Our smartphones help keep us connected to our friends and family across the globe. But since nothing beats a good party, you’re probably wondering if there’s a way you can add a bunch of your friends or family into a group to communicate together to share stories, laughs, and good times.
Fortunately, you’re in luck. You can make a group chat with up to 63 of your friends on Snapchat — and even video chat with up to 16 friends at once. Read on, and we’ll cover how you can easily make group chats with all your friends in one place with Snapchat.
How to create a group chat
To create the chat, go to the Friends screen by tapping on the word-bubble Chat icon on the lower left side of the screen. Then, tap the New Chat icon at the upper right-hand side of the screen. This icon looks like a word bubble, too, but with a pen. From there, tap New Group, then go through the friends list below and tap on the names you want to add to the chat. When you’re done, tap Chat With Group.
How to run your group chat
Once your group chat is created, you can customize it and change how the members interact. First, tap on the Pencil icon at the top of the screen and name your chat. If you want to go beyond texting and sending snaps, tap the Phone icon or the Video icon to start an audio or video chat with up to 16 friends at once.
You can also play games in your group chat. To start things up, tap the rocket icon beside the chat box and choose a game from the list that pops up.
If someone is getting rowdy, you can delete messages by pressing your finger on the message. A menu will pop up on the screen, giving you the option to save, copy, or delete the message.
How to add more people
The more, the merrier, of course. Thankfully, if you want to add more friends to your chat, it’s simple. Go to the Friends screen and hold your finger down on the group chat name. From the menu that pops up, choose More, and then tap Add Members To The Group. Select friends from the list to round out your existing chat.
How to leave a group chat
A prominent feature offered by Snapchat’s group chats is that it lets you exit without spoiling other users’ experiences. Head over to the Friends screen and press down and hold the group chat. Click More from the menu that appears, then select Leave Group. You will notice a popup asking that you affirm that you do, in fact, want to leave the group. Once you confirm this decision, you can make your escape. Remember that you won’t be able to access any of your chats, including saved messages, once you exit the group.
It’s truly that easy to get out of a group chat, but each of your messages will cease to exist the second you leave (including chats that other people saved). If you don’t want to disappear from the conversation entirely but are sick of getting irritating notifications, you can mute it. To do this, go back to the same menu and click Message Notification, then click Silent.
By doing this, you can remain in the group without regularly receiving alerts.
Snapchat’s broad spectrum of features is what makes it so successful and well-liked, but in our opinion, its group chat feature is what really makes it stand out from the crowd (if used correctly, of course).