Group chats are unique to messaging apps and strike a balance between convenience, privacy, and scale to use either personally or professionally.
iMessage (Apple): iMessage is native to iOS, and can authorize up to 32 people in end-to-end encrypted blue-bubble chats, all iPhone users. It has an integration of reactions, effects, polls through shared calendars, and FaceTime. Android users register as green SMS bubbles, without encryption and extras. Mixed groups cannot be totally eliminated by creators, which is important in muting.
WhatsApp: Cross-platform king, 1,024 member groups and E2EE. Admins regulate adds/removals, broadcasts and disappearing messages. The voice/video calls are scaled to 8; communities nest 100+ subgroups. Status updates are a replica of Stories.
Telegram: Privacy-centered and has unlimited members through channels (broadcasts) or groups (1,000 interactive). Discreet conversations automatically delete themselves; pinned messages and polls arrange themselves. Bots automate moderation.
Facebook Messenger: 250 members, AR effects, games, and Watch Together. Connection to Facebook/Instagram to invite easily; optional E2EE.
Signal: The best security standard, 1,000-member groups and E2EE and user privacy. The disappearing messages norm.
Slack/Teams (Work): Unlimited user channel. Things are organized in threads; features such as file sharing and video are good among teams.
Discord: Thousand voice channel, role, and server gamer favorite. Nitro boosts quality.
Decide according to the size of the group, privacy requirements, and platform cohesion- standardize to reduce hiccups.
