Facebook group chats allow multiple people to communicate in real-time through Facebook Messenger. While group chats can be useful for keeping in touch with friends, family, coworkers, classmates, or other groups, there may come a time when you need to remove someone from a group chat.
Can you remove someone from a Facebook group chat?
Yes, it is possible to remove people from Facebook group chats that you created or that you are an admin of. There are a couple different ways to do this:
- On desktop: Click the group chat name at the top of the chat window, click “Edit Group”, hover over the name of the person you want to remove, click “Remove [name]”
- On mobile: Tap the group chat name at the top of the chat window, tap “Details”, tap the name of the person you want to remove, tap “Remove [name]”
Removing someone from the chat will delete their messages and prevent them from being able to join the chat again. The other members of the group will not be notified when someone is removed.
Things to keep in mind about removing people from group chats
- Only group admins can remove people – If you did not create the group or are not marked as an admin, you cannot remove others
- Removed members can be added back – Any admin can re-add a removed member to the group
- Removing yourself leaves the group – If you remove yourself, the rest of the group remains intact
- Removing everyone deletes the group – If all members are removed, the group chat is deleted entirely
- Can’t remove people from Messenger Rooms – Rooms group video chats don’t allow you to remove people
Should you remove someone from a group chat?
Just because you can remove someone from a Facebook group chat doesn’t necessarily mean you should. Here are some things to consider before removing someone:
| Consider removing if… | Avoid removing if… |
|---|---|
| They are harassing or bullying others | You simply don’t like them or their opinions |
| They are frequently disruptive | You disagree or had an argument |
| They shared inappropriate content | You want to gossip about them |
| They no longer need to be in the group | It could isolate them socially |
In general, it’s best to remove someone from a chat if they are detracting from the purpose of the group or making others uncomfortable or unsafe. However, casually removing people you disagree with or don’t get along with can create social divisions and should typically be avoided.
What happens when you remove someone from Messenger?
When you remove someone from a one-on-one Messenger chat, the conversation history remains visible, but either person can no longer send new messages. Essentially, it cuts off communication in that chat thread while preserving the record.
If you need to block someone fully on Messenger, you can do that as well by going to your chat list, tapping their name, and selecting “Block messages”. This will prevent them from viewing your profile, starting new chats, or adding you to groups.
Removing someone from Messenger vs Unfriending on Facebook
Removing someone from Messenger only affects your ability to message them through the app. It does not Unfriend or block them on Facebook overall. Likewise, Unfriending someone on Facebook does not remove them from any Messenger chats.
Unfriending removes them from your friends list and prevents them from seeing most of your Facebook content. But they can still message you on Messenger unless you also block them.
How to delete a Messenger group chat
If you want to fully delete a Messenger group chat instead of just removing some members, you can do that too:
- Open the group chat
- Tap the group name at the top
- Tap Delete Chat
- Confirm that you want to delete the chat
This will remove the chat for everyone and cannot be undone. All members of the chat will lose access to the full message history.
Leaving or deleting Facebook groups
Leaving or removing someone from a Messenger group chat is different than leaving or removing members from a Facebook group. Facebook groups have their own admins, members, and rules.
To leave a Facebook group you’ve joined, go to the group page and click “Leave Group”. The group creator can also remove you. Unlike chat, you can re-join a group you’ve left unless you’ve been banned.
As an admin, you can remove members from groups you manage through the Members section. Deleting the group completely erases it for all members.
Conclusion
Managing people in Facebook chats and groups can help improve your social media experience. While removing or blocking people is an option, it should be done thoughtfully. Focus on limiting harmful behaviors first, before eliminating people over minor disagreements. With Messenger chats, removing yourself is often simpler than removing others.