WhatsApp has become one of the most popular messaging apps, with over 2 billion users worldwide. WhatsApp groups have made it easy for people to communicate and collaborate with each other. As a group admin, you may sometimes need to hand over your admin rights to another trusted member of the group.
Can I make someone else admin on WhatsApp group?
Yes, it is possible to make another member of your WhatsApp group an admin. The group admin has the exclusive right to add or remove other admins in the group. Here are the steps to make someone else admin on WhatsApp group:
- Open the WhatsApp group for which you want to add a new admin.
- Tap on the group name at the top to open group info.
- Tap on Group settings.
- Tap on Group Admins.
- You will see the list of current admins. Tap on the Add Admin button at the bottom.
- A list of all group participants will open. Select the contact you want to make admin.
- Tap OK to confirm.
The selected group member will now be added as a group admin. They will get a notification informing them about the new admin rights. The new admin can now access the same group settings as you.
How many admins can a WhatsApp group have?
WhatsApp allows you to have multiple admins for the same group. However, there is a limit on how many admins a single WhatsApp group can have:
- For regular WhatsApp groups, you can have a maximum of 256 admins.
- For WhatsApp Business accounts, the admin limit is much higher at 8192 admins per group.
This should be sufficient for most use cases. Even large communities and organizations rarely need more than 100-200 admins for a single group. The admin limit ensures groups don’t become too chaotic with too many people having full control.
Can group admins add or remove other admins?
Yes, any existing admin of a WhatsApp group can add or remove other admins:
- To add a new admin – Any admin can visit Group settings > Group admins and use the Add admin option
- To remove an admin – Go to Group admins, tap on the admin you want to remove, and confirm by tapping on the red Remove admin button
So all admins have equal rights when it comes to managing other admins. However, there are two key limitations:
- Group creators cannot be removed as admin by other admins.
- An admin can add or remove another admin, but cannot remove their own admin rights.
Can I make someone admin without them knowing?
No, WhatsApp will always notify users when they are added as admins to a group. The platform does not allow silently making someone an admin without their knowledge.
When you make someone an admin, they will get a notification saying “You are now a group admin”. They will then have full visibility of all the group settings and admin tools.
This ensures transparency in group management. Members can see who the admins are and can hold them accountable if needed.
Should I make the most active member an admin?
Making the most active member an admin can be helpful in some cases but may also lead to over-moderation:
- They can help enforce rules and moderate discussions
- Active members tend to be more invested in the group
- But there is also a risk of them taking unilateral decisions
- Too many super admins can restrict casual conversations
Evaluate their abilities and try not to overload active members with admin duties. For large groups, have a mix of active and passive admins.
Is there a way to transfer all admin rights?
WhatsApp does not have a direct way to transfer all admin privileges from one user to another in a single step. However, there are couple of methods you can use:
- Make the other user an admin and then remove your own admin rights. This will effectively transfer control.
- Backup the group chat using the Export Chat feature. Share the backup file with the other user who can then restore and become admin of the restored group.
While there are workarounds, it would be useful to have an official admin transfer option within WhatsApp to seamlessly transition groups between admins.
Can I add someone as admin remotely?
Unfortunately, you cannot remotely make someone else a group admin on WhatsApp without having physical access to your phone.
Adding a new admin requires you to open WhatsApp, go to group info, and tap through the admin screens. This full process needs to be done on the phone and cannot be managed from WhatsApp Web or through any other remote access.
The only way is to get temporary physical access to your phone or to rely on a trusted friend who is already an admin in your group.
Should I promote active members to admin?
Making active members admin can be beneficial but also risky:
- They are often more engaged and willing to manage groups
- You can share the workload and not be the sole admin
- But beware of power trips – inactive admins tend to over-moderate
- Evaluate their attitude first before giving admin rights
The optimal approach is to have both active and less active admins balancing each other out.
Can I restrict admin powers?
WhatsApp does not allow setting granular admin permissions. All admins have complete equal rights:
- Add or remove other admins
- Change group settings like name, icon, etc
- Remove group members
- All group management abilities
There is no way currently to make someone just a ‘limited admin’ with only some privileges. The company may consider adding role-based admin powers in future.
Who gets admin rights when creator leaves?
When a WhatsApp group creator leaves, the first person who joined becomes the new admin. If that member also leaves, then the next earliest joined participant becomes admin.
The admin rights keep getting transferred according to the join date sequence. Oldest members will inherit admin privileges if no existing admins remain.
This automatic transfer ensures the group doesn’t end up without an admin when the creator leaves or deletes account.
Should I add close friends as admin?
Making close friends admin has some pros and cons:
- You can trust them to manage the group well
- They will remain invested in the group’s growth
- But closeness can also lead to bias and one-sided decisions
- Evaluate if they will remain neutral and objective first
Balance out close friends by also having some experienced and mature admins in the group. Both perspectives can complement each other.
Is there a time limit to be admin?
There is no time limit imposed on how long someone can remain a group admin on WhatsApp. The admin rights do not expire automatically after a specific duration.
Once made an admin, a user will continue to have access to the admin tools indefinitely. The only way their rights can be revoked is if another admin manually removes them.
But having fixed term durations for admins can be a good practice. Change admins every few months to prevent abuse of power and introduce fresh perspectives.
Conclusion
Being a WhatsApp group admin comes with important responsibilities. Select your fellow admins carefully and remain active in moderating discussions even after passing on the mantle. Follow the tips discussed to manage your admin rights and transfer duties seamlessly when required.
WhatsApp groups thrive when admins work as a team and not in isolation. The more inclusive and transparent your approach is, the more members will trust and participate actively in the group.