Does it ever happen to you that you want to speak your heart out but stop there because you fear getting yourself exposed?
Not sure about other platforms, but Facebook definitely provides you with a platform where you can talk about anything, anytime, anonymously. On Facebook groups, one can choose to put their thoughts out without revealing their identity.
But, how to post anonymously on Facebook, you must be wondering? Well, this is what we are here for! In this post, you will learn ways to post anonymously on Facebook so you can share your thoughts and console others to ease their pain.
Facebook Anonymous Post Feature
In 2020, during the peak Covid time, Facebook introduced its anonymous posting feature for Facebook Groups to facilitate group conversations. That’s how Facebook made it possible to talk openly about anything without worrying about your friends and family judging you.
This brings us to wonder, what group members used to do before the arrival of this feature. Well, back then, group members had to submit their posts to the group administrator, asking them to post their posts anonymously.
Apart from the dependency issue, the older version has another downside: the administrator can see your identity even if they can post your post anonymously.
Note: The anonymous posting feature will only work if the group admin activates the anonymous post feature.
How to post anonymously on Facebook?
Below we have discussed how to post anonymously on Facebook via the app and on the web using your PC. Let’s check out how each is different from the others.
On Facebook Mobile App
Considering that you have the Facebook mobile app downloaded to your phone, follow the below instructions:
- Open the Facebook app and tap ‘Menu’ (the hamburger icon)
- Tap ‘Groups’
- Select the Group you want anonymously post into
- Next, tap ‘Write Something…’ section and turn the toggle on for ‘Post Anonymously
- Once you are done writing your post, tap ‘Post.’
That’s that. You have submitted your post. Note that your post won’t be directly published on the page. It needs to get approved by the group admin to get posted on the feed.
On browser Via PC
Even though PCs are less convenient for just scrolling through the feed, they come in handy when you want to talk about something touchy in a lengthy post. So below is how you can post anonymously on Facebook groups using your PC:
- Open your PC go to Chrome, and search Facebook.com
- Log into your profile and click on the Menu on your left-hand side
- Again, go to ‘Groups’ and choose any group you want to post in
- Click on the ‘Write Something…’ section, type in your post, and turn the toggle on for anonymous posts before hitting ‘Post’
Once you hit the Post button, your post will go to the group admin for approval. It will be posted as a‘ Group Member’ without your profile picture if approved. Also, you can reply to comments as a ‘Group Member’ instead of your name showing.
Are there any limitations to the Anonymous Posting feature?
Even though the anonymous posting feature works amazingly and helps many people to rant without revealing their names, it has some limitations that you should know. For instance:
- First, only the post author can use the anonymity feature. Other group members who will comment cannot hide their identity.
- Your identity will be known to the group’s moderators (if they are more than one)
- Only Admins can turn on this feature. That means if it’s not activated, you cannot post anonymously.
- If the admin chooses to disable the feature, all the previous anonymous posts will become untraceable.
How to turn on anonymous post in Facebook group?
If you are a moderator or an administrator of a group and want to turn on the anonymous posting feature to make it easier for your audience to share their thoughts, here is how you can do it:
- Log into Facebook, go to the Menu and tap ‘Groups’
- Select your Group and head to the Settings
- In the ‘Manage Group’ section, tap the last one, ‘Group Settings’ with a gear icon
- Next, you will be taken to the ‘Manage Discussion’ page, tap the last one ‘Anonymous Posting’, with a pencil icon.
- Lastly, set the Anonymous Post option to ‘On’ and confirm the changes
That’s how you can change your group posting settings to anonymous. Repeat the same method and set the ‘Anonymous Post’ option to ‘Off’ whenever you want to switch back to the old settings.
Why can’t I post anonymously on Facebook group?
If you are unable to post anonymously to a group, it could be because of any of the following reasons:
The admin has disabled the Anonymous Post Setting:
You cannot anonymously post to a group if the admin has disabled the anonymous post feature. In that case, you can simply request the admin at the beginning of your post to ‘post it anonymously’. While your identity will be known to admins, other group members cannot see your name’
You have not joined the group (private)
Another reason you cannot post anonymously on a group could be that you have not joined the group. When it’s a private group where you want to get your post published, you must send a request to join it, answer a few questions, and agree to the group policies to become a part of it.
Once you join it, you will see the anonymous posting feature.
Culmination
So that was all about how to post anonymously on Facebook. If you have other questions regarding Facebook, like suggesting friends on Facebook or using Facebook Marketplace, you can check these guides for help.
So type down whatever you feel like and post it freely without worrying about anybody criticizing.
