- Where New Group lives on each device
- Setting up a new group in six steps
- Three questions to answer before you invite anyone
- The settings worth knowing about
- Admins and invite links
- Group or channel: the side-by-side
- Leaving, reporting and keeping order
- How I'd set up a business group
- Frequently asked questions
To create a Telegram group, tap New Group (from the new message icon on iPhone, the pencil icon on Android, or the menu button on Telegram Desktop) and add your people. Telegram says a group can hold up to 200,000 members, so the setup that matters comes straight after: admins, an invite link, member permissions and whether newcomers can read earlier messages.
Creating the group takes seconds. The choices you make in the first ten minutes decide whether it stays useful or turns into a noisy chat nobody reads. Everything here comes from Telegram's own FAQ, as of Nov 2026.
Where New Group lives on each device
| Device | Where to start | Source |
|---|---|---|
| iPhone and iPad | In Chats, tap the new message icon in the top right, then New Group | Telegram FAQ |
| Android | Tap the round pencil icon in the chat list, then New Group | Telegram FAQ |
| Telegram Desktop | Click the menu button in the top left corner, then New Group | Telegram FAQ |
Setting up a new group in six steps
- Tap or click New Group from the place shown above.
- Name the group and add members. Telegram says you can add people from your contacts or find them by searching their username.
- Set the default permissions for members, before the first invite goes out.
- Decide on history: Telegram lets you toggle whether new members can see earlier messages.
- Add admins and choose exactly what each one is allowed to do.
- Create an invite link in Group Info, then Add Member, then Invite to Group via Link, and share it where your people are.
Three questions to answer before you invite anyone
Group or channel? A group is a conversation; a channel is a broadcast. If you want customers talking to each other, it's a group. If you want them reading your updates, it's a channel. There's a comparison further down.
Public or invite-only? Telegram says you can give a group a short public link so anybody can view its entire chat history and join to post. That's great for an open community and risky for a customer group where people share order details. Invite-only means people arrive through your link or because you added them.
Can new members read the history? Telegram lets you toggle persistent history. Leave it on for a community where old answers help newcomers. Turn it off for a group where earlier chat isn't anyone else's business.
The settings worth knowing about
Telegram lists a long run of group features. These are the ones that change how a business group feels to its members.
| Setting | What it does, according to Telegram | Why it matters |
|---|---|---|
| Group permissions | Restrict all members from posting certain content, or from sending messages at all | You can run an announcements-only group where admins post and members read |
| Pinned messages | All members are notified, even if they've muted ordinary messages from the group | Pin sparingly or people leave |
| Smart notifications | Members who mute the group still get notified of mentions and replies | Muting doesn't mean they miss a reply to them |
| Aggressive Anti-Spam | An option for large groups | Switch it on before the group grows, not after |
| Topics | Split the group into threads, each with its own history, shared media and notification settings | Works like a classic forum, so one busy group can hold several conversations |
| Unified history | Edit messages after posting, or delete them so they disappear for everyone | Typos and wrong links can be fixed in place |
| Voice Chat | An ongoing audio chat members can join whenever they want | Telegram suggests it as a virtual office or a casual hangout |
Groups can also be boosted. Telegram says members can boost a group with their Premium subscription to add features for everyone, such as posting stories, custom emoji packs, voice-to-text and a custom group look. Files of any type up to 2 GB each (4 GB with Premium) can be shared in the group too.
Admins and invite links
Telegram lets you add admins to help run the group and set their privileges with what it calls granular precision. Admins can mass-delete messages, control who's in the group and pin messages. Here's where to find the Administrators setting:
- iPhone: open Group Info by tapping the photo in the top right of the group chat, then Edit, then Administrators.
- Android: open Group Info by tapping the name in the header, then the pencil icon in the top right, then Administrators.
- Telegram Desktop: in the group, click the three dots in the top right, then Manage group, then Administrators.
Telegram says anyone who has Telegram installed can join your group by following the invite link. The useful detail most people miss: if you revoke the link, it stops working immediately. So if a link meant for customers ends up somewhere public, revoke it and make a new one. Nobody else needs to do anything. The people joining from the other side are covered in how to join a Telegram group.
Group or channel: the side-by-side
| Group | Channel | |
|---|---|---|
| Built for | Conversation: Telegram mentions friends, family and small-team collaboration | Broadcasting messages to large audiences |
| Size | Up to 200,000 members | Unlimited subscribers |
| How posts appear | Members write in the chat, unless permissions stop them | Posts are signed with the channel's name and photo, not yours, and each one has a view counter |
| Talking back | Everyone can reply in the group | Owners can turn on Direct Messages so subscribers can message them privately, and subscribers can suggest posts |
If what you want is a broadcast with a view count, set up a Telegram channel instead. Telegram also says private messaging is free and will stay free, so cost isn't the deciding factor between the two. The shape of the conversation is.
Leaving, reporting and keeping order
If you own the group and want to leave, Telegram says to pick a new owner at the same time so the group keeps running. Walking out without naming one is the mistake that strands a community.
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When a member crosses a line, you can report the message. Telegram says to tap it and choose Report on Android, press and hold it on iPhone, or right-click it on Telegram Desktop, then pick a reason. For the wider process, including reporting a person rather than one message, see how to report someone on Telegram. Admins can also remove members and mass-delete messages, and in a large group Aggressive Anti-Spam takes a lot of that work off your hands.
How I'd set up a business group
I'd start with an invite-only group, two admins with clear privileges, permissions set before the first invite, and history switched on only if old answers help new members. Skip a public group until you've got moderation in place, and skip pinning anything that isn't worth a notification to every single member. If the group gets busy, turn on Topics rather than starting a second group.
If you're setting up a Telegram group for customers or a community, the choices around it are what I help business owners think through. 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
How many people can be in a Telegram group?
Telegram says a group can have up to 200,000 members. A channel can have unlimited subscribers.
Can I stop members posting in my Telegram group?
Yes. Telegram says default permissions can restrict all members from posting certain content, or from sending messages altogether.
What happens if I revoke a Telegram invite link?
Telegram says the link stops working immediately, so you can make a new one and share it only where you want it.
Do muted members get notified about pinned messages?
Yes. Telegram says pinned messages notify all members, even if they've muted ordinary messages from the group.
What should I do before leaving a group I own?
Telegram says to pick a new owner at the same time so the group keeps running after you leave.
