A Supergroup is an enhanced version of a standard Telegram group designed to host large communities of up to 200,000 members. While basic groups are ideal for small circles of friends (up to 200 members), Supergroups provide advanced management tools like granular admin permissions, pinned messages, and message history for new members. 

Key Features of a Supergroup

  • Member Capacity: Supports up to 200,000 members (compared to 200 in basic groups).

  • Unified History: New members can see the entire chat history from before they joined (if enabled).

  • Granular Admin Tools: Assign specific rights to different admins, such as the ability to only delete messages or only ban users.

  • Public Links: Supergroups can be made Public, allowing anyone to find them via global search using a unique @username.

  • Advanced Features: Supports Slow Mode, Topics (sub-channels for different subjects), and Unlimited Pinned Messages. 

How to Switch to a Supergroup

Telegram no longer has a dedicated “Upgrade” button in most versions because groups now convert automatically when you perform an action that requires supergroup features. 

To force a conversion, perform any of the following as the group owner:

  1. Exceed 200 Members: The group will automatically upgrade once it hits the 201st member.

  2. Make the Group Public: Go to Group Settings > Group Type and change it from Private to Public. Setting a public username triggers an immediate upgrade.

  3. Enable Topics: Go to Group Settings and toggle the Topics switch to “On”.

  4. Set Granular Admin Rights: Go to Administrators, add a new admin, and give them a Custom Title or specific permissions.

  5. Change Chat History Visibility: Go to Group Settings > Chat History for New Members and set it to Visible. 

Note: Once a group is converted to a supergroup, it is a one-way process; you cannot downgrade it back to a basic group.