Let’s get this out of the way upfront. Here are Facebook’s own instructions for how to delete a Facebook Group. The headline from that article? Unsurprisingly, Facebook makes deleting a Facebook Group pretty hard, but not impossible.
There are usually two reasons to delete a Facebook Group: because you’re group is failing or because it’s succeeding. In this article, we’ll cover how to delete a Facebook Group on both web and mobile. We’ll also walk you through how to delete a Facebook Group if you’re migrating somewhere else.
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Why delete a Facebook Group?
- There’s no engagement.
- It doesn’t fit your brand anymore.
- You've outgrown it.
- You’re migrating to another platform.
- You need features it doesn't have.
- You have security or privacy concerns.
How to delete a Facebook Group
How exactly do you go about deleting a Facebook Group? If it was just as easy as clicking a big “Delete” button, you would have done it already. Unfortunately, deleting a Facebook Group is a bit more involved than just hitting “Delete.”
Here’s how to delete a Facebook group on a browser
Step 1 - Go to your member section
Click the “Members” tab and you’ll find a list of your members. You need to delete these members one by one–yup, that’s right.
There are some browser extensions that will delete all the members at once if you want. But unless your group is enormous it probably makes more sense to do it Facebook’s way.
Step 2 - Find the 3 dots next to the member’s name
Step 3 - Click “Remove Member”
Once you click "Remove Member" you'll also get the chance to block members from coming back or from joining other groups. Since you're deleting the group, you can just ignore these and click "Confirm."
Step 4 - Repeat this for every member
Do the same thing for each member until it's just you left in the group.
Step 5 - Once it’s just you, you can delete the group
Once you’re the last person in your Facebook Group, you can leave it yourself. And since leaving mean there’s nobody there, you “delete the group by leaving.”
So at this point, Facebook will give you a “Delete” button. You can confirm the delete, and you're done!
Here’s how to delete a Facebook group on a mobile device
Step 1: Remove everyone in the group until it's just you
Step 2: Click on the "Manage" button
Step 3: Scroll down to the "Delete" button
Step 4: Confirm the delete
How to delete a Facebook Group and migrate
There are two primary reasons for deleting a Facebook Group: it’s not working or it is working. If you’re deleting the Facebook Group because you’re shutting it down and moving to a new platform, here’s how.
If you’re not sure where to move, check out our guide to alternatives to a Facebook Group.
Step 1: Know why you're deleting your Facebook Group.
What are some of the most common reasons for deleting a Facebook Group and moving elsewhere? Here are the top 3:
- The noise, clutter, ads, and unpredictable algorithm on Facebook are a massive distraction to members trying to focus on their goals. If you’re building a paid membership or a thriving community, it’s better to choose a dedicated community platform and ditch the distractions.
- You as the Group Admin can’t reach all of your members predictably or consistently. For Facebook, a Facebook Group isn’t yours, it’s theirs. It’s up to them (not you), who sees what in your Facebook Group.
- You’re mixing Facebook Groups with 5 other platforms. A separate email provider, website, and online course platform with a Facebook Group tagged on. It’s bananas.
- You want better results. When you can offer an equally compelling and engaging community under their own brand versus Facebook’s, the choice is clear (especially when they can offer it instantly on every platform, web, iOS, and Android).
While Facebook’s questionable practices and policies have caused many to delete Facebook, as a Group Admin, you don’t just want to be leaving Facebook. You want to be going somewhere better.
Step 2: Prepare to delete your Facebook Group
Start the conversation in your Facebook Group to get people prepared for the move. Here are some ideas you can plan to make the jump:
- Have a countdown to the move.
- Invite people to the new platform.
- Invite people to a launch event on your new platform.
- Have a special offer for members who make the jump (if it’s a paid community).
- Set a clear shut-down date and stick to it.
Step 3: Choose a new platform for your Facebook Group.
If you’re wondering how to build an online community on a platform that’s NOT Facebook, here are some of the features to watch for:
- Discussion forums, chat, and messaging
- Content options (+ ways to organize)
- Events and livestreaming
- Courses (live and pre-recorded)
- Payments (memberships, sales, bundles, etc.)
- Great apps (and branded mobile apps)
- Basically you want all the good things about Facebook, while improving on the stuff that doesn’t work.
Step 4: Set the deadline
Armed with your written reasons, support squad, and chosen platform, you’re now ready to announce that you’re deleting your Facebook Group. The best timing for making an announcement like this is to give yourself 2 weeks and roughly 8 reminders to make a smooth transition.
Once the deadline arrives stick to your guns. Delete it. Your new group can’t thrive if you’re trying to be in two places at once.
Step 5: Delete your Facebook Group.
The last step is to delete your Facebook Group. Follow the steps above and make it happen.
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