Facebook groups allow admins and moderators to have control over who can join the group. Many groups require approval from an admin before new members are allowed to join. If you’ve requested to join a Facebook group that requires approval, here are some tips on how to see if your request is still pending.
Check the Group’s Page
The easiest way to see if your request to join a closed Facebook group is still pending approval is to go to the group’s page. If you search for the group name or visit the URL for the group, you’ll either see a “Joined” button or a “Request to Join” button.
If you see the “Joined” button, that means your request has been approved and you are now a member of the group.
If you still see the “Request to Join” button, your request is still pending and hasn’t been acted on yet by one of the group admins/moderators.
Look for a Notification
When your request to join a group is approved, you’ll get a notification from Facebook. The notification will say something like “Your request to join [Group Name] has been approved.” It will appear in your notifications panel on Facebook as well as in your email inbox if you’ve enabled email notifications.
So if you don’t see a notification saying you’ve been added to the group, that likely means your request is still pending and hasn’t been approved yet.
Check Your Email
In addition to notifications on Facebook, some group admins will also directly email you when they accept or reject your request to join their group. Check your regular email inbox for any messages from the group admin or moderator.
If they sent you an email saying your request was approved, you’re good to go! If not, you’ll have to keep waiting for approval.
View Your Group Requests
You can view a list of all your pending group join requests by going to your Facebook profile:
- Click on your profile icon in the top right
- Select “Groups” from the left menu
- Go to the “Your Requests” tab
This will display a list of all the groups you’ve requested to join that are still pending approval. If the group you requested isn’t listed here, that means your request was either approved or rejected already.
Ask the Admin
If you’ve been waiting for a while and your request still shows as pending, you can try contacting the group admin directly. Find the admin’s profile within the group and send them a message asking about the status of your request.
Sometimes group admins overlook requests accidentally. A quick message bringing it to their attention again could help speed up the process.
Be Patient
For many active Facebook groups, there may be a backlog of join requests for admins to get through. Don’t take it personally if your request takes a while to get approved.
Give it a few days or a week before following up. The admin may only be able to review requests in their spare time or at a specific time of the week.
As long as your request is still pending, you just have to be patient. Hopefully you’ll see that approval notification pop up soon!
Why Groups Require Approval
If you’re wondering why some Facebook groups require admin approval, here are some common reasons:
- To prevent spam accounts from joining
- To maintain privacy for a closed group
- To screen members for shared interests or qualifications
- To limit group membership when there is a cap
Requiring approval prevents unwanted members from disrupting the group. It also allows the admin to carefully curate the group’s membership according to specific criteria.
Membership Rules
Each Facebook group can set their own membership rules. Here are some common ones:
- Open – Anyone can join without approval
- Closed – Requires admin approval to join
- Secret – Invisible group that requires an invite to join
Groups may also have additional rules like:
- Needing to answer joining questions
- Requiring minimum friends already in the group
- Restricting membership by location, age, interests etc.
Review the group’s description to learn more about their specific membership rules.
Improving Your Chances of Approval
Here are some tips to improve your chances of getting approved to join closed Facebook groups:
- Provide complete answers to any joining questions
- Use a profile photo of yourself (no random images)
- Have detailed public information on your profile
- Personalize your request to join message
- Have several mutual friends already in the group
Essentially, the more information you provide upfront, the more legitimate your request will appear to group admins reviewing it.
What to Do If You’re Declined
If your request to join a Facebook group is rejected, here’s what you can do:
- Contact the admin politely asking why you were declined
- Read the group rules again to see if you missed any requirements
- Wait a while before requesting to join again
- Find a similar group that you can join instead
Try not to take it personally if you’re declined. With limited membership, groups can’t approve everyone. Move on and look for other relevant groups you can join.
Troubleshooting Issues
Here are some troubleshooting tips if you’re having issues with pending Facebook group requests:
- If the “Request to Join” button disappears, try refreshing the page
- Make sure notifications are enabled in your Facebook settings
- Check that emails from Facebook are not going to your spam folder
- Use the Facebook mobile app, which may have more updated info
- Contact a group admin if it’s been more than a few weeks
Glitches can occasionally cause the join request process to stall. But a manual check or short wait is usually all that’s needed to resolve it.
Leaving a Group
If you’ve joined a group but later decide you want to leave it, here’s how:
- Go to the group’s page
- Click “Joined” next to the cover photo
- Select “Leave Group” from the dropdown menu
- Confirm you want to leave the group
You’ll immediately be removed as a member. To rejoin in the future, you’ll have to submit another join request which may require approval again.
Conclusion
Joining Facebook groups is a great way to connect with people who share your interests. For closed groups requiring approval, be patient as admins process your request. With persistence and understanding of group rules, your pending request will likely get approved soon.
Check the group page, notifications, and your email regularly to track the status. Contact the admin if needed. And don’t forget to personalize your join request to increase your chances of success!