Key takeaways
- Groups sit inside a team, so the company, not an individual phone, owns them.
- Each team can have up to 30 groups on the free plan.
- Replies, reactions, read receipts and pinned messages keep busy groups readable.
- Guests such as contractors or clients can be invited to one specific group.
- Owners and admins can audit and export group conversations; direct messages stay private.
A group chat is the place where most work actually gets coordinated: who covers the late shift, what the client asked for, which delivery is late. The problem with doing it in personal apps is not the chat itself but what surrounds it: who owns the group, who is still inside, and where the record goes. C Chat keeps the familiar group chat and puts it inside a structure your company controls.
What group chats does in C Chat
Group chats in C Chat are conversations inside a team workspace. Every group inherits the team’s ownership and security, so you get:
- Familiar messaging: text, replies and reactions, edit and delete, photos, videos, files up to 25 MB, voice notes and location sharing.
- Visibility: read receipts and typing indicators show whether an instruction landed.
- Order: pinned messages keep standing instructions on top; search finds old threads.
- Safety: a one-tap 🚨 alert warns everyone in the group at once.
How to use group chats step by step
- Create the group inside your team and give it a clear name, such as “Store 4 – Floor” or “North Site – Nights”.
- Add members from the team, and invite guests only where needed.
- Write a pinned message with the group’s purpose: what belongs here, who to ask, working hours.
- Post work in threads with replies so answers stay attached to questions.
- Ask for acknowledgment on important messages: a reaction is enough, and read receipts show who saw it.
Real scenarios from business teams
- Retail chain. Each store has a group for its floor staff, plus a head-office group for announcements to store managers. See store team communication for retail.
- Site-based operations. A facilities company creates one group per building, so photos of a leak go only to the people who maintain that building. Read site groups: one chat per location.
- Company-wide notices. A separate announcements group, where by agreement only managers post, keeps important messages from drowning in chatter. See internal announcements everyone reads.
- When things go wrong. During a power outage, a crisis group with managers from every location coordinates the response. See crisis communication for organizations.
Privacy, permissions and limits
- Group conversations are auditable. Team owners and admins can audit and export them, which gives the business a record for disputes and reviews.
- Direct messages are not. A side conversation between two people stays private.
- Membership defines visibility. Only members of a group see it. Remove people who no longer need it, and remove leavers from the team entirely.
- Limits on the free plan: 30 groups per team, 50 members per team and 25 MB per attachment.
Tips for admins
- Agree on a naming pattern before you have ten groups.
- Separate talking from telling: discussion groups for teams, a read-mostly group for announcements.
- Assign an admin per group who keeps membership clean. The owner and admin roles page explains who can do what.
- Review the structure every quarter using how to structure groups for a growing team.
Getting started
Create your team at getcchat.com/c, set up two or three groups that match how you work today, and invite your people. C Chat is free for now; limits are on the pricing page.
Frequently asked questions
How many groups should a small business have?
Start with the minimum that matches how work is organized: one for announcements, one per site or location, and one for the office or managers. Add groups when a conversation keeps getting lost, not in advance.
Can I see who read a message in a group?
Yes. C Chat shows read receipts in groups, so you can see who has read an instruction or a notice. Typing indicators also show when someone is replying.
Can people outside my company join a group?
Yes. Guests such as contractors, cleaning staff or clients can join a group by invitation. Invite them only to the group that concerns them, not to the whole team.
Can I mute a busy group without leaving it?
Yes. You can mute a group to stop its notifications while staying a member, and catch up later. Search helps you find the message you need when you come back.