How to delete or pause a Facebook Group

Facebook Groups are a fun way to connect with like-minded people who share your interests.

There’s a Group for just about anything, from family members separated by distance to fans of the Instant Pot (that group is over 3 million strong). Creating a Facebook group that your friends, family, or anyone can join is simple, and sharing it with millions of people on the web takes just a few seconds.

But once you open a group, can you shut it down? Absolutely – here’s what you need to know about how to delete a Facebook group.

Deleting versus pausing a Facebook Group

If you want to stop activity in a Facebook Group, you have two options: deleting or pausing. These actions prevent a Group from posting new content or adding members, and both must be taken by the Facebook Group’s administrator.

Deleting a Facebook Group

When you delete a Facebook Group, you remove all members and content from the page. This is useful if you or your community members want to maintain privacy or start anew.

Can anyone delete a Facebook Group? No. Fortunately, you can only delete a Group if you created the page or are a page administrator and the original creator has left the group. The mechanism prevents disgruntled members or online trolls from deleting spaces without rhyme or reason.

It bears repeating that deleting a Facebook group is a permanent action. If you delete a Group without warning, you may have some angry or confused community members in your DMs. Only delete a group if you are sure it’s what you want – you can’t change your mind later.

Pausing a Facebook Group

Let’s say you’re the creator of a Facebook Group about gardening. The group is fun, and the members are friendly, but maintaining the page has become overwhelming. You’d like to take a break, just for a while – and thanks to Facebook’s pause feature, you can.

Pausing a Facebook Group stops new users from joining and keeps current members from posting on the Group’s page. But unlike deleting, pausing maintains all the group’s members and content so you can resume the Group later. You may still face a few confused or angry members, so we suggest posting a warning in your group before pressing pause.

How to delete a Facebook Group on mobile

Deleting your Facebook Groups is easier than you might think. Here’s how to do it right from your phone:

1. Open the Facebook app on your mobile device and log in.
2. Go to the “Menu” tab by clicking the hamburger menu (three horizontal lines) near the upper right corner of your screen.
3. Select “Groups” from the menu, then “Your Groups” from the subsequent screen.
4. This opens a list of all the Groups you’re a part of, including a list of “Groups you manage.” Find and select the Group you want to delete.
5. Tap on “Members” and “See all” to view everyone in the group.
6. Tap the three dots next to each member’s name, then select either “Remove member” (for a private group) or “Ban from Group” for a public group. Tap “Confirm” to finish the process. Repeat this step for all members.
7. Finally, remove yourself from the group. Facebook automatically deletes groups that have zero members.

How to delete a Facebook Group on desktop

Don’t have your phone handy? Don’t worry – in a few simple steps, you can also delete a Facebook Group from your desktop. Here’s how:

1. Log in to your Facebook account on your browser.
2. Click “Groups” from the menu on the left-hand side of the home page.
3. Find the Group you want to delete from the “Groups you manage.”
4. Click on “Members” below the name of the group.
5. Select the three dots next to each member’s name, then select either “Remove member” (for a private group) or “Ban from Group” for a public group. Click “Confirm” to finish the process. Repeat this step for all members.
6. Finally, remove yourself from the group.

How to pause a Facebook Group

If you want to detox from social media detox but deleting your Facebook pages feels a little extreme, you have options, including making your account private and pausing the Groups you manage. Here’s how to pause a Facebook Group:

1. Log in to your Facebook account and find “Groups.” On mobile, it’s at the top of your “Menu” tab. On desktop, it’s on the left-hand side of your screen.
2. Look through your Facebook Groups list until you find the one you want to pause.
3. Click on the Group name to navigate to the page.
4. Click on the three dots in the “About” section (below the cover photo).
5. Select “Pause Group.” Facebook will ask for a reason why, so select an option from the dropdown menu.
6. Write an announcement alerting members to the pause and schedule a date and time when the Group will automatically resume (this step is optional).
7. Click “Pause Group” again and enjoy your break.

When you’re ready to resume your Group page, use the steps above to find the page in your Group list and select “Resume” from the menu. Just like that, your space will be ready to add new members and post content again.

Learn more about Facebook with Linktree

Once you’re back on social media, Linktree can help you make the most of your experience.

Our blog is an excellent resource for all things Facebook. We can teach you how to tag friends and family in photos, link your account to your Instagram page, promote your business through Facebook ads, and more. And don’t forget about your Facebook bio – it’s the perfect space to link out to the rest of your web presence and solidify your brand. Add a Linktree to your profile and connect to other platforms like Twitter, Instagram, and a personal website, all in one place.