Private channel in MAX: creation and access by invitation

What a private channel in MAX is

A private channel in MAX does not appear in public search and is not intended for open subscription. A user joins it via an invitation link sent by the owner or administrator, or after being added personally, if that option is available in the settings.

The format suits a private blog, an internal team channel, a study group, testing publications, and materials for a limited circle of people. A link does not replace a password: any recipient can forward it further. Therefore, access by link should be controlled separately from publications and the subscriber list.

Before you start, update MAX to the current version and sign in to the right account. On Android and iOS, the location of the create icon may differ, but the names of the main commands remain similar. If any item is not displayed, check that you opened the channel as the owner rather than a regular subscriber.

How to create a channel in MAX

A new channel is created from the chats section. This operation requires the rights of the account owner. First, prepare the channel name, a short description, and an image: the person who opens the invitation will see them.

1. Open MAX and go to the "Chats" tab.
2. Tap the pencil icon or the "Create" button at the top of the screen. On some devices, you first need to tap "+".
3. In the creation menu, select "Channel".
4. Enter a name in the "Name" field.
5. If necessary, fill in the "Description" field and add a "Channel photo".
6. Tap "Create channel".

After creation, MAX will open the channel page. If the app prompts you to choose a publishing method or visibility right away, do not select the public option: for invitation-only access, you need to set the "Private" type in the channel settings.

How to enable private access

The setup is done inside the channel you have already created. Open it from the chat list, tap the name or image at the top of the screen, and then select "Configure channel". In some app versions, this item may be called "Manage channel".

1. Open the channel profile by tapping its name or avatar.
2. Tap "Configure channel" or "Manage channel".
3. Open the "Channel type" section.
4. Select "Private".
5. Confirm the change with the "Save" button if MAX shows it.

After switching to private mode, open subscription via the public page is disabled. Subscribers who have already joined are not removed automatically. If you need to remove someone from the channel, open the "Subscribers" section, select the user, and tap the remove command.

How to create and copy an invitation link

The link appears in the profile of the private channel. It does not match the link to an individual post or the address of the owner's profile.

1. Open the private channel.
2. Tap the channel name or image.
3. Go to the "Subscribers" or "Invite by link" section.
4. Tap "Invite by link".
5. Select "Copy link".

If the profile immediately displays a "Share" button, open it and select "Copy link". Paste the result into notes or a message and check that the address leads specifically to the channel. A link to a post usually opens a single publication but does not always allow joining the channel.

Share the invitation on a targeted basis: in a private message, a work chat, or another private community. Posting the link in a public post, comment, or profile effectively cancels control over the audience. A recipient can forward the invitation even if you sent it to only one person.

Link limits and number of participants

The MAX invitation window has no separate "Expiration date" and "Number of uses" fields. This means the owner cannot set an end date for the link or make it one-time. The link keeps working as long as the channel exists, private access is enabled, and the invitation has not been changed or disabled in the settings.

A separate "how many people" limit for the link is also not set. It is intended not for one specific recipient but for anyone who has the address. A subscriber limit, if one applies to a specific MAX version or channel type, is set by the service itself rather than by the invitation setting and is not shown in the link creation form.

In the standard scenario, MAX provides the channel link through a single "Invite by link" screen and does not offer to create a set of links with different expiration dates, names, or usage limits. Therefore, you cannot determine who came via a forwarded invitation from the link alone. For a small private community, it is safer to review the subscriber list periodically.

What an invited user will see

When the link is tapped, MAX opens the channel card. It displays the name, image, description, and available information about the channel. If the app is not installed or the user opens the address in a browser, MAX may offer to open the link in the app or ask them to sign in first.

The private channel card shows a "Join" button. After tapping it, the user becomes a subscriber, and the channel appears in their list of chats or channels. They gain access to the channel's publications within the amount of history that MAX shows to a new subscriber. If the person is already a member of the channel, the channel itself will open instead of a repeated join, or a message will show that the subscription is already active.

Following the link does not guarantee joining in several cases:

• the link was copied incompletely or contains extra characters;
• the invitation was changed, disabled, or revoked by the owner;
• the channel was deleted, blocked, or switched to a mode in which the previous link is no longer used;
• the user is not signed in to MAX or opened the link in an unsupported browser;
• account rights or channel settings do not allow joining.

Depending on the cause, MAX may show a message about an invalid link, an unavailable channel, or offer to open the app. If the channel card does not appear after signing in, copy the address again from the "Invite by link" item and send it without changes.

How to stop the link from working and control access

First, open "Configure channel" → "Subscribers" and review the list of participants. Removing a user ends their access as a subscriber but does not by itself invalidate a previously sent link. If the invitation has already spread, removing users alone is not enough: the person can open the working link again.

To revoke the invitation, open the channel profile and return to "Invite by link". If there is a "Refresh link", "Reset link", or "Delete link" command next to the active address, use it and confirm the action. After refreshing, MAX creates a new address, and the old one stops being used. The command name depends on the app version, so focus on the action related to replacing or disabling the link.

If there is no refresh or delete command on the screen, the current MAX version may not have a separate link revocation option. Do not assume that removing a subscriber will automatically block the invitation. In that case, remove unwanted participants, do not post the address publicly, and check the channel settings after app updates.

Step-by-step procedure

1. In the "Chats" section, tap "Create" or "+" → "Channel".
2. Fill in the "Name" and "Description" fields and add a photo, then tap "Create channel".
3. Open the channel profile → "Configure channel" → "Channel type" → "Private".
4. Go to "Invite by link" and tap "Copy link".
5. Share the address only with the people who need it, review the subscriber list, and if it leaks, use "Refresh link" or "Reset link" if such a command is available.