WhatsApp groups are a great way to stay connected with friends, family, and coworkers. The person who creates a WhatsApp group becomes the admin and has control over certain settings like adding and removing participants. A common question for WhatsApp users is whether it’s possible to transfer the admin rights or ownership of a group to someone else.
The Short Answer
Yes, it is possible to change the admin or transfer ownership of a WhatsApp group to someone else. The current admin of the group has the ability to make any participant an admin, granting them full control of the group settings and features. However, once admin rights have been transferred, the original admin will lose their admin status and become a regular participant.
Steps to Change WhatsApp Group Admin
Follow these simple steps for the current admin to make someone else an admin of a WhatsApp group:
- Open the WhatsApp group and tap on the group name at the top of the screen to open group info.
- Tap on Group settings.
- Tap on Edit group info.
- Tap on the current group admins to open the list of admins.
- Tap on the add admin icon next to the participant you want to make an admin.
- Confirm your selection in the pop-up message.
That’s it! The selected participant is now a group admin and will have the same abilities as the current admin. Both admins can now add or remove admins and manage group settings.
Things to Know Before Transferring Admin Rights
Here are some important things to keep in mind about transferring WhatsApp group admin rights:
- Only the current admin can make someone else an admin.
- Admins have the power to remove other admins.
- When a new admin is added, the current admin will lose their admin privileges.
- Removing the new admin will not reinstate the old admin.
- Groups are limited to having a maximum of 256 admins at one time.
- There is no way to directly transfer ownership, only adding and removing admin privileges.
Why Change WhatsApp Group Admin?
There are several reasons the founder of a WhatsApp group may want to pass along the admin responsibilities:
- Too busy to actively manage the group
- Going abroad or changing phone numbers
- Wanting to share the workload of managing a large group
- Not using WhatsApp as frequently anymore
- Handing over ownership to a close friend or family member
While changing the admin is easy to do, it’s a significant transition since the original admin will lose all control over the group settings and conversations. The decision should be made carefully after trust has been established with the new prospective admin.
What Can Admins Do in WhatsApp Groups?
Here are some of the key things group admins can control in WhatsApp:
- Add and remove participants
- Change group subject, icon, and description
- Modify group settings like media permissions
- Promote or demote other participants to be admins
- Ban problematic members from posting in the group
- Take ownership of groups that have been abandoned by the previous admin
- Delete inappropriate messages or media
Essentially the admin has full authority over the group. Once admin rights are handed over, the new admin can make any changes or decisions about the future and purpose of the group.
Changing Ownership of Large WhatsApp Groups
For large WhatsApp groups with hundreds or thousands of participants, changing the admin can be a complex process. Here are some best practices to ensure a smooth transition:
- Announce the planned change to the group participants first and explain reasons for the change.
- Set a transfer date and disable chatting privileges during the transition period.
- Appoint several temporary admins to help verify all members after the switch.
- Remove former admin from the group once the new admin is in place.
- Export chat history to retain records if desired.
Following these steps will help make sure the group transfer goes smoothly even with a high number of members. A group notice should always be posted any time a new admin takes over.
What Happens if I Accidentally Leave WhatsApp Group as Admin?
If the current admin mistakenly leaves or is removed from a WhatsApp group they created, the ownership will automatically transfer to someone else. Here is the order of succession:
- Any existing admins in the group will retain their admin rights.
- If there are no other admins, the next most senior member will become admin. Seniority is based on the order that participants were added to the group.
- If all else fails, a random member will be assigned as the admin when the former admin leaves.
To avoid accidentally losing ownership, be very careful when removing yourself from groups as an admin. There is no way to directly reclaim admin rights after leaving a group.
Can a Group Admin Ever Rejoin with Admin Rights?
Unfortunately once an original admin leaves their own WhatsApp group, there is no way for them to rejoin and automatically become the admin again. Even if all new admins are removed, the first admin does not regain their admin privileges upon rejoining.
The only chance for a former admin to regain control is if they are manually assigned as an admin again by whoever the current admin is when they rejoin the group. This relies entirely on the new admin willingly giving back control through the steps to add a new admin.
Creating a New Group If Ownership Is Lost
In the event an original admin loses ownership of their WhatsApp group and cannot get it back, the nuclear option is always to start a brand new group and manually add contacts back in. This allows you to start fresh as the undisputed admin again.
Keep in mind this means losing the existing messaging history. To retain chat archives from the old group, you will need to export the txt file before leaving the group. Instructions for exporting group history:
- Open group info by tapping the group name.
- Scroll down and tap Export Chat.
- Choose whether to include media and tap Export.
- The chat archive will be emailed as an attachment.
By retrieving the chat history in advance, you can post the file to the new group after recreating it and adding members back.
Conclusion
Changing the admin or transferring ownership of a WhatsApp group is a simple process but has permanent effects. The current admin just needs to visit the Group Settings and add the new person as an admin. However, this privileges cannot be directly reversed in the future if the original admin regrets their decision later on.
To avoid losing control accidentally, any original group admins should be careful about removing themselves from a group. Ownership can only be returned to the founder if the new admin willingly provides it back. For large groups, a controlled transfer process is recommended to ensure stability for all members.
In summary, transferring admin rights in WhatsApp groups is easy to do but difficult take back. Think carefully before giving up your control as the owner of a group you created.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I take back admin rights after transferring them?
No, there is no way for the original admin to automatically reclaim privileges after giving them up by adding a new admin. The only possibility is getting the new admin to willingly appoint them as an admin again.
What is the maximum number of admins allowed in a WhatsApp group?
Groups are limited to a maximum of 256 admins at one time. This limit prevents groups from getting too crowded with too many people having full admin privileges.
If I delete myself from a group by accident, will I lose admin rights?
Yes, any admin that deletes themselves or is removed from a group they created will lose their admin status permanently. Ownership will transfer to the next admin or senior member.
Can I find out who the original admin was if they left the group already?
No, there is no way to find out who the first admin was after they have already left the group or given up admin privileges. The current admins will be listed but not the group creator.
How do I manage the transition when changing admins of a large group?
For large groups, set a transfer date, disable chatting temporarily, appoint multiple temporary admins, remove the old admin, and export chat history. This will ensure a smooth transition to new ownership.
If I delete a group as admin, will it be gone forever?
Yes, when a group admin deletes a WhatsApp group, it is permanently deleted and all messaging history contained in that group will be erased. There is no way to recover it.
Summary Table
Question | Answer |
---|---|
Can original admin reclaim privileges? | No, not automatically |
Maximum number of admins allowed? | 256 admins |
Accidentally leaving group as admin? | Ownership transfers to next senior member |
Find original group admin after they left? | No, not possible |
Best practices for large group transfers? | Set date, add temp admins, disable chatting, remove old admin |
Can a deleted group be recovered? | No, deleted groups are erased forever |
Key Takeaways
- Current admins can make anyone an admin by adding them in Group Settings
- Original admins lose all privileges once a new admin is added
- Admin rights can’t be directly reversed if original admin regrets decision
- For big groups, plan transition carefully to avoid disruptions
- Deleted groups and chat history are erased permanently
- Think carefully before giving up control as group admin