How to Make a Group Chat on Snapchat: Add, Rename and Leave

Group chats are where Snapchat comes alive for a lot of people: the family thread, the five-a-side team, the friends planning a weekend away. They're useful for small businesses too, whether that's a handful of staff sharing behind-the-scenes clips or a creator coordinating with collaborators. Setting one up takes seconds once you know where the button is.

I'll show you how to start a group, add and remove people, rename it and leave it, plus the settings that decide how long messages stick around. The steps come from Snapchat's help articles in its Creating and Managing Group Chats section.

How to make a group chat on Snapchat

The official help article puts it simply: tap the chat icon at the bottom of the Chat screen and select who you want to chat with. In practice it looks like this:

1. Open Snapchat and swipe right from the Camera screen to reach the Chat screen.
2. Tap the chat icon to start a new chat.
3. Select each friend you want in the group.
4. Tap the button to start the chat, then send your first message or Snap.

Snapchat says group chats let you and up to 200 friends stay in touch, so there's plenty of room. You can only pick people from your friends list at this point, which is why some names won't appear. If someone's missing, my guide on why you can't add someone on Snapchat covers the usual reasons.

Adding people to an existing Snapchat group chat

Forgot someone? You don't need to start again. Snapchat's article on adding friends to a group gives these steps:

1. Swipe right from the Camera to open the Chat screen.
2. Press and hold the group chat.
3. Tap Add Members to Group and choose the friends you want to add.

The same article says up to 201 Snapchatters can be in one group, which matches you plus 200 friends. It also explains that when a member opens the chat, their Bitmoji and name pop up above the keyboard, and tapping someone's name bubble opens their Friendship Profile. If that person isn't your friend yet, you'll see an option to add them.

How people join a Snapchat group chat

Nobody can wander into your group uninvited. Snapchat's help centre says you can't join a group chat on your own: someone already in it has to add you directly or send you an invite link. When you're invited, the invite shows up in your Chat feed and you open it from there.

For a business, that's a nice bit of control. You decide exactly who's in the room, and members can only bring others in by adding them or sharing an invite.

Renaming your Snapchat group chat

A group with no name just shows a list of people, which gets confusing fast. To give it a clear label:

1. On the Chat screen, press and hold the group.
2. Tap Edit Group Name.
3. Type the new name and save it.

Pick something obvious, like the event, the team or the project. It makes the chat much easier to find later, and you can also search for groups from Snapchat's Search.

Removing someone from a Snapchat group chat

If someone needs to leave, Snapchat's article on removing members sets out these steps:

1. Tap the group on the Chat screen to open its Group Profile.
2. Press and hold the member you want to remove.
3. Tap Remove from Group, then confirm.

Snapchat notes that you can add them back later if you change your mind. If someone in a group is sending abusive or threatening messages, report them in the app, and if you're in danger, contact the police. You can also stop them contacting you directly, and I've explained how in my guide to blocking people on Snapchat.

Leaving a Snapchat group chat

Sometimes you just need out. Press and hold the group on the Chat screen and tap Leave Group. Before you do, know this: Snapchat says leaving a group clears the Snaps and Chats you sent from that group chat, even if another member saved them. If there's anything you'd like to keep, save a copy somewhere else first.

How long Snapchat group chat messages last

Snapchat's article When are Group Chat messages deleted? says group messages are deleted 24 hours after they're sent unless you change that or save them. To keep a message, tap it to save it, and it'll get a grey background. To change the timer for the whole group, press and hold the group name, open Chat and Notification Settings and look for the Delete Chats option.

Group chat job	Where to find it
Start a group	Chat icon at the bottom of the Chat screen
Add members	Press and hold the group, Add Members to Group
Rename	Press and hold the group, Edit Group Name
Remove someone	Group Profile, press and hold them, Remove from Group
Leave	Press and hold the group, Leave Group

Handy Snapchat group chat features

A few details from Snapchat's help centre make group chats easier to manage:

• Press and hold a message to see who has read or saved it.
• Mention someone by typing their Display Name, or type @ and choose their username.
• Snaps sent to a group don't count toward your individual Streaks, though they can count toward a group Streak.

Voice notes work well in groups when typing is a faff. My guide on sending a voice message on Snapchat shows you how.

Using Snapchat group chats for a small business

If you're a small business owner or creator, a private group can be a quick way to share updates with a tight circle: your team, a few loyal customers who opted in, or partners on a launch. Keep it small, name it clearly, and save any message with a date, a decision or an order in it, because the 24-hour default will clear anything you don't save.

And be kind to people's notifications. A group that pings every few minutes gets muted fast, so batch your updates where you can.

Frequently asked questions

How do I make a group chat on Snapchat?

Swipe right from the Camera to the Chat screen, tap the chat icon at the bottom, select the friends you want in the group and send your first message.

How many people can be in a Snapchat group chat?

Snapchat says group chats let you and up to 200 friends stay in touch, and that up to 201 Snapchatters can be in one group.

Can I join a Snapchat group chat without an invite?

No. Someone already in the group has to add you or send you an invite link. The invite appears in your Chat feed.

How do I rename a Snapchat group chat?

On the Chat screen, press and hold the group, tap Edit Group Name and type the new name.

What happens to my messages if I leave a group?

Snapchat says leaving a group clears the Snaps and Chats you sent from that group chat, even if another member saved them.

How long do Snapchat group chat messages last?

Snapchat says group chat messages are deleted 24 hours after they're sent unless they're saved or the setting is changed.