ChatGPT should reply in that group.
Leave at any time. Members could remove other participants, except the creator, who could only leave.
OpenAI also said that if anyone under 18 used a group chat, ChatGPT reduced exposure to sensitive content for everyone in it, and parents could turn group chats off through parental controls. For the age rules themselves, see our guide to the ChatGPT age limit.
What happens to your old group chats?
OpenAI says existing group chat history remains available and that no action is needed to preserve it. You can open a chat and review the messages, files and images already shared there. Once a chat is read-only you can no longer send new messages.
If you want a separate copy, OpenAI says you can request an export through ChatGPT or the OpenAI Privacy Portal. Its guide to exporting your ChatGPT history and data explains the process.
Our suggestions for groups that still need to talk:
Copy any plans, lists or decisions you still need into a shared note or document.
Move the human conversation back to the messaging app your group already uses.
Request an export if you want the full record, and check what it contains before relying on it.
What can you use instead of ChatGPT group chats?
OpenAI has not named a direct replacement. Its help article says it still believes ChatGPT should become more collaborative and will keep exploring ways to do that. The closest feature available today is a shared project.
A project keeps related chats, files and instructions together. According to OpenAI's help page on projects, sharing is available on Free, Go, Plus, Pro, Business, Enterprise and Edu, across the web and mobile apps. You can invite people individually or share a link, and give each person chat access or edit access. Chat access lets members see and interact with the project's chats, files and instructions. Edit access also lets them update instructions and add or remove files.
These are the limits OpenAI lists for shared projects, checked on 23 October 2026.
Plan | Files per project | Collaborators |
Free | Up to 5 | Up to 5 |
Plus and Go | Up to 25 | Up to 10 |
Pro | Up to 40 | Up to 100 |
Business, Enterprise and Edu | Up to 40 | Up to 100 |
There is one real difference. OpenAI's page describes members creating their own chats in a shared project and branching existing ones. It does not describe a single live thread where everyone posts to each other, as group chats did. For the full feature, read our guide to ChatGPT Projects and the ChatGPT Work overview. Projects also work in the ChatGPT app.
Two other routes exist. In a private project you can share a single chat as a link, and people with the link can view only that chat. Or keep the discussion in your usual messaging app and paste in the question you want ChatGPT to answer. OpenAI's pages do not list the UK for ChatGPT on WhatsApp either, as our WhatsApp guide explains.
Are shared projects private enough for a group?
Shared projects automatically use project-only memory, so they cannot reach any member's memories or context from outside the project. For personal accounts, OpenAI says shared project data may be used to improve models only when the project owner and every contributor have Improve the model for everyone turned on. By default, OpenAI does not use content from Business, Enterprise or Edu workspaces to train its models.
Anything you add to a shared project is visible to the people you invite, so keep personal details out. Our privacy guide explains what not to paste into ChatGPT, and our plans comparison shows which plan gives your group the collaborator limit it needs.
Why did OpenAI retire group chats?
OpenAI describes group chats as a pilot that explored more collaborative ways to use ChatGPT. It says it is simplifying the experience and will apply what it learned to experiences that can serve more people over time. It does not give usage figures or any other reason.
Early reviews were mixed. Business Insider writer Katie Notopoulos tried three group chats in November 2025. She found ChatGPT replied to nearly everything people wrote and that its long answers were tiring to read in a shared chat, but she also saw promise for group study and shared meeting notes. That is one reviewer's experience, not a measure of how most people felt.
Frequently asked questions
Can you still use ChatGPT group chats?
Not to start new ones. OpenAI says that since 9 July 2026 you can no longer create a group chat, turn a conversation into one or join through an invite link. Existing group chats can still be opened and read. In the UK they are read-only, so you cannot send messages in them.
Why are my ChatGPT group chats read-only in the UK?
OpenAI's help article says that in the UK, group chats are read-only, while elsewhere you can keep sending messages while messaging is enabled. The article does not explain the UK difference, so we do not guess at a reason.
How many people could join a ChatGPT group chat?
OpenAI's launch post says you could invite between one and twenty people by sharing a link, and that anyone in the group could pass the link on. Each person had to accept the invitation and set up a short profile.
Will I lose my old group chat history?
OpenAI says existing group chat history remains available and that no action is needed to preserve it. If you want a separate copy, it says you can request an export through ChatGPT or the OpenAI Privacy Portal.
What replaces ChatGPT group chats?
OpenAI has not named a direct replacement. It says it still believes ChatGPT should become more collaborative. The closest feature today is a shared project, which lets you invite people to chats, files and instructions. Limits are 5 collaborators on Free, 10 on Plus and Go and 100 on Pro.
Did ChatGPT use my personal memory in group chats?
No. OpenAI said your personal memory was not shared with anyone in a group chat, and that ChatGPT did not create new memories from group conversations.
Key takeaways
ChatGPT group chats launched in November 2025 and let you invite one to twenty people by link.
Since 9 July 2026 you cannot create a group chat, convert a chat or join through an invite link.
In the UK, existing group chats are read-only. Elsewhere you can keep sending messages while messaging is enabled.
Your history stays available, and you can request an export through ChatGPT or the OpenAI Privacy Portal.
Shared projects are the closest replacement, with 5 collaborators on Free, 10 on Plus and Go and 100 on Pro.
References
Last checked against OpenAI's own pages on 23 October 2026. OpenAI may change these details, so check its help pages before you plan around them.
