Messenger group chats have admins, and the admin controls decide who can join, who can be removed and whether an invite link exists. For everyone else, the two useful controls are Mute, which silences a chat without anyone knowing, and Leave chat, which removes you but tells the other members. There is no way to leave a Messenger group completely silently, so muting is the quiet option.
Who is an admin
Meta says that whoever creates a group conversation is its admin, and other members can become admins if a current admin promotes them. According to Meta, a group chat admin can:
- Approve who joins the group.
- Promote other members to admin.
- Remove members.
- Demote other admins back to members.
Older groups work differently. Meta notes that in group conversations created before 20 March 2018, all members have admin privileges. If you are in a long-running family or friends chat, anyone in it may be able to remove people or change settings.
Group chat admins are also separate from community chat admins. Communities have their own roles and moderators, and the steps here apply to ordinary group chats.
Make someone an admin
- Open the group chat and tap its name at the top.
- Tap See chat members.
- Tap the person you want to promote.
- Tap Make admin, then confirm.
Only existing admins see this option. Having at least two admins is sensible, so the group is not stuck if one person leaves or loses access to their account.
Remove an admin or a member
To remove admin rights, open the chat, tap its name, tap See chat members, then Admins, tap the person and choose Remove as admin. They stay in the chat as an ordinary member.
To remove someone from the chat entirely:
- Open the group chat and tap its name at the top.
- Scroll down and tap See chat members.
- Tap the person.
- Tap Remove from group chat.
Meta says only group chat admins can remove someone. If you do not see the option, you are not an admin in that chat.
Require approval to join
Admin approval stops members from adding anyone they like. With it on, new members wait for an admin to accept them.
- Open the group chat and tap its name at the top.
- Tap Invites and requests.
- Turn on the toggle next to Require approval to join.
Pending requests appear on the same screen, where you approve or decline them.
Invite links
An invite link lets people join without being added one by one. Meta's rules for it are worth knowing before you share one:
- Link sharing is off by default, and only admins can turn it on or off.
- When it is on, anyone in the chat can share the link, and anyone who has it can join.
- People joining through the link still need approval if admin approval is on.
- Meta limits a single link to 300 people joining per day.
- Turning the link off makes it stop working. Turning it back on brings back the same link.
- Tapping Reset creates a new link, and the old one stops working.
- If the last admin leaves the chat, the link is reset automatically.
To manage it, tap the chat's name, tap Invite link and use the toggle. Meta says this feature is not available on a computer, only in the Android and iPhone apps. If a link has been posted somewhere public by mistake, reset it rather than just switching it off and on.
Mute a group chat
Muting is the right tool for a busy group you want to stay in. Nobody is told you muted it.
- Open the group chat.
- Tap the chat's name at the top.
- Tap Mute or Notifications.
- Choose whether to mute message notifications, call notifications or both.
- Choose how long to mute it for.
Meta says a muted group chat stops sending notifications for messages, reactions and mentions. To undo it, return to the same screen and tap Unmute. You can also mute from the Chats list by swiping left on the conversation, tapping More and then Mute.
Muting group calls is worth doing separately. A group that rarely messages but often starts calls can still ring your phone if you only muted messages.
Leave a group chat
- Open the group conversation.
- Tap the names at the top.
- Scroll down and tap Leave chat, then Leave.
Meta is clear about the result: the other people in the conversation are notified that you left, and you stop receiving messages from it. You can only leave group conversations; there is no leave option for a one to one chat.
If someone adds you back, you are in the chat again. If a group keeps re-adding you against your wishes, the options are to ask an admin to turn on approval, or to block the person doing it.
Leaving quietly: what actually works
Since leaving always shows up in the chat, the quiet alternatives are these:
Mute everything, indefinitely. Mute messages and calls for the longest period offered. You stay a member, but the chat stops interrupting you and nobody is notified.
Archive it as well. Archiving hides a chat from your list without deleting it. In a busy group it is less useful on its own, because a conversation with new activity can return to your main list, but combined with mute it keeps the chat out of the way.
Leave during a busy stretch. The notice that you left is still posted, but in a fast-moving chat it gets buried quickly. It is not silent, only less noticed.
Deal with one person, not the group. If the problem is a single member, restricting or blocking them is often better than leaving. Meta says you are warned before you enter a group chat with someone you have restricted. If you block someone in a group, their messages are hidden from you on the mobile apps, but they can still see your messages and join group calls.
Group message requests
When someone you are not connected with adds you to a group, it can arrive as a group message request rather than a chat. From Message requests, Meta offers Delete or Leave group for these. Meta also says new group chat message requests are not delivered straight to your Chats list, even if your delivery settings would allow that for individuals.
If you run a group, turn on approval, add a second admin and keep the invite link off unless you need it. If you are just a member who wants peace, mute it for as long as the app allows and leave only when you are happy for everyone to see that you did.
