How to Change Admin on a Facebook Group

Handing over the keys to a Facebook Group can feel like a big deal, and for good reason - it is. Whether you’re promoting a dedicated member, offboarding a team member, or stepping down yourself, changing administrators is a critical task for any group owner. This guide breaks down exactly how to add, change, and remove admin roles on both desktop and mobile, so you can manage your community’s leadership with confidence.

Understanding the Difference: Admin vs. Moderator

Before you start assigning roles, it's important to understand the hierarchy within a Facebook Group. There are two primary levels of elevated access: Admin and Moderator. Think of it like this: an Admin has the keys to the entire building, while a Moderator has the keys to manage the daily activities inside.

What Can an Admin Do?

An Admin holds the highest level of authority in the group. They have complete control over all settings and members, including other admins and moderators. Their powers include:

• Full Group Settings Control: Change the group’s name, cover photo, privacy settings, linked pages, and description.
• Manage Roles: Add or remove other admins and moderators. This is the big one - an admin can change the entire leadership structure.
• All Moderator Privileges: Everything a moderator can do (approve posts, remove members, etc.), an admin can do too.
• Ultimate Authority: An Admin can delete the group entirely.

Because of this power, you should only grant Admin status to people you trust completely. Giving someone this role is a significant transfer of control.

What Can a Moderator Do?

A Moderator is focused on the day-to-day management of content and members. They are your community’s frontline guardians, tasked with keeping conversations healthy and on-topic. A Moderator has permission to:

• Content Management: Approve or deny pending posts and comments.
• Member Management: Approve or deny member requests, remove a member from the group, and mute a member.
• Enforce Rules: Turn on comment moderation for a specific post, remove posts and comments that violate rules, and view member profiles.

However, a Moderator cannot change the group’s settings, add or remove admins/moderators, or delete the group. This role is perfect for trusted community members who are great at facilitating conversation but don’t need access to the group’s foundational settings.

How to Make Someone an Admin or Moderator on Desktop

When you're ready to promote a member, the process is straightforward. Remember, you can only give a role to someone who is already a member of your group. If they're not, invite them to join and wait for them to be accepted first.

Here’s how to do it from your computer’s web browser:

1. Navigate to your group's main page.
2. On the left-hand menu, click on “Members” under the "Admin tools" or "People" section. This will show you a list of everyone in the group.
3. Find the person you want to promote. You can scroll through the list or use the search bar to find them quickly.
4. Next to their name, you'll see a button with three dots (...). Click it.
5. A menu will appear. Select either "Make Admin" or "Make Moderator."
6. Facebook will show a confirmation pop-up explaining the permissions you’re granting. To proceed, click "Send Invite."

The member will receive a notification inviting them to accept the new role. Their promotion is not final until they accept this invitation. If they're promoted to Admin, Facebook will also prompt you to re-enter your password as a final security measure.

How to Change Admin Roles from the Mobile App

Managing your group on the go is easy, and you can change roles directly from the Facebook mobile app on iOS or Android.

1. Open the Facebook app and navigate to your group.
2. Below the group's name and cover photo, tap on the member avatars or the member count to access the People or Members screen. Sometimes this is hidden behind a "Manage" button, depending on your app version.
3. On the member list, find the person you want to appoint as an admin or moderator.
4. Tap the three dots (...) next to their name.
5. From the pop-up menu, select "Make Admin" or "Make Moderator."
6. You'll get a confirmation screen. Tap "Invite" to send the request.

Just like on desktop, the person must formally accept their new role before their permissions are officially upgraded.

How to Remove an Admin or Moderator

Circumstances change. A team member might move on, or a volunteer moderator's availability might shift. Removing someone from a leadership role is just as important as adding them.

Here’s the process for removing an admin or moderator:

1. From your group’s main page, go to the “Members” or "People" tab.
2. At the top of the member list, you’ll see sub-sections. Click on "Admins & Moderators." This gives you a clear view of your entire leadership team.
3. Find the person whose role you want to change.
4. Click the three dots (...) next to their name.
5. Select "Remove as Admin" or "Remove as Moderator."
6. Confirm your decision in the pop-up window.

Their privileges are instantly revoked, and they become a standard group member. Unlike adding an admin, there is no invitation or acceptance step - the removal is immediate.

A Note on Admin Removal Rules

There is one very important rule to remember: you cannot remove an admin who made you an admin. A parent-child relationship exists between admins. If Jane made John an admin, John cannot remove Jane. Only Jane (or an admin who existed before Jane) can remove her. This prevents someone you just promoted from immediately turning around and kicking you out.

How to Step Down as an Admin Yourself

If you need to pass the torch and remove yourself as an admin, you can easily step down without having to leave the group.

1. Go to the “Admins & Moderators” list in your group’s Members tab.
2. Find your own name in the list.
3. Click the three dots (...) next to your name and select "Leave as Admin."
4. Confirm your choice, and your admin privileges will be removed. You will remain in the group as a regular member.

An important heads-up: If you are the last admin of the group, Facebook will warn you before allowing you to step down. If the final administrator leaves without appointing a replacement, the group becomes leaderless and is automatically archived. All members will still be able to see the content, but no one will be able to post, comment, or add new members. The group is effectively frozen.

Best Practices for Managing Group Leadership

Managing an admin team effectively goes beyond simply knowing how to click the buttons. Building a healthy, sustainable community requires a thoughtful approach to leadership.

1. Vet Team Members Carefully

Don't hand out admin or moderator roles lightly. Choose individuals who are trustworthy, understand your community's rules and tone, and have demonstrated good judgment. Your most active and helpful members are often the best candidates.

2. Start with Moderator Privileges

Whenever possible, follow the "Principle of Least Privilege." If someone only needs tools to manage posts and members, make them a moderator, not an admin. You can always promote them to admin later if their responsibilities grow. This minimizes the risk associated with giving out access to critical group settings.

3. Create Clear Guidelines

Set your leadership team up for success. Create a document or a private chat outlining responsibilities, communication protocols, and guidelines for handling common situations (like spam, arguments, or rule violations). This ensures consistency and helps your team act confidently.

4. Conduct Regular Audits

Every few months, review your list of admins and moderators. Are all of them still active? Have anyone's roles or responsibilities changed? Removing inactive admins is good digital hygiene and keeps your group secure. It’s a simple check-in that can prevent long-term issues.

Final Thoughts

Properly managing administrator and moderator roles is fundamental to the health and safety of your Facebook Group. By understanding the differences in permissions and mastering the steps to add or remove these roles, you can ensure your community is always in good hands.

Successfully managing an active group or brand community involves more than just permissions, it requires a strategy for consistent content and engagement. We know this firsthand, especially trying to keep a brand's Facebook Group in sync with Instagram, TikTok, and other platforms. Instead of juggling a messy mix of spreadsheets and alerts, we use Postbase to keep our entire content calendar in one visual plan. Seeing everything scheduled across all platforms helps our whole admin team stay organized and on the same page, turning chaotic campaigns into a streamlined process.