The group admin of a WhatsApp group is the person who created the group. When a user creates a new WhatsApp group, they automatically become the admin. The admin has the ability to add and remove participants, change the group’s name, icon, and description, and enable or disable certain features like disappearing messages.
How to identify the admin
There are a few ways to identify who the admin of a WhatsApp group is:
- The admin’s name will appear at the top of the list of participants with “Admin” next to it.
- When viewing group info, the admin’s name will be listed under “Created by”.
- Only the admin has permissions to add or remove participants, change the group’s name, icon, etc.
- When a message says “Only admins and moderators can edit this group’s info”, it means you are not the admin.
So if you’re ever unsure who the admin is, check the list of participants or the group info to see who created the group. This person has full control over the WhatsApp group settings and membership.
Changing the admin
The admin role can be transferred to someone else in the group. Here’s how it works:
- The current admin can directly make someone else the admin. They can tap on the group name/photo > Group info > Edit group info > Assign admin rights.
- An admin can leave the group and automatically pass on admin rights to someone else. The next person in the participants list will become admin.
- If an admin is removed from the group by another admin, their admin rights will be revoked.
- When the group creator leaves, the second person who joined becomes admin. If that person also leaves, it goes to the third, and so on.
So while the group creator is the original admin, admin privileges can change hands over time as people join, leave, or are assigned/removed as admin.
Special privileges
As the overseer of the WhatsApp group, the admin enjoys some special privileges:
- Add/remove participants
- Change group name, icon, description
- Enable/disable group features like disappearing messages
- Promote or demote other admins
- Remove admin privileges from other admins
- Delete messages for everyone
- Pin messages to the top of the chat
- Invite users via link who are not in your contacts
The admin has full control over group membership and settings. Regular participants, even if they are admins, cannot change the group icon, name, etc. without the main admin’s permission.
Finding the admin outside the group
If you need to contact the admin but are no longer part of the group, there are a couple options:
- Ask someone in the group to get the admin’s phone number for you
- Look up the admin’s number in your contacts if you were previously in touch
- Use the group invite link to rejoin the group and identify the admin
There is no direct way to find the admin’s contact info from outside the group since numbers are anonymized. But you can use the methods above to try to get in touch with them.
Conclusion
The WhatsApp group admin has significant oversight over the group. They control membership, settings, and special privileges like pinning messages. While the initial admin is the creator, others can be assigned as admin or inherit the role by sequence of joining. Identifying the admin is easy within the chat, but not possible from outside since numbers are hidden. But rejoining or asking a participant can help contact the admin if needed.
| Admin Privileges |
|---|
| Add/remove participants |
| Change group name, icon, description |
| Enable/disable group features |
| Promote/demote other admins |
| Revoke admin privileges |
| Delete messages for everyone |
| Pin messages to the top |
| Invite users via link |
How to Identify the Admin
- Name shown at top with “Admin”
- Listed as “Created by” in Group Info
- Only one who can change group name/icon
- “Only admin…” message when trying to edit
Ways to Contact Admin When No Longer in Group
- Ask someone in group for admin’s number
- Check your contacts if you had it previously
- Use group link to rejoin and check
In a WhatsApp group, the administrator or admin is the person who created the group and has the ability to manage its settings and membership. Identifying the admin is straightforward within the chat, but not possible externally since numbers are anonymized. While the original admin has full oversight, the role can be transferred to others in the group over time. Understanding the admin’s powers and how to contact them if needed provides useful context on how WhatsApp groups operate.
WhatsApp is one of the most popular messaging apps worldwide, with over 2 billion users. It offers end-to-end encryption for secure messaging, voice and video calling, and a range of features to enhance conversations. WhatsApp groups allow up to 256 participants to communicate in a shared chat, enabling private discussions at scale. Like any group structure, WhatsApp groups require some level of administration and moderation to function well. This falls to the group admin.
When a user creates a new WhatsApp group, they are automatically designated as the group admin. They will remain admin unless they leave the group or explicitly transfer the role to someone else. Groups can only have one admin at a time. Some key privileges this role grants include:
- Adding and removing participants in the group.
- Changing the group’s profile photo, name, description and other settings.
- Enabling or disabling certain group features, like disappearing messages.
- Promoting or demoting other participants to be admins.
- Revoking admin privileges from other admins.
- Deleting messages in the group for everyone.
- Pinning important messages to the top of the chat.
These powers give the admin full control over the group and its membership. Regular participants, even if they become admins, cannot change core settings without the main admin granting access. However, there are ways the admin role can be transferred:
- The current admin can directly assign the role to someone else in the group info settings.
- If the admin leaves the group, the next person in the participant list inherits admin rights.
- When the group creator leaves, the second person who joined becomes admin, and so on in sequence.
- An admin removed by another admin will lose their privileges.
So while the original admin retains oversight, the specific user can change over time. This provides some fluidity in maintaining groups where participation evolves. Understanding both the powers and potential for transfer opens up strategies for administering WhatsApp groups effectively.
Within an active group chat, identifying the current admin is straightforward. Their name appears at the top of the participants list with the label “Admin” next to it. Tapping into the group info shows the admin labeled as “Created by.” Trying to change info or settings like the group name will also reveal only the admin has permission. However, it is not possible to identify the admin from outside an active group chat since all numbers are anonymized. This provides privacy for participants.
If you need to get in touch with a group admin after leaving a chat, there are still options. You can ask a contact still in the group to share the admin’s number or look it up in your contacts if you messaged previously. Or use the group’s invite link to rejoin and directly check who the admin is. While not ideal, these methods allow contacting admins when required after exiting a group. Understanding both how admin privileges work within WhatsApp and how to identify the role is key to navigating groups effectively.
In summary, WhatsApp group admins hold significant powers over the group’s settings and membership. However, the admin role can change hands organically over time while retaining central oversight. Learning to pinpoint admins in active chats while also handling transitions smoothly is important to group management. WhatsApp’s privacy-focused design also means admin contact information is not available externally, requiring alternative means to get in touch if needed after exiting. As WhatsApp continues growing in popularity as a messaging platform, skillfully handling admins’ responsibilities and limitations will only become more relevant.