Meta has long required Facebook users to post under their real names (with a few exceptions), but at least for Facebook Groups, the company is now offering new options. Members of Facebook groups will now be able to participate under a personalized nickname and avatar, rather than being forced to use their real name or post anonymously.
You can set a custom nickname via the same toggle that lets you create an anonymous post, Meta explains. Nicknames must be enabled by a group’s admins and, in some cases, approved individually, but once they are, you can freely toggle between posting under your real name or a nickname. The only other limitation is that the nickname must comply with Meta’s existing community standards and terms of service. While you’re setting your new nickname, you can also choose from a selection of custom avatars, which appear to be mostly photos of cute animals wearing sunglasses.
Groups are one of several areas of Facebook that Meta has continually tried to tweak over the past few years to bring users back. In 2024, the company introduced a tab highlighting local events shared in Facebook groups. More recently, it added tools allowing admins to convert private groups into public groups in an attempt to attract new members. No change can make Facebook the center of young people’s lives as it was in the early 2000s, but allowing people to use what amounts to a username could encourage Facebook users to explore new groups and post more freely.
