Creating a group chat on Snapchat takes three steps: open the app, tap the compose icon, and select multiple friends before sending a message
A Snapchat group chat works like a text thread where multiple people can message each other at once. Unlike a one-on-one chat, everyone in the group sees all the messages and can reply to the whole group or to individual people within it. The group stays active as long as someone sends a message in it — if nobody writes anything for a while, it stays in your chat list but becomes inactive.
The process is straightforward. Open Snapchat, tap the compose icon (a pencil and paper symbol) at the bottom left of the screen, then tap the names of the friends you want to add. You can add as many people as you want, though Snapchat does not publish a hard limit. Once you have selected everyone, tap "Chat" at the bottom and type your first message.
Key Takeaways
- Group chats are created by tapping the compose icon, selecting multiple friends, and sending a message — there is no separate "create group" button.
- Anyone in the group can see all messages and know who else is in the chat, and anyone can add new people to an existing group.
- Snapchat stores group chat messages on its servers, and the company can read them because messages are not encrypted end-to-end.
- You can leave a group chat at any time by swiping left on it and tapping "Leave Chat," but the group continues without you.
- Group chats do not have a formal "owner" — any member can add people, remove themselves, or change the group name.
What information Snapchat collects from group chats
When you send a message in a group chat, Snapchat stores the text on its servers. The company can read the content of your messages because group chats are not encrypted end-to-end — only the connection between your phone and Snapchat's servers is encrypted. This is different from some other messaging apps like Signal or WhatsApp, which encrypt messages so that even the company running the service cannot read them.
Snapchat also logs who is in the group, when messages were sent, and which members have read them. The company uses this data for its own purposes, including showing you ads and training its recommendation systems. If law enforcement requests the contents of a group chat with a valid legal order, Snapchat can hand over the messages and metadata (the information about when and who sent them).
Who can see messages in your group chat
Everyone in the group can see every message sent to the group. There is no way to send a message that only certain members see, and there is no "private" mode within a group chat. If you want to say something to one person, you have to open a separate one-on-one chat with them.
Anyone in the group can also add new people to the chat without asking permission first. This means someone could add a person you do not want in the conversation, and you would not know until you saw their name in the member list. If this happens, you can remove them by long-pressing their name and tapping "Remove," but they will know they were removed.
Changing the group name and managing members
To change the group name, long-press the group chat in your chat list, tap the settings icon (three dots), and select "Edit Group Name." Type the new name and confirm. Any member can do this — there is no "admin" role that controls who can rename the group.
To remove someone from the group, long-press their name in the member list and tap "Remove." They will see that they were removed and will no longer receive messages sent after that point. To leave the group yourself, swipe left on the chat and tap "Leave Chat." The group continues without you, and members can still see your old messages.
What happens to messages after you leave or delete the chat
If you delete a group chat from your own phone, the messages disappear from your view, but they remain on Snapchat's servers and in the inboxes of everyone else in the group. Deleting the chat on your end does not delete it for other people or remove it from Snapchat's records.
If you leave a group chat, you stop receiving new messages, but the group continues without you. Other members can still see all the messages you sent before you left. There is no way to delete a message you sent to a group chat — once it is sent, it stays in the group's history unless Snapchat removes it for violating its terms of service.
Privacy settings for group chats
Snapchat does not offer end-to-end encryption for group chats, so there is no way to make them truly private from the company. You can control who can contact you by going to Settings, tapping "Who Can..." and adjusting "Contact Me" to "Friends Only" or "My Friends," but this affects all incoming messages, not just group chats.
You cannot make a group chat invisible to other members or hide it from Snapchat's view. If privacy is a concern, consider whether a group chat is the right tool for what you want to discuss, or use a different app that offers end-to-end encryption, such as Signal or iMessage.
Troubleshooting common group chat problems
If someone is not receiving messages in a group chat, they may have blocked one of the other members, or their account may have been suspended. Ask them to check their blocked list and confirm their account is active. If they still cannot see messages, they may need to update the Snapchat app or restart their phone.
If a group chat disappears from your chat list, it may have been archived. Swipe down from the top of the chat screen to see archived chats, then tap and hold the group to unarchive it. If the group is truly gone, it may have been deleted by another member, though this is rare — groups usually stay in your chat list even if inactive.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I send a message to a group chat without everyone seeing it?
No. Every message you send to a group chat is visible to all members. If you want to send a private message to one person, open a one-on-one chat with them instead.
What happens if I add someone to a group chat without asking?
They will see the group chat in their chat list and can read all messages sent after they were added. They cannot see messages sent before they joined. They can leave the group at any time by swiping left and tapping "Leave Chat."
Can I remove someone from a group chat without them knowing?
No. When you remove someone, they receive a notification that they were removed from the group. They will no longer see new messages, but they can still see all the messages they received while they were in the group.
Does Snapchat delete group chat messages after a certain amount of time?
Snapchat does not automatically delete group chat messages. Messages stay in the group's history unless you manually delete them from your own phone (which only removes them from your view) or unless Snapchat removes them for violating its terms of service.
Can I see who read my message in a group chat?
Yes. Snapchat shows a small icon next to your message indicating whether people have opened it. Tap the message to see which members have read it and when.