If you last used group DMs on Twitter a few years ago, most of what you remember still applies, but the plumbing changed. Direct messages on X now run through XChat, the messaging system X rolled out in 2025 and 2026. Old one-to-one conversations moved into it, group chats got bigger, and X added invite links. When X closed Communities in May 2026, it pointed community admins to group chats as the place to move their members.
This guide covers what a group chat on X is today, how to start one, how people join, and the limits that trip up organizers who try to grow one fast.
What changed with XChat
XChat is the same inbox you reach from the envelope or chat icon in the X app and on x.com. X also offers it as a separate XChat app. The main differences from the old DMs:
- Encryption with a passcode. XChat encrypts messages and asks you to set a passcode, which is how your other devices unlock your message history. People who haven't set one up yet can't join XChat groups, and an invite to them fails with a message that they need to upgrade.
- Bigger groups. Group DMs used to top out at 50 people. XChat groups hold hundreds. The cap moved more than once during 2026 (500 when Communities closed, with 1,000 as X's stated target), so treat any number you read online as a snapshot.
- Invite links. A group can have a shareable link. That link lets people request to join; it doesn't add them.
Group conversations work on x.com, in the X apps for iOS and Android, and in X Pro.
Starting a group
In the chat inbox, tap the new-message button and choose Create a group. Pick at least one person to start; you can add more later. Then open the group, tap its name at the top, and use the edit option to give it a clear name. "Riverside cleanup crew" beats "Group 3" when someone is scanning a crowded inbox at 7am.
Before you add anyone, write the first message you want new members to see. A short pinned-style note works well: what the group is for, how often you post, and what you expect people to do. The broadcast planner produces a 100-character version of any announcement that fits this purpose.
How people join
There are two routes in.
You add them directly. This works when the other person's message settings allow it. On X, those settings sit under Settings and privacy, then Privacy and safety, then Direct messages, where people choose who can send them message requests: everyone, verified accounts only, or nobody beyond the people they follow. If someone has a message button on their profile, you can usually reach them. If the button is missing, you can't, and adding them to a group won't work either.
They use your invite link. Open the group, tap its name, choose Group invite link, and switch the link on. Anyone with the link sees the group name, the member count and members' avatars, and can send a join request. Requests show up in the same menu, where you accept or reject each one.
The link is the cleaner option for any group bigger than a handful of friends. People come to you, so you never message anyone who didn't ask. You can post the link publicly, pin it on your profile, or put it in a List description. And because joining needs approval, a link that leaks to the wrong place doesn't flood the group.
Message requests
A first message from someone you don't follow usually lands in Requests, a separate tab at the top of the inbox, instead of the main list. Many people never check it. If you're expecting someone to join and they say they never saw anything, ask them to switch the inbox from "All" to "Requests."
The same applies in reverse. If you invite a person who doesn't follow you, assume they may not see it for days. A public reply or mention ("Sent you a group invite, check your requests") gets their attention without a second private message.
Limits that matter for organizers
X sets a hard daily cap on direct messages: its help center lists 500 messages sent per day, counted across all devices and apps. Most people never come close. Organizers who try to personally invite a few hundred people in one evening do.
Separate from that cap, X's spam systems watch for patterns. Sending lots of messages in quick succession, pasting the same text to many people, or inviting a large batch of accounts at once can get your messaging paused for a while, or your account temporarily restricted. Verifying a phone number on the account helps, but the dependable fix is to stop doing the thing that looks like spam. Share one invite link publicly and let people request to join at their own pace.
Blocks also stop invites cold. If either of you has blocked the other, or one of you has blocked the other's messages, an invite won't go through and X won't always say why.
Running the group once it exists
A few habits keep a large X group chat usable:
- Name admins early. Approving requests and removing spam accounts is a job for more than one person once a group passes a few dozen members.
- Keep announcements short. A group chat is read on phones. Two or three lines plus a link to a public post with the details works better than a long message.
- Use replies to keep threads apart. Replying to a specific message keeps side questions attached to the right announcement.
- Say how often you'll post. People mute groups that ping them ten times a day. Telling them "one update a week, more on event days" keeps them from muting you.
- Remove the link when you're done recruiting. Switching the invite link off stops new requests without affecting anyone already in.
When a group chat is the wrong tool
Group chats are private conversations among people who already said yes. They're a poor fit for reaching people who haven't joined yet. For that, post publicly and pin it; our guide on announcing to followers without spamming covers the details. If you want a standing members-only space, read where members-only groups live after Communities, which compares group chats with Spaces, Lists and protected accounts.
Questions
How many people can be in an X group chat?
Hundreds. X raised the cap several times in 2026: when Communities closed, group chats held up to 500 members and X said it was aiming for 1,000. The group info screen in XChat shows when a group is full, so check there for the current number.
Can someone add me to a group chat without asking?
That depends on your message settings. If you only allow messages from people you follow, or from nobody, strangers can't start a conversation with you. Invite links never add anyone automatically; they let people ask to join, and an admin approves the request.
Why can't I add a friend to my group?
The usual causes are their message settings, a block in either direction, the group being full, a temporary anti-spam limit on your account, or your friend not having set up the new XChat yet.
PubliciTweet is independent and not affiliated with X Corp. Features on X change often; if something here no longer matches what you see in the app, tell us.