OpenAI Launches ChatGPT Group Chats for Real Time Collaboration

OpenAI has recently announced GPT 5.1 Instant and GPT 5.1 Thinking models, but that’s not all from OpenAI.

The company has introduced group chats, a new feature that turns ChatGPT into a shared space for live collaboration. You can bring friends, family, or coworkers into one conversation and work through ideas together with AI guidance.

Everyone in the group chat can see the same messages, share ideas, and ask ChatGPT for help as the discussion develops. The feature works well for planning trips, organizing events, exploring home design ideas, or handling everyday decisions. Work and school groups can also share notes, exchange links, and rely on ChatGPT to summarize information or build outlines.

The pilot starts for logged-in users on Free, Go, Plus, and Pro plans in Japan, New Zealand, South Korea, and Taiwan. OpenAI will expand availability after learning from early usage and feedback.

Starting a group stays simple. You tap the people icon in any conversation, send an invite link, and bring others in quickly. New participants will need to create a short profile, and ChatGPT will place all group chats in the sidebar for easy access.

Inside the conversation, ChatGPT follows the flow and responds only when needed or when someone calls its name. GPT 5.1 Auto selects the best model based on each user’s plan. Search, file uploads, images, image generation, and voice input all work inside groups. Users can rename the group, mute notifications, remove participants, or set custom instructions for ChatGPT.

Privacy stays central. Personal memory never appears in group chats, and users must accept invites before joining. It’s worth mentioning that extra safeguards are available, and underage users will be protected from sensitive content. There’s also an ability for parents to disable the group chat feature entirely, if needed.

Group chats introduce a new social layer inside ChatGPT and will continue to improve as OpenAI refines the experience. Are you excited about this feature? Let us know in the comments.