diff --git a/packages/react-chat-example/src/index.tsx b/packages/react-chat-example/src/index.tsx
index ec517b0..0f73f52 100644
--- a/packages/react-chat-example/src/index.tsx
+++ b/packages/react-chat-example/src/index.tsx
@@ -76,7 +76,7 @@ function DragDiv() {
           <ReactChat
             theme={theme ? lightTheme : darkTheme}
             communityKey={
-              "0x0235564b1b402e8f6ad540f4da0f6384fb828b8f7bb5a34942aa03719041b8b793"
+              "0x02516353a03fc3892d268a72f4c4b2b0fad179702a996a87346407139949767ba7"
             }
             fetchMetadata={fetchMetadata}
           />
diff --git a/packages/react-chat/src/components/Chat/ChatBody.tsx b/packages/react-chat/src/components/Chat/ChatBody.tsx
index b5c245c..d0c2923 100644
--- a/packages/react-chat/src/components/Chat/ChatBody.tsx
+++ b/packages/react-chat/src/components/Chat/ChatBody.tsx
@@ -56,7 +56,10 @@ export function ChatBody({ onClick, showMembers }: ChatBodyProps) {
   return (
     <ChatBodyWrapper className={className}>
       {editGroup && communityData ? (
-        <ChatCreation editGroup={editGroup} />
+        <ChatCreation
+          setEditGroup={setEditGroup}
+          activeChannel={activeChannel}
+        />
       ) : (
         <ChatTopbar
           className={narrow && showState !== ChatBodyState.Chat ? "narrow" : ""}
diff --git a/packages/react-chat/src/components/Chat/ChatCreation.tsx b/packages/react-chat/src/components/Chat/ChatCreation.tsx
index c1afed1..ebd9740 100644
--- a/packages/react-chat/src/components/Chat/ChatCreation.tsx
+++ b/packages/react-chat/src/components/Chat/ChatCreation.tsx
@@ -5,20 +5,28 @@ import styled from "styled-components";
 import { ChatState, useChatState } from "../../contexts/chatStateProvider";
 import { useIdentity } from "../../contexts/identityProvider";
 import { useMessengerContext } from "../../contexts/messengerProvider";
+import { ChannelData } from "../../models/ChannelData";
 import { buttonStyles } from "../Buttons/buttonStyle";
 import { CrossIcon } from "../Icons/CrossIcon";
 import { Member } from "../Members/Member";
 import { SearchBlock } from "../SearchBlock";
 import { textMediumStyles } from "../Text";
 interface ChatCreationProps {
-  editGroup?: boolean;
+  setEditGroup?: (val: boolean) => void;
+  activeChannel?: ChannelData;
 }
 
-export function ChatCreation({ editGroup }: ChatCreationProps) {
+export function ChatCreation({
+  setEditGroup,
+  activeChannel,
+}: ChatCreationProps) {
   const identity = useIdentity();
   const [query, setQuery] = useState("");
-  const [styledGroup, setStyledGroup] = useState<string[]>([]);
-  const { contacts, createGroupChat } = useMessengerContext();
+  const [styledGroup, setStyledGroup] = useState<string[]>(
+    activeChannel?.members?.map((member) => member?.customName ?? member.id) ??
+      []
+  );
+  const { contacts, createGroupChat, addMembers } = useMessengerContext();
   const setChatState = useChatState()[1];
 
   const addMember = useCallback(
@@ -33,7 +41,6 @@ export function ChatCreation({ editGroup }: ChatCreationProps) {
     },
     [setStyledGroup, styledGroup]
   );
-
   const removeMember = (member: string) => {
     setStyledGroup((prev) => prev.filter((e) => e != member));
   };
@@ -85,12 +92,19 @@ export function ChatCreation({ editGroup }: ChatCreationProps) {
         </InputBar>
         <CreationBtn
           disabled={styledGroup.length === 0}
-          onClick={() => createChat(styledGroup)}
+          onClick={() => {
+            if (!activeChannel) {
+              createChat(styledGroup);
+            } else {
+              addMembers(styledGroup, activeChannel.id);
+            }
+            setEditGroup?.(false);
+          }}
         >
           Confirm
         </CreationBtn>
       </CreationBar>
-      {!editGroup && !query && (
+      {!setEditGroup && !query && (
         <Contacts>
           <ContactsHeading>Contacts</ContactsHeading>
           <ContactsList>
diff --git a/packages/react-chat/src/contexts/messengerProvider.tsx b/packages/react-chat/src/contexts/messengerProvider.tsx
index e4e9949..49bb1ba 100644
--- a/packages/react-chat/src/contexts/messengerProvider.tsx
+++ b/packages/react-chat/src/contexts/messengerProvider.tsx
@@ -27,6 +27,7 @@ const MessengerContext = createContext<MessengerType>({
   setActiveChannel: () => undefined,
   createGroupChat: () => undefined,
   changeGroupChatName: () => undefined,
+  addMembers: () => undefined,
 });
 
 export function useMessengerContext() {
diff --git a/packages/react-chat/src/hooks/messenger/useGroupChats.ts b/packages/react-chat/src/hooks/messenger/useGroupChats.ts
index e4cf07a..736c804 100644
--- a/packages/react-chat/src/hooks/messenger/useGroupChats.ts
+++ b/packages/react-chat/src/hooks/messenger/useGroupChats.ts
@@ -96,5 +96,20 @@ export function useGroupChats(
     [channels, groupChat]
   );
 
-  return { createGroupChat, removeChannel, groupChat, changeGroupChatName };
+  const addMembers = useCallback(
+    (members: string[], chatId: string) => {
+      if (groupChat) {
+        groupChat.addMembers(chatId, members);
+      }
+    },
+    [groupChat]
+  );
+
+  return {
+    createGroupChat,
+    removeChannel,
+    groupChat,
+    changeGroupChatName,
+    addMembers,
+  };
 }
diff --git a/packages/react-chat/src/hooks/messenger/useMessenger.ts b/packages/react-chat/src/hooks/messenger/useMessenger.ts
index 279a6e6..62fb68d 100644
--- a/packages/react-chat/src/hooks/messenger/useMessenger.ts
+++ b/packages/react-chat/src/hooks/messenger/useMessenger.ts
@@ -44,6 +44,7 @@ export type MessengerType = {
   setActiveChannel: (channel: ChannelData) => void;
   createGroupChat: (members: string[]) => void;
   changeGroupChatName: (name: string, chatId: string) => void;
+  addMembers: (members: string[], chatId: string) => void;
 };
 
 function useCreateMessenger(identity: Identity | undefined) {
@@ -168,15 +169,20 @@ export function useMessenger(
       });
   }, [contacts]);
 
-  const { groupChat, removeChannel, createGroupChat, changeGroupChatName } =
-    useGroupChats(
-      messenger,
-      identity,
-      setChannels,
-      setActiveChannel,
-      addChatMessage,
-      channels
-    );
+  const {
+    groupChat,
+    removeChannel,
+    createGroupChat,
+    changeGroupChatName,
+    addMembers,
+  } = useGroupChats(
+    messenger,
+    identity,
+    setChannels,
+    setActiveChannel,
+    addChatMessage,
+    channels
+  );
 
   const { loadPrevDay, loadingMessages } = useLoadPrevDay(
     activeChannel.id,
@@ -235,5 +241,6 @@ export function useMessenger(
     clearMentions,
     createGroupChat,
     changeGroupChatName,
+    addMembers,
   };
 }
diff --git a/packages/status-communities/src/groupChats.ts b/packages/status-communities/src/groupChats.ts
index 94cd3b0..d3ceb69 100644
--- a/packages/status-communities/src/groupChats.ts
+++ b/packages/status-communities/src/groupChats.ts
@@ -13,6 +13,7 @@ export type GroupChat = {
   members: string[];
   admins?: string[];
   name?: string;
+  removed: boolean;
 };
 
 export type GroupChatsType = {
@@ -95,9 +96,11 @@ export class GroupChats {
         );
         await Promise.all(
           membershipUpdate.events.map(async (event) => {
-            const bufSigner = event.signer;
-            const signer = bufSigner ? bufToHex(bufSigner) : "";
+            const signer = event.signer ? bufToHex(event.signer) : "";
+            const thisUser = bufToHex(this.identity.publicKey);
             const chatId = membershipUpdate.chatId;
+            const chat: GroupChat | undefined = this.chats[chatId];
+
             if (signer) {
               switch (event.event.type) {
                 case MembershipUpdateEvent_EventType.CHAT_CREATED: {
@@ -106,27 +109,47 @@ export class GroupChats {
                       chatId: chatId,
                       members: event.event.members,
                       admins: [signer],
+                      removed: false,
                     },
                     useCallback
                   );
                   break;
                 }
                 case MembershipUpdateEvent_EventType.MEMBER_REMOVED: {
-                  if (
-                    event.event.members[0] == bufToHex(this.identity.publicKey)
-                  ) {
-                    await this.removeChat(
-                      {
-                        chatId: chatId,
-                        members: event.event.members,
-                      },
-                      useCallback
+                  if (chat) {
+                    chat.members = chat.members.filter(
+                      (member) => !event.event.members.includes(member)
                     );
+                    if (event.event.members.includes(thisUser)) {
+                      await this.removeChat(
+                        {
+                          ...chat,
+                          removed: true,
+                        },
+                        useCallback
+                      );
+                    } else {
+                      if (!chat.removed && useCallback) {
+                        this.callback(this.chats[chatId]);
+                      }
+                    }
+                  }
+                  break;
+                }
+                case MembershipUpdateEvent_EventType.MEMBERS_ADDED: {
+                  if (chat) {
+                    chat.members.push(...event.event.members);
+                    if (
+                      chat.members.includes(thisUser) &&
+                      chat.admins?.includes(signer)
+                    ) {
+                      chat.removed = false;
+                      await this.addChat(chat, useCallback);
+                    }
                   }
                   break;
                 }
                 case MembershipUpdateEvent_EventType.NAME_CHANGED: {
-                  const chat = this.chats[chatId];
                   if (chat) {
                     if (chat.admins?.includes(signer)) {
                       chat.name = event.event.name;
@@ -181,10 +204,17 @@ export class GroupChats {
   }
 
   private async addChat(chat: GroupChat, useCallback: boolean): Promise<void> {
-    this.chats[chat.chatId] = chat;
-    if (useCallback) {
-      await this.handleChatObserver(chat);
-      this.callback(chat);
+    if (this.chats[chat.chatId]) {
+      this.chats[chat.chatId] = chat;
+      if (useCallback) {
+        this.callback(chat);
+      }
+    } else {
+      this.chats[chat.chatId] = chat;
+      if (useCallback) {
+        await this.handleChatObserver(chat);
+        this.callback(chat);
+      }
     }
   }
 
@@ -192,9 +222,8 @@ export class GroupChats {
     chat: GroupChat,
     useCallback: boolean
   ): Promise<void> {
-    delete this.chats[chat.chatId];
+    this.chats[chat.chatId] = chat;
     if (useCallback) {
-      await this.handleChatObserver(chat, true);
       this.removeCallback(chat);
     }
   }
@@ -214,8 +243,10 @@ export class GroupChats {
     );
     await Promise.all(
       Object.values(this.chats).map(async (chat) => {
-        await this.handleChatObserver(chat);
-        this.callback(chat);
+        if (!chat?.removed) {
+          await this.handleChatObserver(chat);
+          this.callback(chat);
+        }
       })
     );
     this.waku.relay.addObserver(
@@ -246,6 +277,21 @@ export class GroupChats {
     }
   }
 
+  public async addMembers(chatId: string, members: string[]): Promise<void> {
+    const payload = MembershipUpdateMessage.create(chatId, this.identity);
+    const chat = this.chats[chatId];
+    if (chat && payload) {
+      const newMembers = members.filter(
+        (member) => !chat.members.includes(member)
+      );
+      payload.addMembersAddedEvent(newMembers);
+      await this.sendUpdateMessage(payload.encode(), [
+        ...chat.members,
+        ...newMembers,
+      ]);
+    }
+  }
+
   /**
    * Sends a create group chat membership update message with given members
    *