Create a group chat by opening Messenger, tapping the pencil icon, and selecting multiple people
To start a group chat on Messenger, open the app and look for the pencil icon in the top right corner (on iPhone) or tap the plus sign (on Android). Tap it, then select "New Group". Choose the people you want to add by tapping their names — you can add as many as you want. Give the group a name if you'd like, or leave it blank and Messenger will use everyone's names. Tap "Create" and your group chat is live.
On desktop, click the pencil icon next to "Chats" on the left side, select "New Group", and follow the same steps. The group chat appears in your chat list when ready, and everyone you added gets a notification that they've been added.
Key Takeaways
- Open Messenger, tap the pencil or plus icon, and select "New Group" to begin creating a group chat.
- You can add as many people as you want to a single group, and Messenger will notify them automatically when they're added.
- Naming your group is optional — if you skip it, Messenger displays the names of all members instead.
- Group chats work the same way as one-on-one chats: you can send messages, photos, videos, and files to everyone at once.
- You can add or remove people from an existing group chat at any time by opening the group and tapping the group name.
What happens when you add someone to a group
When you add someone to a group chat, they receive a notification that they've been added and see the full conversation history from that point forward. They can see all previous messages in the group, not just new ones sent after they joined. This means new members have context for what the group has been discussing.
If someone doesn't want to be in the group, they can leave by opening the group, tapping the group name at the top, scrolling down, and selecting "Leave Chat". Once they leave, they stop receiving messages and can no longer see new activity in that group.
Managing group members and settings
To add or remove people from an existing group, open the group chat and tap the group name at the top. You'll see a list of all members. Tap "Add Members" to add more people, or tap the minus sign next to someone's name to remove them. Only the person who created the group can remove members — other people in the group can only leave themselves.
You can also change the group name, set a group photo, or customize notifications for that group from the same menu. Tap "Edit Group Name" to change what the group is called, or tap the camera icon to add a photo that represents the group.
Group chat limits and what you can do
Messenger doesn't have a hard limit on how many people you can add to a group chat, but very large groups (hundreds of members) may experience slower performance. For most purposes — work teams, friend groups, family coordination — groups of 10 to 50 people work smoothly.
In a group chat, you can send text messages, photos, videos, voice messages, files, and links just like in a one-on-one chat. You can also react to messages with emoji, pin important messages to the top of the chat, and search for old messages. Everyone in the group sees all of this activity.
Differences between group chats and one-on-one chats
The main difference is that messages go to multiple people at once instead of one. In a group, you can see who has read your message — Messenger shows a small icon next to your message indicating how many people have seen it. You can also see when multiple people are typing at the same time, which doesn't happen in one-on-one chats.
Group chats also have a group name and optional group photo, whereas one-on-one chats just show the other person's name and profile picture. If you want to have a private conversation with just one person from a group, you can start a separate one-on-one chat with them without affecting the group.
Troubleshooting group chat problems
If someone you added isn't receiving messages, check that they have Messenger installed and that you added the correct account. If they're using Facebook but not Messenger, they may not see group chat notifications. Ask them to open the Messenger app directly to check for pending group invitations.
If the group chat isn't showing up in your chat list, try closing and reopening Messenger. If it still doesn't appear, the group may have been deleted or archived. You can search for the group name in the search bar at the top of Messenger to find it again. If you created the group and it disappeared, try creating it again with the same members.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I start a group chat with just two people?
Yes, but Messenger treats it as a group chat rather than a one-on-one conversation. You can create a group with two members if you want to use group features like a custom name or group photo. Most people use one-on-one chats for two people, but both work the same way.
What happens to messages if I leave a group chat?
You stop receiving new messages, but the old messages you already saw remain in your chat history. If you rejoin the group later, you'll see the full conversation history again, including messages sent while you were gone.
Can I delete a group chat I created?
You can remove yourself from the group by leaving it, but you cannot delete the group itself. The group continues to exist for other members. If you want to end the group, you would need to remove all other members one by one, then leave yourself.
Do group members know when I read their messages?
Yes. Messenger shows a small icon next to each message indicating how many people have read it. If you tap that icon, you can see the names of people who have read the message.
Can I mute notifications from a group chat?
Yes. Open the group, tap the group name at the top, and look for notification settings. You can mute the group so you don't get notifications, but you'll still see new messages when you open Messenger.