Differences between public and private Facebook groups
Once a group is private, it can't be changed to public.
Summary
| Public | Private | |
|---|---|---|
| Who can see what people post, comment and share in the group? | Anyone, on or off Facebook | Current members |
| Who can see who's in the group? | Anyone on Facebook | Current members |
| Who can see who the admins and moderators are? | Anyone on Facebook | Visible: Anyone on Facebook Hidden: Current members or anyone invited |
| Can admins change the privacy setting after creating the group? | Yes (can change to private) | No |
| Can you become a member without admin approval? | Yes | If the admins allow |
| Can you post without admin approval? | If the admins allow | If the admins allow |
| Can you post, comment and participate in the group without being a member? | Yes, although admins can choose whether approval of posts and participants is required | No |
| Can you share content from the group? | Yes | No |
Who can join and participate in the group
- Anyone on Facebook can join automatically (there’s no approval process)
- Both members and non-members can post and participate, although admins can choose whether approval of posts and participants is required
- Requests to join require approval
- Only members can post and participate, although admins can choose whether approval of posts is required
Who can see and find the group
- Anyone on or off Facebook can see what’s shared in the group
- Anyone on Facebook can see who’s in the group
- Anyone on or off Facebook can find the group
- Only current members can see what’s shared in the group and who the members are
- Admins can choose whether it’s visible (anyone on Facebook can find it and request to join) or hidden (can only find it if invited or a member)
Examples of each group type
Public groups: Someone might choose to create a public group for something like fans of a television show, or travel tips for their city.
Private groups: Someone might choose to create a private group to discuss something more sensitive, like a health concern, or for a group of people who know each other, like a neighborhood.
Learn how to
- Check if a group is public or private.
- Check if a private group is hidden or visible in search and other places on Facebook.
- If you’re an admin of a public group: Change your group from public to private. (Note: Once a group is private, it can’t be changed to public.)
- If you’re an admin of a private group: Hide or unhide your group from search and other places on Facebook.
Note
- Invited members are members of a group who can see the group in preview mode.
- When a Page joins a group there could be several admins of that Page. All of them can see and interact with posts and members of the group.
- Select rights owners may be able to search sale group posts, including sale posts listed in private groups, to prevent the misuse of intellectual property on Facebook.
- We may review group content (including private groups) to maintain the integrity of our products, promote safety and security on and off of our products, and to improve our products and services, and as otherwise described in the Privacy Policy.
