Facebook groups allow you to connect with specific sets of people, like family, teammates or coworkers. When you join a group, it gives you a place to share updates, photos or documents and message other members. Here are some tips on how to manage your groups feed on your Facebook home page.
What are Facebook groups?
Facebook groups are essentially mini communities within Facebook where people can gather around a common cause, issue or activity. When you create or join a group, you can post and interact with other members of that group. Some examples of Facebook groups include:
- Community groups – For people living in a certain city or neighborhood
- Interest groups – For people who share a common hobby or interest, like gardening or photography
- Business groups – For employees of a company or members of a professional organization
- Cause groups – For people who want to organize around a certain cause or issue
- School and family groups – For students, parents and alumni from a particular school or family members
The key benefit of Facebook groups is that they allow you to easily connect and communicate with a specific set of people. You can get updates from group members in your News Feed and easily share posts, polls, events and documents with the group.
How do I join Facebook groups?
Here are some ways to find and join new Facebook groups:
- Search for groups by keywords – Use the search bar at the top of Facebook to search for relevant terms like “Seattle parents” or “small business owners”
- Check suggestions – Facebook will recommend groups you may be interested in joining on the Groups homepage
- Get invited by friends – If your friends are in a group they think you would like, they can invite you to join
- Visit group directories – Websites like FindAGroup.com let you browse groups by category and location
- Create your own group – If you don’t find a group on a topic you’re interested in, you can create your own and invite friends to join
When you find a group you’d like to join, simply click the “Join Group” button. The group admin will need to approve your request before you are added.
How do I view group posts in my News Feed?
When you join a Facebook group, you have the option to set how often posts from that group appear in your News Feed:
- Frequently – Group updates will be prominently shown in your News Feed
- Occasionally – You’ll see some group updates in your News Feed
- Never – You won’t see group posts in your News Feed, but can still visit the group to see the latest discussions
To adjust the frequency:
- Go to the group’s main page
- Click on the Members option on the left sidebar
- Find your name and use the drop-down menu next to it to select a post frequency
Choosing “Frequently” will ensure you consistently see updates from that group whenever you check Facebook. If a group is cluttering your feed, you can dial it back to “Occasionally.”
How do I pin a group to the top of my News Feed?
You can pin up to 15 of your favorite Facebook groups to the very top of your News Feed:
- Go to the group page
- Click “More” on the right side of the page
- Select “Pin to top of News Feed”
This will pin that group as the first item you see whenever you refresh your News Feed. It’s a great way to keep tabs on your most important groups.
How do I leave a Facebook group?
If you no longer wish to be part of a Facebook group, you can easily leave it:
- Go to the group page
- Click “Members” on the left sidebar
- Find your name and select “Leave Group”
Or if you’re currently viewing the group page:
- Click the “More” menu
- Choose “Leave Group”
Once you leave a group, you’ll stop getting updates from it in your News Feed. If you change your mind, you can request to join again later.
How do I hide a group from my News Feed?
Without fully leaving a group, you can hide it from your News Feed to clean up your feed:
- Go to the group’s page
- Click “More” on the right side
- Select “Hide from News Feed”
This will prevent posts from the group from showing up in your feed. You can undo this at any time by selecting “Show in News Feed” using the steps above.
How do I sort Facebook groups on desktop?
If you’re using Facebook in a browser on your desktop, you have some options to sort groups:
- Most Recent – Newest group posts shown first
- Unread – Groups with new posts you haven’t read yet
- Alphabetical – Groups sorted A-Z by name
To change the sort order:
- Go to the Groups page in the left sidebar
- Click the three line icon next to “Your groups”
- Select a sorting option
How do I edit group notifications on mobile?
When using the Facebook app on your smartphone, you can configure notifications settings for each group:
- Tap the Groups tab on the shortcut bar
- Tap a group
- Tap the Members tab
- Tap your name
- Tap Notifications
From here, you can tailor notification settings for posts, live videos, events and more for each individual group. This allows you to mute less important groups.
How do I create a custom list of groups?
To help organize the groups you belong to, you can bundle related groups into custom lists:
- Go to the Groups page
- Click “Create List” above your groups
- Give the list a name like “Photography Groups”
- Click groups to add them to the list
You can create multiple lists to categorize your groups however you like. When viewing your groups, you’ll see tabs for All Groups as well as your custom lists.
How do I manage multiple group memberships?
Here are some tips for managing a large number of Facebook group memberships:
- Leave groups you no longer read or find useful. Don’t stay in inactive groups out of guilt.
- Mute notifications for low priority groups so you’re only alerted about important posts.
- Organize groups into lists like Close Friends, Hobbies, Work Groups, etc.
- Pin your 1-3 most important groups to the top of your feed.
- Adjust your preferred post frequency for groups flooding your feed.
- Use search to easily find posts and files from a group later on.
With some pruning and adjusting of settings, you can comfortably belong to dozens of useful and entertaining Facebook groups.
Should I create a group for my family or friends?
Private Facebook groups can be great for family communication and sharing memories. Consider creating a group if you want to:
- Easily share photos, videos, family news
- Collaborate on events like reunions or trips
- Have deeper discussions outside of main feeds
- Bring far-flung family members together
Keep the group exclusive by making it private and limiting membership. Make sure to establish ground rules up front. While Facebook offers helpful group administration tools, disputes can still happen so remain vigilant.
What’s the benefit of Facebook groups for businesses?
Groups offer a few advantages for businesses looking to connect with customers on Facebook:
- Foster a community around your brand where customers can interact
- Provide an exclusive space to share deals, content, surveys
- Enable customers to easily ask questions and get answers
- Receive direct feedback from your most engaged brand advocates
- Segment groups by interests, use cases, demographics
To get the most value, ensure your business page actively engages with and monitors its branded Facebook groups. Assign a community manager to grow the groups and respond to members.
Should I buy items from Facebook groups?
Facebook groups focused on selling items secondhand have exploded in popularity. Here are some tips when buying from Facebook groups:
- Research seller ratings and reviews if available
- Ask questions and request detailed photos
- Be wary of deals that seem too good to be true
- Use a safe payment method like PayPal Goods and Services
- Don’t provide sensitive info; complete transactions on Facebook
- Review group rules and buyer protection practices
- Inspect items closely upon receipt and report issues
As long as you exercise reasonable caution, Facebook groups provide access to great deals on used items. Be an informed buyer and you can score some finds.
How do I report objectionable content in a Facebook group?
If you come across offensive, abusive or otherwise inappropriate posts within a Facebook group, you can report them:
- Tap the three dots next to the post
- Select Report Post
- Choose why you are reporting: harassment, fake account, etc.
- Tap Submit
You can also report entire groups that violate Facebook’s rules. Reporting content will prompt Facebook to review and take action if the content goes against their community standards.
Can I save posts from groups for later?
As groups fill up with great tips, deals and discussions, you may want to bookmark posts for future reference. You have a few options to save posts:
- Save – Tap the bookmark icon on a post to add it to your saved posts
- Share – You can share a post to your own Timeline or in a message to save it
- React – Reacting to a post (Like, Love, etc) saves it to your reacted posts history
- Screenshot – Take a screenshot of the post to look back on later
Referring back to your saved, shared and reacted posts lets you rediscover great group finds long after they were first posted.
How do I share posts with friends outside a private group?
While you can’t directly share another member’s post from a private group with friends, you have a couple options:
- Screenshot the post then share the screenshot
- Copy and paste the text into a new post and attribute it to the group or member
- Summarize the key points in your own words in a new post
- Ask the original poster for permission to share the content outside the group
You should always respect the privacy of a group and get appropriate permissions before sharing content externally. But there are ways to pass on useful info to broader audiences.
How can I promote my Facebook group to get more members?
Growing an engaging Facebook group takes work. Some tips to recruit more members:
- Promote your group in relevant larger groups after getting admin approval
- Ask existing members to invite friends who may be interested
- Share your group across your social media feeds
- Make the group visible in Facebook search by unchecking the privacy box
- Highlight member benefits in pinned announcements
- Cross promote through email newsletters, website, blog, videos, etc
- Collaborate on giveaways or contests to increase shares
Leverage both Facebook’s built-in tools and external channels to raise awareness and invite ideal members. Focus on onboarding new members well to increase engagement and retention.
How can I manage conflict in my Facebook group?
Even in well-managed groups, occasional conflicts between members can bubble up. As a group admin or moderator, you can maintain civility by:
- Establishing clear rules of conduct up front
- Leading by example through your own calm, constructive tone
- Encouraging members to assume good intent
- Calling out bad behavior and reminding members of standards
- Diffusing heated exchanges by intervening calmly
- Supporting members who get singled out or ganged up on
- Handing out temporary or permanent bans if issues persist
Promoting empathy, patience and good faith makes Facebook groups more welcoming places. Never be afraid to hit the ban button on members who repeatedly stir up trouble.
Conclusion
Facebook groups provide a powerful platform for people to unite around shared interests, goals and experiences. As your group memberships grow, it becomes crucial to fine tune your groups feed, notifications, and privacy settings. Master Facebook’s tools for managing, sorting and engaging with groups to get the most from your memberships. Stay active in your priority groups, mute less important ones, and don’t forget to leave groups that no longer serve you.