How to Create a Group on Instagram

Creating a group chat on Instagram is the perfect way to bring specific people together in one private space. Unlike a broadcast channel, it's a two-way conversation perfect for close-knit communities, project collaborations, or just your inner circle. This guide will walk you through exactly how to create and manage an Instagram group, plus some creative ways to use them for your brand or community.

What is an Instagram Group Chat?

An Instagram group chat is a private Direct Message (DM) where you can chat with multiple people at once. Think of it as a private digital room where you and up to 249 other people can share messages, photos, videos, Reels, and even hop on a video call together. Everyone in the group can participate, send messages, and react to content, making it a fully interactive experience.

It’s important to know the difference between a group chat and Instagram's other group-like features:

• Group Chats: Interactive, private conversations for up to 250 members. Everyone can talk and engage freely. This is what we're focusing on in this guide.
• Broadcast Channels: A one-way communication tool where creators can send updates to their followers. Only the creator can send messages, followers can only react to them. Think of it as a newsletter inside Instagram.
• Group Profiles: A shared profile where multiple users can post content to a single feed. It’s designed for collaborative content creation, not for chatting.

For building a community, brainstorming ideas, or creating an exclusive space for your top fans, the group chat is the go-to tool.

How to Create a Group on Instagram: A Step-by-Step Guide

Starting a new group is straightforward, and there are two common ways to do it. You can either create one from scratch or start one by sharing a piece of content.

Creating a New Group from Scratch

This is the most direct way to get a group started. You simply pick the members you want and create the chat room.

1. Open Your Direct Messages: On your Instagram home feed, tap the message icon (it looks like a paper airplane or a Messenger logo) in the top-right corner.
2. Start a New Chat: Tap the "compose" icon, which looks like a square with a pencil in it, also in the top-right corner.
3. Select Members: A list of your followers will appear. Start tapping the circles next to the names of the people you want to add to the group. You can also use the search bar at the top to find specific people. You need to select at least two people to create a group.
4. Create the Chat: Once you've selected everyone, tap the blue "Chat" button at the top right of the screen. This will create the new group conversation.
5. Name Your Group: This is a highly recommended step. At the top of the new chat window, you’ll see "Name this group." Tap it and give your group a clear, descriptive name. This makes it easy for everyone to find later.
6. Send a Welcome Message: The group is now live! Send a message, a GIF, or a photo to kick things off.

Creating a Group by Sharing a Post or Reel

Sometimes the best way to start a conversation is with a great piece of content. You can create a group chat by simply sharing any Instagram post, Reel, or Story with multiple people at once.

1. Find Content to Share: Go to the Feed post, Reel, or Story you want to use as your conversation starter.
2. Tap the Share Icon: Tap the paper airplane icon located below the post or on the side of the Reel.
3. Select Multiple People: A list will pop up for you to send the post to. Instead of choosing just one person, select two or more people by tapping the circles next to their names.
4. Create the Group Chat: As you select more than one person, the "Send" button at the bottom of the screen will change to "Create group chat." Tap it.
5. The Group is Created: Instagram will automatically create a new group with the people you selected, and the post you shared will be the very first message. Go into the group details to give it a name so it's easier to keep track of.

Mastering Your Instagram Group: Features and Management

Once your group is up and running, you can do much more than just send messages. Managing it well will keep the conversation flowing and make the experience better for everyone involved.

Customizing Your Group Chat Environment

Personalizing your group makes it feel more like a dedicated space. To access these settings, open the group chat and tap on the group name at the top.

• Naming and Renaming: If you didn't name it when you created it, you can do so here. Giving the group a clear name like "Q4 Campaign Team" or "VIP Fan Club" keeps things organized.
• Changing the Chat Theme: Tap on the "Theme" option to change the color scheme and background of your chat. You can choose from various gradients or even special themes tied to popular franchises or holidays.
• Muting Notifications: Sometimes, group chats can get noisy. Both you and your members can mute notifications for messages, mentions, or calls for a set period of time (like 1 hour) or until you turn them back on.

Adding and Removing Members

The needs of a group can change over time. You might need to add new contributors or remove people who are no longer part of the project.

• How to Add People: Inside the group settings (tap the group name at the top), you'll see an "Add people" option. Tap it, and you can search for and select new members to invite to the chat.
• How to Remove Members: To remove someone, go to the members list within the group settings. Tap the three dots next to the person's name and select "Remove user." In a standard Instagram group, any member can remove another member.
• Require Approval to Join: For more control over who joins, you can toggle on "Require Approval to Join." This means anytime someone tries to add a new person to the group, an admin must approve them before they can enter the chat. This prevents random people from being added without your permission.

Using Group Features Effectively

Make your group chat more engaging and productive by using Instagram’s built-in collaborative tools.

• Group Video Chat: In the top-right corner of the chat, you'll see a video camera icon. Tap this to start an instant video call with everyone online in the group. It's a great way to have a quick team huddle or a more personal chat.
• Polls: Settle a debate or gather opinions quickly. You can create a poll directly in the chat by using the Poll sticker. Tap the sticker icon in the message bar and select "Poll" to ask a question and provide custom answers.
• @Mentions: If you need to get one person's attention in a busy chat, type "@" followed by their username. This will send them a specific notification, even if they have the general group chat muted.

Beyond Chats: Using Instagram Groups for Your Brand or Community

For brands, creators, and marketers, Instagram groups are a powerful asset for building a loyal following and fostering genuine connections. They offer a direct line of communication that feels much more personal than a public post.

Create a VIP Group for Top Fans

Reward your most engaged followers with access to an exclusive group. This is a place where you can share behind-the-scenes content, ask for their opinions, offer early access to products, or even share exclusive discounts. This makes your fans feel valued and transforms them into true brand advocates.

Example: A fashion brand creates a "Style Insiders" group for its 50 most active customers, sharing sneak peeks of upcoming collections and asking for their feedback on designs.

Start a Mastermind or Collaboration Group

Connect with peers in your industry. A small, private group of fellow creators or entrepreneurs can become a valuable resource for sharing knowledge, troubleshooting problems, and even finding new business opportunities. It becomes a support system where everyone is invested in each other's success.

Example: A group of freelance writers uses a group chat to share job leads, discuss client issues, and share articles about how to grow their business.

Host a Customer Feedback or Beta Tester Group

Ready to launch a new feature, service, or product? Instead of guessing what your audience wants, invite a select group of customers into a chat to test it out. You can get real-time, unfiltered feedback in a conversational format that is far more dynamic than sending out a survey.

Example: A mobile app developer invites 30 users to a "Beta Testers" group to report bugs and suggest improvements before a major update goes public.

Manage Your Brand Ambassadors or Influencers

If you work with a team of influencers or brand ambassadors, a group chat is a much more efficient way to manage communication than long email threads. You can send campaign briefs, share specific assets, answer questions in one go, and build a sense of team spirit among your partners.

Example: A beauty company runs a group chat for its college ambassadors to coordinate campus events and share user-generated content for upcoming campaigns.

Final Thoughts

Creating an Instagram group is a simple process for connecting directly with a specific audience, opening up powerful opportunities for community building, collaborations, and intimate marketing. By using the features we've covered, you can turn a simple chat into a valuable hub for your most dedicated followers or team members.

Managing these community conversations, especially alongside comments and DMs from all your other platforms, can get hectic. At Postbase, we handle this by using a unified inbox to bring all our Instagram DMs and comments together in one single view, alongside messages from TikTok, Facebook, LinkedIn, Reels, and more. It helps our team stay on top of community management without constantly switching apps, ensuring no important message gets left behind. If you’re looking for a simple tool to organize all of this, feel free to give Postbase a look.