Groups v2: a better way to connect with friends and family on Session

Big changes are on the way with the introduction of Groups v2 in Session. Currently, group chats can face challenges with stability and reliability, especially as they grow larger. This upgrade will ensure smoother performance and pave the way for a more feature-rich experience for your group chats on Session in the future.

Groups v2 is still in development, and more information about the expected release date will be shared in due course. In the meantime, it’s important for all Session users to be aware of how this will impact existing group chats. After Groups v2 is released, the current version of group chats will no longer be fully functional. To continue enjoying group chats, users will need to update to Groups v2 and set up new chats with their contacts—ensuring that everyone has made the switch as well.

What’s Happening to the Old Group Chats?

The group chats you're in at the time of the upgrade will remain available for 2-4 weeks after Groups v2 is released. After that time, they will switch to a read-only mode. You’ll still be able to view past conversations, but it won’t be possible to change settings, view or edit the members list, or send and receive messages. Essentially, these chats will become an archive for reference only.

Why Is This Upgrade Important?

Upgrading to Groups v2 will unlock a smoother, more reliable experience. This rebuild brings significant improvements under the hood that directly enhance group chat functionality, making them more stable and efficient. Here are some of the key changes:

• Members will be able enjoy more consistent messaging, with no more unexpected loss of access to sending and receiving messages

• Group-wide settings, like disappearing messages, will sync more reliably across everyone’s devices, keeping things consistent for all members.

• Creating a new group will also be smoother and more reliable, making it far less likely that users run into issues or end up with duplicate groups

These technical improvements lay the groundwork for even more exciting features in future releases after the release of Groups v2. Features and optimisations to the groups experience in future releases are planned to include:

• Custom group descriptions and display pictures

• Adding members who aren’t in your contacts to groups via their ONS or Account ID. Group invitations from users not in your contacts will appear in message requests to limit spam.

• Easily resend group invitations

• Allow admins to leave a group without deleting it 

• Options to share or hide message history with new group members 

• Manage admins and add other users as admin

• Improved UI for group creation

These features and improvements will be rolled out gradually, giving Session users a constantly evolving group chat experience.

Inviting Friends to Groups v2

One key point to keep in mind: before inviting contacts to Groups v2, make sure they've updated to the latest version of Session. If someone hasn’t updated their version of Session, they won’t receive your invitation, even if it looks like it was sent successfully. Checking with friends to make sure they have updated beforehand will help ensure a smooth experience.

The Journey Ahead

Groups v2 is just the beginning of a more advanced group chat experience on Session. This upgrade represents a foundational change, enabling not only smoother performance now but also unlocking a wide range of possibilities for future features. Upcoming releases will build on this new foundation, introducing features and optimisations that will make your group chats more intuitive, dynamic, and enjoyable. Stay tuned for more updates!