You can delete a Facebook group you created, but only if you're the sole admin and the group has no members left
Facebook does not let you delete a group while other people are in it or while other admins have control. You have two paths: remove everyone and then delete, or transfer ownership to someone else and let them handle it. The first takes longer but gives you a clean exit. The second is faster if you trust someone to take over.
The delete option lives in the group settings, not in a menu. Once you start the deletion, Facebook gives you 30 days to change your mind before the group is permanently gone. After that, the group name, posts, photos, and member list are all erased.
Key Takeaways
- You can only delete a group if you are the sole admin and no members remain in the group.
- Removing members one by one takes time, but you can remove all members at once if you change the group privacy setting to closed first.
- The delete button appears in group settings under "Edit Group Settings," not in a dropdown menu.
- After you click delete, you have 30 days to cancel the deletion before Facebook permanently removes the group and all its content.
Remove all members before you can delete
Go to your group and click the three dots or gear icon in the top right. Select "Members" from the menu. You will see a list of everyone in the group, including yourself.
The fastest way to remove everyone at once is to change the group to closed first. Click the three dots again, go to "Edit Group Settings," and change the privacy from "Public" or "Private" to "Closed." Save the change. Then go back to Members, and you should see an option to remove all members at once. Click it and confirm.
If that option does not appear, you will need to remove people individually. Click the X or remove button next to each member's name. This takes longer in large groups, but it works. You cannot remove yourself until everyone else is gone, so you will be the last person left.
Delete the group from settings
Once the group is empty except for you, go back to the three dots menu and select "Edit Group Settings." Scroll down until you see "Delete Group." Click it.
Facebook will ask you to confirm. It will remind you that the group and all its posts, photos, and files will be permanently deleted after 30 days. Click "Delete" again to confirm.
The group will move to a deleted state for 30 days. During this time, members cannot see it or access it, but you can still undo the deletion if you change your mind. After 30 days, the deletion is final.
Transfer the group to another admin instead
If you want to keep the group alive but step away, you can make someone else the owner. Go to Members, find the person you want to promote, and click the three dots next to their name. Select "Make Admin" or "Make Group Admin," depending on your Facebook version.
Once they are an admin, you can remove yourself from the group. Click the three dots next to your own name in the Members list and select "Leave Group." You will no longer be able to edit the group or see its content unless it is public.
The new admin can then add more admins, change the group rules, or delete it themselves later. This is useful if you created a group for a specific purpose but no longer want to run it.
What happens to posts and photos after deletion
Everything in the group disappears: all posts, comments, photos, files, and the member list. People who were in the group will no longer see it in their groups list. If someone saved a photo from the group to their own device, they keep that copy, but they cannot access the group version anymore.
If the group had a lot of important information, take screenshots or read the photos before you delete. Facebook does not send you a copy of the group's content, and there is no way to recover it after the 30-day window closes.
If you're not the sole admin
If other people have admin rights, you cannot delete the group. You have two choices: ask the other admins to remove themselves, or remove yourself and let them decide what to do with it.
To remove another admin, go to Members, find their name, click the three dots, and select "Remove as Admin." Once they are no longer an admin, they become a regular member. You can then remove them from the group entirely if you want. Repeat this for every other admin until you are the only one left.
If you do not have the permission to remove other admins, you are not the group creator or a top-level admin. In that case, you can only leave the group yourself.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I delete a group if people are still in it?
No. You must remove every member except yourself before the delete option becomes available. The fastest way is to change the group to closed, which usually lets you remove all members at once from the Members menu.
What if I accidentally delete the group?
You have 30 days to undo it. Go to your group list, look for the deleted group (it may appear grayed out or marked as deleted), and click the option to restore it. After 30 days, the deletion is permanent and cannot be reversed.
Can I read all the posts and photos before I delete?
Facebook does not have a built-in read tool for entire groups. You can take screenshots of individual posts or right-click to save photos, but there is no automatic way to back up the whole group. If the group has a lot of content you want to keep, plan time to save it manually before you delete.
What if I want to keep the group but stop being in charge?
Make another member an admin, then remove yourself. Go to Members, click the three dots next to someone's name, and select "Make Admin." Then find your own name, click the three dots, and select "Leave Group." The new admin takes over from there.
Will people get notified when I delete the group?
Members will see the group disappear from their list, but Facebook does not send a notification saying you deleted it. If the group was important to them, they may notice it is gone and ask you about it, so consider sending a message first if the group had active members.