Pause or delete? The difference in one table
Facebook gives admins two ways to stop a group. This is Facebook’s own comparison, read on 14 November 2026:
| Paused | Deleted | |
|---|---|---|
| Shows in search | Yes | No |
| Can be undone | Yes | No |
| Who can do it | Any admin | Only the creator (any admin if the creator left) |
| New members can join | No (admins can still approve earlier requests) | No |
| Posting, comments, photos | No (admins can still manage older posts) | No |
| Admins can remove posts and people | Yes | No |
| Edit name, description | No, only the cover photo | No |
| Members can see their own info | Yes | No |
If there is any chance you want the group back, or you just need a break from moderating, pause it. Delete only when you’re sure.
How to delete a Facebook group on a computer
- Go to facebook.com/groups and open your group.
- Click Members (private group) or People (public group) under the cover. You might need to click More first.
- Click the three dots next to a member’s name and choose Remove member (private group) or Ban from group (public group).
- Click Next, then Confirm.
- Repeat for every member, admins and moderators included.
- When you are the last member, click the three dots next to your own name and choose Leave group.
- Click Delete group to confirm.
Why ban in a public group? Because in a public group, people who are removed can simply join again. Banning keeps the group empty while you finish.
There is no “delete all members” button. In a group with hundreds of members this takes a while, which is one more reason most admins pause instead.
How to delete a Facebook group in the app
The app has a shortcut the computer doesn’t: once you are alone in the group, Delete Group sits right in Admin tools.
- Tap Menu, then Groups, Your groups, and open the group. If you don’t see Groups, tap See more.
- Tap Admin tools and select People.
- Tap each member’s name and choose Remove member (private group) or Ban from group (public group). On iPhone it reads Remove [name] from group or Ban [name].
- Tap Next, then Confirm.
- When you are the last member, go back to the group’s main page, tap Admin tools, scroll down and tap Delete Group.
- Tap Delete group again to confirm.
If a step doesn’t appear in the app, update it or do it on a computer.
How to pause a Facebook group
On a computer:
- Go to facebook.com/groups and open your group.
- Click the three dots (Options) below the cover photo.
- Select Pause group.
- Pick a reason, click Continue, then Continue again to confirm.
- Optionally, write an announcement about the pause and set when the group resumes by itself.
- Click Pause group at the bottom.
In the Android or iPhone app: open the group, tap Admin tools (top right), select Pause group and follow the same steps.
To change the resume date, click Edit under the cover photo (in the app: Manage, then Edit resume date and time). To end the pause early, click Resume under the cover photo (in the app: Manage, then Resume activity in group).
While a group is paused, members can still delete their own posts and comments, see their information and leave. Facebook can still apply its Community Standards to the group during the pause.
What happened to Archive group?
Older guides tell you to go to Settings and click Archive group. That option is gone. Facebook’s help center now says plainly that archiving a group is no longer available, and Pause group does that job. If you are searching for “archive” because you want the group frozen but kept, pause is what you want.
Deleting a group you didn’t create
- You are an admin but not the creator: you can pause the group, but you can’t delete it while the creator is still a member. If the creator has left, any admin can delete it.
- You are only a member: you can’t delete or pause a group. You can leave it, or report it to Facebook if it breaks the rules.
- The group is “yours” but you lost access: log in with the account that created it. A Page that created a group needs you to switch into that Page first.
Before you delete: a short checklist
- Tell the members. Facebook doesn’t notify anyone. Post a goodbye a few days ahead, and pin it so it is the first thing people see; see how to pin a post in a Facebook group.
- Point them somewhere. If the group is moving, give the new link. If you’re starting over, our guide on how to create a Facebook group covers the set-up.
- Save what you need. Photos, files and useful posts disappear with the group. Members can only access their information while the group exists or is paused.
- Hand it over instead? If people still use the group, make someone else an admin and leave. The group lives on without you.
- Consider a pause with a resume date. It gives you the break without losing years of posts.
Why does a group show as paused?
If you didn’t pause it, one of these happened:
- Another admin paused it. Any admin can.
- The last admin left. When the only admin leaves, deactivates or deletes their account, they are asked to invite a new admin. If nobody is chosen, or nobody accepts within 7 days, Facebook pauses the group automatically.
- Everyone left. When no members remain, the group is paused automatically.
A paused group comes back the moment an admin clicks Resume. If you run several groups and post the same updates to all of them, a paused group simply won’t accept posts; tools like MultiGroupPoster will report it as failed for that group until it is resumed, and our guide to why a Facebook post is not publishing lists the other reasons a group refuses a post.
FAQ
How do I delete a Facebook group I created?
Remove every member (in a public group, ban them), then leave the group yourself as the last member and click Delete group to confirm. Facebook only deletes a group that has no members left, and deleting can’t be undone.
Can I archive a Facebook group?
Not anymore. Facebook’s help center says archiving a group is no longer available. The closest option is Pause group, which freezes posting and commenting and can be undone at any time.
What happens when you pause a Facebook group?
A message at the top explains the group is paused, and new posts, comments and reactions stop for everyone, admins included. Members can still delete their own posts and leave. You can set a date for it to resume on its own.
Can any admin delete a Facebook group?
Only the group’s creator can delete it. If the creator is no longer a member, any admin can. Any admin can pause the group.
Do members get notified when a group is deleted?
No. Facebook doesn’t notify members when a group is deleted. Post a short goodbye first if you want people to know, and give them a few days to save anything they need.
Why does my Facebook group say it is paused?
An admin paused it, or it paused itself: Facebook pauses a group automatically when its last admin leaves and nobody accepts an invitation to become admin within 7 days, and when the last member leaves.