You can make a group chat on TikTok from the mobile app’s Inbox or while sharing a video. In either case, you can select only eligible friends, meaning people who follow you and whom you follow back. TikTok supports up to 32 people per group, applies age restrictions, and says the feature is not available everywhere.
How to make a TikTok group chat from your Inbox
TikTok documents the following route for starting a group conversation in its iPhone and Android apps:
- Open TikTok and tap Inbox.
- Tap the Chat button at the top.
- Select the friends you want to include.
- Tap Start group chat.
Only eligible friends will be available for the group. On TikTok, friends are accounts that follow each other back; following someone by itself does not make that person eligible.
These steps follow TikTok’s direct-message settings guidance. The guide applies to the TikTok mobile app on iPhone and Android. The appearance or position of controls can change as TikTok updates the app, but the documented sequence begins with Inbox, followed by Chat.
How to start a group chat while sharing a TikTok video
You can also begin a group conversation from a video you want to share:
- Open the TikTok video you want to send.
- Tap Share.
- Choose multiple eligible friends for the group-sharing flow.
- Review the selected people and use the group-chat action shown in the app to complete the share.
The exact final prompt can vary with the current TikTok interface, so confirm that the screen identifies the selection as a group conversation before sending. If you cannot select multiple friends or no group-chat action appears, check the eligibility and availability conditions below.
Sharing a video in a group chat sends it privately to that conversation. It is different from choosing to repost a TikTok instead, which is a separate feed-based feature.
TikTok group chat limits and who you can add
TikTok applies participant, friendship, age, and availability restrictions to group chats. These rules determine both whether you can create a group and which accounts you can select.
| Rule | What it means |
|---|---|
| Group capacity | TikTok states that a group chat can contain up to 32 people. Its published information does not explicitly clarify whether the creator is included in that total. |
| Eligible participants | You can add friends who follow you and whom you follow back. You cannot invite an arbitrary follower or account. |
| Ages 13 to 15 | Group chat is unavailable to users in this age range. |
| Ages 16 to 17 | Group chats are subject to additional safety and approval checks for these users. |
| Location | TikTok says group chat is not available everywhere and does not provide a complete availability list in the cited announcement. |
TikTok’s group-chat announcement confirms the 32-person capacity, teen safeguards, and geographic availability limitation. TikTok also provides separate privacy guidance for users under 18 explaining its age-based messaging protections.
Why the TikTok group-chat option may be missing
If Start group chat is absent, disabled, or does not show the people you want to add, check these supported explanations:
- The account holder is too young. TikTok group chat is unavailable to users aged 13 to 15. Users aged 16 to 17 can encounter additional safeguards.
- The intended participants are not eligible friends. Each person you add must be a friend on TikTok, meaning you follow each other back. A follower who is not followed back does not meet this requirement.
- Direct-message privacy controls may restrict the interaction. Messaging settings can prevent messages or requests in some circumstances. You can review your TikTok account privacy settings, but changing a setting is not guaranteed to make group chat appear.
- Group chat may not be available in your location. TikTok explicitly says the feature is not available everywhere, so an otherwise eligible account may still lack the option.
This walkthrough covers group-chat creation in the TikTok mobile app for iPhone and Android. Web creation is not included because current TikTok web availability has not been verified.
How many people can be in a TikTok group chat?
TikTok says a group chat can include up to 32 people. Its published guidance does not explicitly clarify whether the person creating the group counts toward that total.
Can you add anyone to a TikTok group chat?
No. You can add eligible TikTok friends, meaning accounts that follow you and that you follow back. Additional safety and approval checks apply to users aged 16 to 17.
Why can’t I make a group chat on TikTok?
Supported reasons include being aged 13 to 15, trying to add people who are not eligible friends, direct-message privacy restrictions, or living in a place where TikTok group chat is unavailable. This guide covers the mobile app only; web creation has not been verified.