No, you can't start a group chat in ChatGPT any more: OpenAI began retiring group chats on 9 July 2026, and since then nobody can create one, turn a conversation into one or join through an invite link. Existing group chats are still there to read, and outside the UK the people already in them can keep messaging while messaging is enabled, as of October 2026.
If someone's sent you an invite link and it does nothing, that's the reason. It isn't your account and it isn't a bug. New participants can't join an existing group chat, even through a link that used to work.
What still works in ChatGPT group chats
Here's where things stand, based on OpenAI's own retirement notice, as of October 2026:
| What you want to do | Can you? |
|---|---|
| Create a new group chat | No, not since 9 July 2026 |
| Turn an existing conversation into a group chat | No |
| Join a group chat through an invite link, old or new | No |
| Open and read your existing group chat history | Yes |
| Send new messages in a group chat in the UK | No, UK group chats are read-only |
| Send new messages in a group chat elsewhere | Yes, while messaging is still enabled |
| Use a group chat after it becomes read-only | You can open it and review the messages, files and images already shared, but you can't send anything new |
| Carry on with your normal one-to-one ChatGPT chats | Yes, the change only applies to group chats |
Notice the wording for everyone outside the UK: you can keep messaging while messaging is enabled. That's a transition, not a promise. Plan as if your group chat will go read-only.
Why OpenAI is winding group chats down
Group chats launched as a pilot to explore more collaborative ways to use ChatGPT. OpenAI says it's simplifying the experience, and that retiring the pilot keeps the product simpler today while it applies what it learned to features that can serve more people. It also says it still believes ChatGPT should become more collaborative over time. That's all the help page says about what comes next, so I wouldn't build a team routine around a replacement nobody's described.
Keeping a copy of your group chat history
You don't need to do anything to keep your history; OpenAI says it stays available. But if your group still uses the chat, OpenAI's advice is to decide where the conversation will continue before it goes read-only. If you want a separate copy, request an export through ChatGPT or the OpenAI Privacy Portal. I've set out the steps in my guide to exporting ChatGPT conversations.
A few rules on OpenAI's export page catch people out:
- Self-service export from settings works on Free, Go, Plus, Pro and eligible Edu workspaces. It isn't available in Business, Enterprise or ChatGPT for Healthcare workspaces, so ask your workspace owner there.
- You can't export while you're logged out. If you can't sign in, use the Privacy Portal instead.
- Exports can take up to 7 days to arrive, and the download link expires 24 hours after you get it, so watch your inbox and spam folder.
- Download it while signed in to the same account that asked for it, then open the ZIP and check the conversations you need are there. An export can't bring back chats that were already deleted.
- If you're about to move a personal workspace into a Business, Enterprise, Edu or Healthcare workspace, export and check your data first. Once the personal workspace is removed, you may not be able to open an old export link or request a new one.
Sharing ChatGPT work with people instead
For most small teams, the nearest thing left is a shared link. It's not a group chat, and it's worth knowing exactly how it differs. When someone continues a conversation you've shared, it becomes a separate, private conversation in their own account. You're handing them a copy, not inviting them into a room.
- Open the conversation you want to share.
- Select Share.
- Review the conversation and any sharing options shown.
- Select Create link or Copy link, whichever appears.
- Send the link to the person who needs it.
What happens next depends on your account, as of October 2026:
- Personal accounts: anyone with the link can view it. The link is a snapshot, so messages you add later aren't included until you open Share again and select Update link.
- Business, Enterprise, Edu and Healthcare workspaces: only eligible members of the same workspace can open the link, and it can include messages added after you shared it. Read the sharing notice before you add anything new.
- Names: shared conversation links are anonymous by default, but some older sharing experiences may show the creator's name, so check the preview.
- No fine controls: you can't restrict a link to named people, and links don't have expiry dates. Delete a link when nobody needs it.
Two more details from OpenAI's sharing page are worth knowing. Shared link pages aren't meant to be indexed by search engines, but anyone who has the link can forward it, so keep health information, financial details and passwords out of anything you share. And locking a chat doesn't delete a link you've already shared; delete it separately in Settings, then Data controls, then Shared links, then Manage.
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If your team collaborates in ChatGPT every day
For a business that wants ongoing shared work rather than one-off links, OpenAI points to Teams in ChatGPT, which is available in Business and Enterprise workspaces as of October 2026. A team brings together people in your workspace, and you share pages, Spaces and recurring team tasks with the whole group at once. I've explained how it works in my guide to ChatGPT Teams and Spaces. If the group chat was your first taste of ChatGPT and you've barely used it on your own, my beginner's guide to using ChatGPT is a better starting point.
My advice if your group relied on it
I'd export anything that matters now, while you can still sign in and check the file, then move the conversation to wherever your team already talks. For a one-off collaboration, share a link and tell people it's a copy, not a live thread. If you're on a Business or Enterprise workspace and you collaborate every week, look at Teams instead. Skip waiting for group chats to come back; OpenAI's only said it's exploring ways to make ChatGPT more collaborative.
If your team needs a clear way to share and collaborate on AI work now group chats are going, that's the kind of AI enablement I help with. I run AI training and workshops for teams, and help businesses with AI enablement and workflow automation, so the busywork runs itself and people get time back. Most of that work is with SaaS marketing teams and small businesses. Here's how we can work together.
Frequently asked questions
Why doesn't my ChatGPT group chat invite link work?
Since 9 July 2026, nobody can join a ChatGPT group chat, including through an existing invite link. Only people who already had access can keep using it, and only where messaging is still enabled.
Can I still read my old ChatGPT group chats?
Yes. Your group chat history stays available. Once a chat is read-only you can open it and review the messages, files and images already shared, but you can't send new messages.
Are ChatGPT group chats read-only in the UK?
Yes. As of October 2026, group chats in the UK are read-only. Elsewhere, people already in a group chat can keep sending messages while messaging is enabled.
Does the group chat retirement affect my normal ChatGPT chats?
No. OpenAI says the change applies only to group chats, so your individual conversations carry on as normal.
