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1Clear out junk files and repair common Windows errors2Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitches3Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsChatGPT group chats are no longer open to new participants. OpenAI began winding the feature down on July 9, 2026. Users cannot create a group, convert a conversation into one, or join through an invitation link. Existing groups remain available for now, but OpenAI says they will become read-only; it has not announced the exact date.
What ChatGPT group chats were
OpenAI introduced group chats on November 13, 2025, as a shared conversation space where people and ChatGPT could plan, decide and work through ideas together. The launch examples included trip planning, shared design work, restaurant choices and collaborative school or workplace research.
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OpenAI first described the feature as a pilot for logged-in users on Free, Go, Plus and Pro plans in Japan, New Zealand, South Korea and Taiwan. On November 20, 2025, it said the rollout would expand globally to logged-in users on those plans over the following days.
What users could do at launch
Create a group or copy an existing chat
A user could select the people icon in a new or existing ChatGPT conversation to start a group. Converting an existing conversation created a copy for the group, while the original remained separate.
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Invite other people
OpenAI said a group could include one to 20 invited people. Invitations used a link that group members could also share. When creating or joining a first group, users could choose a group name, username and profile photo.
Use ChatGPT as a participant
OpenAI described support for search, image and file uploads, image generation and dictation. ChatGPT was intended to follow the discussion and decide when to respond or remain quiet; mentioning “ChatGPT” prompted a response. Participants could also use emoji reactions and reference profile photos when requesting personalized images.
ChatGPT responses counted against the usage limits of the person it was responding to, according to the launch announcement.
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In its November 13, 2025 announcement, OpenAI said group chats were separate from private conversations and that a participant’s personal ChatGPT memory was never shared with anyone in the group. It also said personal memory was not used in group chats and that ChatGPT would not create new memories from them.
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- People had to accept an invitation to join.
- Members could see who was in the group and could leave.
- Members could remove participants other than the group creator.
- The creator could leave but could not be removed by other members.
- Parents or guardians could disable group chats through parental controls.
- When someone under 18 was in a group, OpenAI said it would automatically reduce exposure to sensitive content for everyone in that chat.
Those statements describe the controls and memory behavior OpenAI announced at launch. They do not establish separate policies about data retention, training, encryption or confidentiality.
What happened on July 9, 2026
OpenAI began winding down group chats on July 9, 2026. From that date, users could no longer:
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- Create a new group chat.
- Turn an existing one-to-one conversation into a group.
- Join a group through an invitation link.
That means the launch feature is a historical product capability rather than an option available to new users today.
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What happens to existing groups
OpenAI’s current guidance, updated by September 28, 2026, says existing groups remain available for now and that their histories will remain accessible. The groups are expected to become read-only, but OpenAI has not specified when that change will occur.
If you still have access to an old group, treat it as temporary: review or save any information you may need before the read-only transition. The official guidance does not say that existing histories will be deleted.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Timeline
| Date | What changed |
|---|---|
| November 13, 2025 | OpenAI announced the group-chat pilot in Japan, New Zealand, South Korea and Taiwan for logged-in Free, Go, Plus and Pro users. |
| November 20, 2025 | OpenAI said the rollout would expand globally to logged-in users on those plans over the following days. |
| July 9, 2026 | OpenAI began winding down the feature; new creation, conversion and invitation-link joining stopped. |
| September 28, 2026 | Official guidance said existing groups remained available for now, would become read-only and would retain accessible histories. No read-only date was provided. |
Bottom line for ChatGPT users
ChatGPT group chats briefly put an AI assistant inside a shared conversation, with invitations, uploads, search, image tools and membership controls. As of October 2026, however, there is no supported way to start or join a new one. Existing groups and their histories remain accessible for now, with an unspecified future switch to read-only mode.
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