Table of Contents
Key Takeaways
- Leaving a group chat on Facebook Messenger is easy and only takes a few taps
- You can mute notifications for a group chat instead of leaving if you want to stay in the loop
- Leaving a group chat notifies all members, but you can ignore or mute the chat to leave discreetly
Facebook Messenger’s group chats are great for coordinating with friends, family, or coworkers. However, these group conversations can become overwhelming with too many notifications or irrelevant chatter. If a group chat is no longer serving you, it’s perfectly okay to leave.
This article explains how to exit a Facebook Messenger group chat on your mobile device or computer. We’ll also cover options for muting or ignoring a group chat if you want to stay in the loop without the constant pings.
How to Leave a Group Chat on Facebook Messenger Mobile App
Leaving a group conversation on the Facebook Messenger mobile app is straightforward. Just follow these steps:
- Open the Facebook Messenger app and go to the group chat you want to leave.
- Tap on the group’s name or icon at the top of the conversation.
- Scroll down and tap Leave Chat.
- Confirm by tapping Leave Chat again in the pop-up.
Once you leave, the other group members will be notified that you’ve exited the conversation. The group chat will disappear from your Chats list in the Messenger app.
Note: If you accidentally leave a group chat, you can ask someone still in the group to re-add you.
How to Leave a Group on Facebook Messenger Website
The process is similar if you want to leave a Messenger group chat on facebook.com or the Messenger desktop app:
- Open Facebook Messenger in your web browser or the desktop app.
- Select the group conversation you want to exit.
- Click the group’s name at the top.
- Click the three-dot menu icon and select Leave Group.
- Confirm by clicking Leave Group in the pop-up window.
Again, other members will see that you left when you exit this way. The group will be removed from your Chats list.
Mute a Group Chat Instead of Leaving
If you want to stay looped into the conversation without constant notifications, you can mute a group chat temporarily. Here’s how:
On Mobile App:
- Open the group chat and tap the names/icon at the top.
- Tap Notifications & Sounds.
- Toggle off All Notifications.
- Choose a mute duration or select Until I Turn It Back On.
On Desktop:
- Hover over the group chat and click the three dots.
- Select Mute Notifications.
- Choose to mute messages, call notifications, or both.
- Set a mute duration or mute indefinitely.
When muted, you’ll still be part of the group, but won’t receive any notifications. You can unmute at any time by following the same steps.
Ignore or Hide a Group Chat
If you want to leave a group chat discreetly without the other members knowing, you can ignore or hide the conversation instead of leaving.
To Ignore a Group Chat on Mobile:
- Long-press on the group chat.
- Tap the three-dot menu icon.
- Select Ignore Group.
- Tap Ignore to confirm.
To Hide a Group Chat on Desktop:
- Right-click on the group conversation.
- Select Ignore Group Chat.
When you ignore a group chat, it moves to your Filtered Messages folder and you won’t receive any notifications. The other members won’t be alerted that you ignored the chat.
To view an ignored conversation again, open Messenger settings and go to Message Requests > Filtered Messages.
What Happens When You Leave a Group Chat?
When you leave a Facebook Messenger group chat, either by exiting or ignoring/hiding it:
- You will no longer receive any notifications from that group
- The conversation will disappear from your Chats list
- Other members will be notified that you left (unless you ignored/hid the chat)
- You cannot send any new messages to that group
- Any messages you’ve sent previously will remain visible to others
If you ever want to rejoin a group chat you’ve left, you’ll need to ask an existing member to re-add you.
Leaving, muting, or hiding group chats helps reduce notification overload and lets you customize your Messenger experience. Don’t feel guilty about exiting groups that no longer interest you – it’s a healthy way to regain control over your digital clutter.[1][2][3][4][5][6][7][8][9][10]
