The basic steps to join a group
To join a Facebook group, find the group's page, click or tap the "Join Group" button, and wait for approval if the group is private. Public groups let you in when ready. Private groups send your request to the group's administrators, who may ask questions or review your profile before accepting you.
You can find groups by using the search bar at the top of Facebook, typing a topic or group name, and filtering results to show groups. You can also join through a link someone sends you, or through a group recommendation Facebook shows you based on your interests and connections.
Once you join, your name appears on the group's member list. Other members can see that you're in the group, and depending on the group's settings, they may see your posts and comments there.
Key Takeaways
- Public groups accept you when ready when you click "Join Group," while private groups require an administrator to review and approve your request first.
- Your name and profile picture become visible to all other group members once you join, and your activity in the group is visible to members based on the group's privacy settings.
- Group administrators can see your full profile information, including your friends list, when you request to join a private group.
- Leaving a group removes you from the member list, but posts you made in the group remain visible unless you delete them individually.
- Facebook uses your group membership and activity to build a profile of your interests, which it shares with advertisers.
What information you share by joining
When you join a group, you're sharing your name, profile picture, and the fact that you're a member with everyone in that group. If the group is public, anyone on Facebook can see you're a member even if they're not in the group themselves.
If you join a private group, the group's administrators see your full profile when you request to join — including your friends list, your past posts, your location (if you've added it), your work and education history, and any other information you've made visible on your profile. They use this to decide whether to let you in. After you're approved, other members see only your name and picture unless you post or comment.
Facebook also tracks which groups you join and what you do in them — what posts you like, what you comment on, which members you interact with. This data helps Facebook show you ads based on your group interests. If you're in a parenting group, you'll see more ads for children's products. If you're in a fitness group, you'll see more health and wellness ads.
The difference between public and private groups
Public groups are visible to anyone on Facebook. Anyone can see the group exists, see all posts and comments, and join without approval. Your membership is public — anyone can see you're in the group by visiting the group's page or your profile.
Private groups don't show up in search results unless you're already a member or someone invites you directly. Only members can see posts, comments, and the member list. When you request to join, administrators review your profile before deciding whether to accept you. Your membership is still visible to other members, but not to the general public.
Some groups are closed, which means they exist but don't accept new members. You can only join if an administrator invites you directly. This is common for groups tied to a specific event, company, or time period that has ended.
What happens when you post or comment in a group
Posts and comments you make in a group are visible to all members of that group, regardless of whether the group is public or private. If the group is public, your posts are visible to anyone on Facebook, including people who aren't members. If the group is private, only members see your posts.
Group administrators and Facebook itself can see everything you post. Administrators may delete posts that break the group's rules, and they can remove you from the group if you violate those rules repeatedly. Facebook's systems scan group posts for content that violates its community standards — hate speech, misinformation, harassment — and may remove posts or suspend your account.
Posts you make in a group can be shared by other members. They can copy your words, screenshot your post, or share it outside the group. Once something is posted, you don't fully control where it goes, even if you delete it later.
How to leave a group or control what you share
To leave a group, open the group page, click the three dots in the top right corner (on mobile, swipe left on the group name in your groups list), and select "Leave Group." Your name disappears from the member list, but any posts you made remain in the group unless you delete them individually.
You can delete your own posts by clicking the three dots on the post and selecting "Delete." This removes the post from the group, but members who saw it or screenshotted it will still have a copy.
To limit what Facebook knows about your interests, you can review your ad preferences in Settings. Go to Settings and Privacy, then Settings, then Ads. You'll see a list of interests Facebook has assigned to you based on your group membership and other activity. You can remove interests from this list, though Facebook may add them back based on your future activity.
Why groups ask for information before you join
Private groups often ask you to answer questions before joining — "What's your connection to this topic?" or "How did you hear about us?" — because administrators want to keep the group focused and prevent spam or bad actors from joining.
Some groups ask for information to verify you meet certain criteria. A group for people who work at a specific company might ask for your work email. A group for people with a certain diagnosis might ask how you're connected to that condition. These questions help administrators maintain the group's purpose and keep it safe for members.
You're not required to answer truthfully, but if you lie and an administrator finds out, they can remove you. Some groups verify information by asking for screenshots of documents or by checking your profile history.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I join a group without my friends seeing it?
Not completely. Your name appears on the group's member list, so anyone in the group can see you're a member. If the group is public, anyone on Facebook can see your membership. You can hide group posts from your timeline so they don't show up on your profile, but your membership itself remains visible to group members.
What happens if I request to join a private group and get rejected?
The administrator straightforward doesn't approve your request. You won't be notified of the rejection in most cases — your request just disappears. You can request to join again later, or you can ask the administrator why you were rejected and try to address their concerns.
Do group administrators see my private messages?
No. Group administrators can only see posts and comments made in the group itself, not your private messages with other members. However, if you send a message to a group (not a direct message to a person), all members can see it.
Can I see who viewed my group posts?
Facebook doesn't show you a list of who viewed your group posts the way it does for some other content. You can see how many people reacted to or commented on your post, but not who straightforward read it without engaging.
What's the difference between a group and a page?
Pages are for public figures, brands, or organizations. Anyone can follow a page without approval, and the page owner controls all content. Groups are for communities of people with shared interests. Members post and comment, and the group is more of a conversation than a broadcast.