Groups

From the Delta Chat FAQ.

Groups

Groups let several people chat together privately with equal rights.

Anyone can change the group name or avatar, add or remove members, set disappearing messages, and delete their own messages from all member’s devices.

Because all members have the same rights, groups work best among trusted friends and family.

Creation of a group

• Select New chat and then New group from the menu in the upper right corner or hit the corresponding button on Android/iOS.

• On the following screen, select the group members and define a group name. You can also select a group avatar.

• As soon as you write the first message in the group, all members are informed about the new group and can answer in the group (as long as you do not write a message in the group the group is invisible to the members).

Add and remove members

All group members have the same rights. For this reason, everyone can delete any member or add new ones.

• To add or delete members, tap the group name in the chat and select the member to add or remove.

• If the member is not yet in your contact list, but face to face with you, from the same screen, show a QR code.
  Ask your chat partner to scan the QR image with their Delta Chat app by tapping on the main screen.

• For a remote member addition, click “Copy” or “Share” and send the invite link through another private chat to the new member.

QR code and invite link can be used to add several members. However, since groups are meant for trusted people, avoid sharing them publicly.

I have deleted myself by accident.

As you’re no longer a group member, you cannot add yourself again. However, no problem, just ask any other group member in a normal chat to re-add you.

I do not want to receive the messages of a group any longer.

• Either delete yourself from the member list or delete the whole chat. If you want to join the group again later on, ask another group member to add you again.

As an alternative, you can also “Mute” a group - doing so means you get all messages and can still write, but are no longer notified of any new messages.

Cloning a group

You can duplicate a group to start a separate discussion or to exclude members without them noticing.

• Open the group profile and tap Clone Chat (Android/iOS), or right-click the group in the chat list (Desktop).

• Set a new name, choose an avatar, and adjust the member list if needed.

The new group is fully independent from the original, which continues to work as before.

How many members can participate in a single group?

There is no strict technical limit, but more than 150 is not recommended.

As groups get larger, they can become socially unstable and may need a hierarchy - where Delta Chat is a private messenger for chatting with equal rights. See Dunbar’s number for more insights.