Facebook Groups are now introducing a feature similar to Reddit by allowing members to use nicknames. This new option lets individuals post using a chosen username rather than their actual name, offering an alternative to anonymous posting. While anonymous posts keep a user’s identity and Facebook profile hidden, they also prevent others in the group from recognizing the user or following their activity over time.
Image Credits:Facebook
According to Meta, nicknames give people a way to engage more personally in groups while still keeping their privacy, especially in communities where users want to remain private but also wish to be recognized. This update brings Facebook Groups closer to the experience of other online forums and chat platforms, such as Reddit or Discord, where users interact with chosen usernames. This is a shift away from Facebook’s traditional “real name” rule, which has always required users to appear under the name they use in real life.
That approach made sense when Facebook was mainly a network for connecting with real-life friends and family, but as Groups brought together people who didn’t know each other offline, stronger privacy measures became necessary.
Image Credits:Facebook
Once a member sets a nickname in a group, they can use it to post, comment, and react within that group, provided the feature is enabled. This conceals their main profile and photo from other group members, though group admins, moderators, and Facebook itself can still see their real identity.
However, other members will be able to see a user’s full posting history under their nickname within the group, including all comments and reactions made in the previous week.
Facebook will offer nickname suggestions, but users are free to select their own, as long as it meets Facebook’s Community Standards and isn’t already in use by another member. The platform will also recommend a profile image for the nickname, but users can pick from available options and choose a background color as well.
Image Credits:Facebook
To use this feature, members will see the option next to “Post anonymously” when creating a post, and can then select to set up a nickname. The nickname feature can be disabled at any time, allowing users to revert to posting with their real name.
Although users can update their nickname, this can only be done once every 48 hours. Changing a nickname does not erase previous posts or comments; instead, the new nickname will replace the old one on all past activity in that group, though the update may take some time to reflect everywhere. If a user has different nicknames in different groups, changing one will only affect the posts, comments, and reactions in the relevant group.
Image Credits:Facebook
Meta notes that some features, such as Live Video, sharing content, or sending private messages, are not available when using a nickname. Users can also block others by their nickname.
This feature is now accessible worldwide, but it requires approval from group administrators before it can be used in any group.


