This takes about 3 minutes, and you only do it once. You need Google Chrome on a computer (Mac or Windows). It will not work on a phone, an iPad, Safari or Firefox. Follow the steps in order. Each step tells you what you should see when it worked.
1 Download the extension
Click the blue button. (You must be logged in to MyGroupEvents.)
Your browser saves a file called mygroupevents-extension.zip into your Downloads folder. Chrome also shows a small download arrow at the top right of the window. You can click it to see the file.
You should see: a file named mygroupevents-extension.zip in Downloads. (Some browsers unzip it for you automatically. If you already see a folder named mygroupevents-extension, skip step 2.)
2 Unzip it
A .zip file is a squashed folder. You need to open it up.
MacOpen Finder, click Downloads in the left column, then double-clickmygroupevents-extension.zip. A folder named mygroupevents-extension appears right next to it.
WindowsOpen File Explorer, click Downloads, right-clickmygroupevents-extension.zip, choose Extract All…, then click Extract. A folder opens.
Important: put the folder somewhere permanent. Drag the mygroupevents-extension folder into your Documents folder. Chrome reads the extension from that folder every time it starts. If you delete or move the folder later, the extension stops working.
You should see: a folder named mygroupevents-extension (not the .zip) in Documents. If you open it, it contains files such as manifest.json, background.js and popup.html.
3 Open Chrome's Extensions page
Open a new tab in Chrome (⌘ T on Mac, Ctrl T on Windows).
Click the address bar at the top (where you type website names).
Type chrome://extensions and press Enter.
Easier: then paste it into the address bar (⌘ V on Mac, Ctrl V on Windows) and press Enter. (A normal link can't do this. Chrome blocks web pages from opening that address.)
You should see: a page titled Extensions, with a list of cards for your extensions (or a short message if you have none).
4 Turn on "Developer mode"
Look at the top right corner of the Extensions page. Click the switch next to Developer mode so it turns blue.
What the top of the page looks like. The switch is blue when it is on.
You should see: the switch is blue, and a new row of buttons appears on the left: Load unpacked, Pack extension, Update.
Chrome needs this switch on for any extension that is not from the Chrome Web Store. If Chrome ever shows a warning about developer mode extensions, keep them enabled. Do not click Disable.
5 Click "Load unpacked"
Click the Load unpacked button at the top left of the page.
You should see: a window opens asking you to choose a folder.
Can't see "Load unpacked"? Developer mode (step 4) is still off. Turn it on and the buttons appear.
6 Choose the folder
In the window that opened, go to the place you put the folder (Documents).
Click once on the folder named mygroupevents-extension so it is highlighted. Do not open it.
Click Select (Mac) or Select Folder (Windows).
You should see: a new card appears on the Extensions page named MyGroupEvents Collector, with its switch blue (on) and no red Errors button.
Error "Manifest file is missing or unreadable"? You picked the wrong level. Click Load unpacked again. Open the folder and see whether there is another folder called mygroupevents-extension inside. If so, choose that inner one. The right folder is the one that directly contains manifest.json.
7 Come back to MyGroupEvents
Click the MyGroupEvents tab (your dashboard). Within a few seconds the setup list should show:
✅ Extension installed
✅ Connected to your account
You should see: those two green ticks. You do not need to copy or paste anything.
Still says "Waiting for the extension…" after 10 seconds? Refresh the dashboard page (⌘ R on Mac, F5 on Windows). Also check that the card's switch on the Extensions page is blue.
Optional: click the puzzle-piece icon at the top right of Chrome, then the pin next to MyGroupEvents Collector, to keep it on your toolbar.
8 Find your groups and sync
Open a new Chrome tab, go to facebook.com and make sure you are logged in. The extension uses your own Facebook login. It never sees your password. If you are not logged in, the dashboard shows a yellow box saying so. Click Open Facebook, log in, come back, and click I've logged in, check again.
On the dashboard, click Find my groups.
A small window opens with a blue banner at the top. Leave it open and don't click in it. It can take a few minutes if you are in a lot of groups. It closes by itself when it is done.
Back on the dashboard, tick the groups you want to follow.
Click Sync events. The small window opens again, reads each group, and closes.
Open the Events tab to see everything in one list.
Updating to a newer version
The dashboard tells you when a newer version is available. To update:
Do steps 1 and 2 again to download and unzip the new version. If the old folder is still there, the new one is named mygroupevents-extension 2.
Open chrome://extensions (step 3). Find the old card and click Remove, then confirm. (It is called MyGroupEvents Collector. Older copies are called FB Events Web Collector.)
Do steps 5 and 6: Load unpacked, then choose the new folder.
Don't use the circular-arrow reload button. It only re-reads the old folder, so it will not pick up your new download. Your groups and events stay on your account when you update.
Something went wrong?
I don't see "Developer mode", or the buttons are greyed out
Check that the address bar says chrome://extensions and the page is titled Extensions. If the page says Managed by your organization, your work or school controls Chrome and may block installing extensions. Use Chrome on a personal computer or profile.
The dashboard still says "Waiting for the extension…"
Refresh the dashboard. Make sure the card for MyGroupEvents Collector has its switch on. Make sure you are using the same Chrome window and profile for both. If you moved or deleted the folder after loading it, click Remove on the card and load it again.
The card shows a red "Errors" button
Take a screenshot of the card and the error and send it to us. You can also try Remove, then download and load a fresh copy.
"Facebook is asking you to log in"
Open facebook.com in your normal Chrome window and log in. If Facebook shows a security check or a puzzle, finish it. Then press Sync again.
The small window closed too early or the sync stopped
The sync stops if you close that small window. Leave it open until it closes by itself. You can use other windows meanwhile. Press Cancel on the dashboard if you want to stop it on purpose.
"Find my groups" found nothing
Open facebook.com/groups/joins in Chrome. If your groups show there, tell us. Facebook sometimes changes its page layout, and we will update the extension.
Does it work in Edge, Brave, Safari or Firefox?
Chrome is the one we support. Edge and Brave are built on the same engine and may work (use edge://extensions or brave://extensions), but we have not tested them. Safari and Firefox do not work.
Is it safe? What does it read?
It runs in your own browser, using your own Facebook login. It reads only the list of groups you belong to and the events page of each group you pick, and sends the group names and event titles, dates and links to your MyGroupEvents account. It does not read your password, your messages or your friends.