How to create a group chat on Messenger
To start a group chat on Facebook Messenger, open the app and tap the pencil icon (on iPhone) or the plus sign (on Android) in the top left corner. Select "Create a group" or "New group" from the menu. Type in the names of the people you want to add — you can search by their Facebook name or phone number — then tap "Create" or "Next". Give the group a name if you want one, or leave it blank. The chat is now live and everyone you added can see the conversation history from that moment forward.
On a computer, go to Messenger.com, click the pencil icon at the top left, and select "Create a group". Search for and add each person by name, then click "Create Group". You can add up to 256 people to a single group chat, though most groups work better with fewer.
Once the group exists, anyone in it can add more people without asking permission first. This is important to know: if you add someone to a group, they can see all messages sent after they join, but not the conversation history from before. If you want to include someone in earlier messages, you will need to copy and paste or screenshot them separately.
Key Takeaways
- Group chats on Messenger are created through the pencil or plus icon, and you can add up to 256 people at once.
- New members see only messages sent after they join, not the full conversation history before they were added.
- Any member of a group can add new people without permission, so you may see unexpected additions to groups you are in.
- Group names, photos, and notification settings are visible to all members and can be changed by anyone in the chat.
- Messages in group chats are stored on Meta's servers and subject to the same data practices as your other Messenger activity.
Who can see your group chat messages
Everyone you add to the group can read every message sent after they join. Meta (the company that owns Facebook and Messenger) can also see the content of your messages — they store them on their servers and use them to train recommendation systems and show you targeted ads. This is true whether the group is private or public, and whether you know everyone in the group or not.
If you delete a message, it disappears from the chat for everyone, but Meta may still have a copy in their backup systems. If you leave the group, the conversation continues without you and you can no longer see new messages, but the old ones you sent remain visible to everyone else in the group.
Group chats are not encrypted by default on Messenger. This means the content travels across the internet in a form that Meta can read. If you want encrypted messaging, you would need to use a different app — Signal or WhatsApp both offer end-to-end encryption, which means only the people in the conversation can read the messages, not Meta or anyone intercepting the data in transit.
Group chat settings you can control
Open any group chat and tap the group name at the top to see the settings menu. From there you can change the group name, add or remove a group photo, mute notifications (so you are not alerted every time someone messages), and control who can see the group. You can also set the chat to disappear after a certain time — messages will vanish from everyone's phones after 24 hours, one week, or one month, depending on what you choose.
The disappearing messages feature is useful if you want to reduce the permanent record of what was said, but it does not prevent someone from taking a screenshot before the message vanishes. Meta still stores the messages on their servers during that time window, even though they disappear from the app.
You cannot prevent other members from adding people to the group, and you cannot make a group chat truly private in the sense that Meta cannot see it. You can only control notifications and visibility within the app itself.
What happens when you leave or remove someone
If you leave a group chat, you stop receiving messages and cannot send new ones. The group continues without you. Everyone else in the group can still see that you were a member and can see all the messages you sent while you were in it.
If you remove someone from a group, they can no longer see new messages or send anything to the chat. However, they can still see all the messages they sent and all the messages sent while they were a member. They may also be able to rejoin if another member adds them back.
There is no way to delete a group chat entirely once it has been created. You can only leave it or remove other people. The group and its message history will remain on Meta's servers even if everyone leaves.
Group chats and your data
Every message you send in a group chat — including the time you sent it, who you sent it to, and what device you used — is recorded by Meta. This data is used to show you ads, improve Messenger's features, and in some cases shared with third-party apps if you have connected them to your Facebook account. Meta also uses this information to train their AI systems.
If you are concerned about what Meta knows about your conversations, the most direct option is to use a different messaging platform. If you want to keep using Messenger, you can limit what you share by being mindful of what you type in group chats, since anything you write is stored and analyzed.
You can view some of your data by going to your Facebook settings, clicking "Your Information", and selecting "read Your Information". This will show you a record of messages and metadata, though the read can take days to process and may not include everything Meta has stored.
When group chats go wrong
Group chats can become difficult to manage when they grow large or when members have conflicting goals. If someone is harassing you or sending unwanted content, you can remove them from the group or mute the chat so you do not see their messages. You can also report specific messages to Meta by long-pressing on them and selecting "Report".
If the entire group feels unsafe or unwelcome, leaving is usually the simplest option. You can also create a new group with only the people you trust and want to talk to. There is no penalty for leaving a group, and you can rejoin later if you are added again.
Be aware that anything you say in a group chat can be screenshot or shared outside the group. Even if you delete a message or leave the group, someone else may have already saved it. This is true of any messaging platform, not just Messenger.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I see who added me to a group chat?
Messenger does not show you who added you to a group. You will see that you are now a member, but the app does not display the name of the person who added you. If you want to know, you can ask the group directly or check if there is a message from someone saying they are adding you.
What if I want to send a message only to one person in a group?
You cannot send a private message within a group chat itself. You would need to open a separate one-on-one conversation with that person. You can do this by tapping their name in the group and selecting "Message" or by starting a new chat with them directly.
Can I make a group chat disappear completely?
You can set messages to disappear after 24 hours, one week, or one month, but the group itself will remain. Meta stores the messages on their servers even while they are disappearing from the app. If you want a truly temporary conversation, consider using an app designed for that purpose, like Signal.
What if someone adds me to a group I do not want to be in?
You can leave the group at any time by opening it, tapping the group name, scrolling down, and selecting "Leave Group". You will no longer receive messages from that group. If someone adds you back later, you can leave again. There is no way to block someone from adding you to groups on Messenger.
Do group chats use less data than one-on-one messages?
No, group chats use the same amount of data as one-on-one messages. The size of the file depends on what you are sending — text uses very little, photos and videos use much more. Whether you are messaging one person or 100 people, the data usage is the same.