How to leave a WhatsApp group without coming across as a snob

We’ve all been there: you’re busy minding your own business and then suddenly find yourself added to a certain group. To add insult to injury, nobody asks you if it’s okay to add you to the group. It seems like they just assume that because they have your number and talk to you once in a while, you won’t mind being part of the group.

This kind of behavior not only irks me but it puts me in a weird position because most of the time, I don’t want to be part of the group and then I can’t figure out a way to leave politely without coming across as a snob.

Other times you happily join a group but then, over time, you realize that it’s no longer serving you and you would like to exit stage left.

But we’ve also been part of groups where people have left, with no explanation, and then the conversation in the group turns to why so and so left and what a horrible person they are.

If you’ve ever found yourself in a group and would like to leave, what do you do?

Consider the type group

WhatsApp groups are formed for various reasons. They could be for events, family, work, high school friends, etc.

Before you click ‘Leave Group’, consider what type of group it is. You might not be able to leave family or work groups but there are groups that you can very easily leave.

Leave cold turkey

There will be people who just leave the group. They simply click ‘Leave Group’ and move on with their lives. I greatly admire people who’ve reached this point in their lives, when they couldn’t be bothered by what others think of them. However, I feel like because of the way our society is wired, leaving without an explanation will have a bitter aftertaste.

Explain yourself

Some years ago, someone added me to a group that, in itself, wasn’t bad. I knew everyone there and should have been comfortable interacting with them. However, I hadn’t spoken to these people in years and not because I couldn’t but because I didn’t want to. I was in a different place and they weren’t part of my life at that moment.

I simply side-chatted the person who added me to the group and asked her to remove me since I didn’t feel like being in the group was necessary. She was very nice about it and the group and I are no longer one.

Alternatively, you can share your reasons for leaving the group with the other members and hope that they are understanding enough. If they aren’t, it’s okay. Once you’ve given an explanation, it’s okay to leave.

Reduce contact

Let’s say you don’t want to be a part of the group, but you don’t want to leave. Then what do you do? After you’ve explained why you don’t feel a part of the group, reduce your interactions with them. Out of sight, out of mind. Once the other group members see that you’re not really interested in being a part of the group, they will eventually leave you alone.

You’re a grown up, capable of making your own decisions and deciding who you want to interact with. Therefore, you are allowed to leave situations that don’t serve you without over-explaining yourself. However, since we’re now using social media to keep in touch, it doesn’t hurt to be polite about leaving groups even when you don’t necessarily need to.