diff --git a/frontend/lib/api/types/admin.ts b/frontend/lib/api/types/admin.ts
index fe4225d2d7ce..0df40dec5f00 100644
--- a/frontend/lib/api/types/admin.ts
+++ b/frontend/lib/api/types/admin.ts
@@ -33,6 +33,7 @@ export interface AppInfo {
   version: string;
   demoStatus: boolean;
   allowSignup: boolean;
+  defaultGroupSlug?: string;
 }
 export interface AppStartupInfo {
   isFirstLogin: boolean;
diff --git a/frontend/pages/index.vue b/frontend/pages/index.vue
index 0fa12543b45d..795b423388ce 100644
--- a/frontend/pages/index.vue
+++ b/frontend/pages/index.vue
@@ -4,17 +4,28 @@
 
 <script lang="ts">
 import { computed, defineComponent, useContext, useRouter } from "@nuxtjs/composition-api";
+import { AppInfo } from "~/lib/api/types/admin";
+
 export default defineComponent({
   layout: "blank",
   setup() {
-    const { $auth } = useContext();
+    const { $auth, $axios } = useContext();
     const router = useRouter();
     const groupSlug = computed(() => $auth.user?.groupSlug);
 
+    async function redirectPublicUserToDefaultGroup() {
+      const { data } = await $axios.get<AppInfo>("/api/app/about");
+      if (data?.defaultGroupSlug) {
+        router.push(`/g/${data.defaultGroupSlug}`);
+      } else {
+        router.push("/login");
+      }
+    }
+
     if (groupSlug.value) {
       router.push(`/g/${groupSlug.value}`);
     } else {
-      router.push("/login");
+      redirectPublicUserToDefaultGroup();
     }
   }
 });
diff --git a/mealie/routes/app/app_about.py b/mealie/routes/app/app_about.py
index c4c773b92e3f..f1cfad76f483 100644
--- a/mealie/routes/app/app_about.py
+++ b/mealie/routes/app/app_about.py
@@ -5,21 +5,30 @@ from mealie.core.config import get_app_settings
 from mealie.core.settings.static import APP_VERSION
 from mealie.db.db_setup import generate_session
 from mealie.db.models.users.users import User
+from mealie.repos.all_repositories import get_repositories
 from mealie.schema.admin.about import AppInfo, AppStartupInfo, AppTheme
 
 router = APIRouter(prefix="/about")
 
 
 @router.get("", response_model=AppInfo)
-def get_app_info():
+def get_app_info(session: Session = Depends(generate_session)):
     """Get general application information"""
     settings = get_app_settings()
 
+    repos = get_repositories(session)
+    default_group = repos.groups.get_by_name(settings.DEFAULT_GROUP)
+    if default_group and default_group.preferences and not default_group.preferences.private_group:
+        default_group_slug = default_group.slug
+    else:
+        default_group_slug = None
+
     return AppInfo(
         version=APP_VERSION,
         demo_status=settings.IS_DEMO,
         production=settings.PRODUCTION,
         allow_signup=settings.ALLOW_SIGNUP,
+        default_group_slug=default_group_slug,
     )
 
 
diff --git a/mealie/schema/admin/about.py b/mealie/schema/admin/about.py
index 738a6e6519a6..94acf1c8d971 100644
--- a/mealie/schema/admin/about.py
+++ b/mealie/schema/admin/about.py
@@ -14,6 +14,7 @@ class AppInfo(MealieModel):
     version: str
     demo_status: bool
     allow_signup: bool
+    default_group_slug: str | None = None
 
 
 class AppTheme(MealieModel):
diff --git a/tests/integration_tests/admin_tests/test_admin_about.py b/tests/integration_tests/admin_tests/test_admin_about.py
index 056e809c2d6d..f4ec54b9d569 100644
--- a/tests/integration_tests/admin_tests/test_admin_about.py
+++ b/tests/integration_tests/admin_tests/test_admin_about.py
@@ -1,11 +1,36 @@
+import pytest
 from fastapi.testclient import TestClient
 
 from mealie.core.config import get_app_settings
 from mealie.core.settings.static import APP_VERSION
+from mealie.repos.repository_factory import AllRepositories
 from tests.utils import api_routes
 from tests.utils.fixture_schemas import TestUser
 
 
+@pytest.mark.parametrize("is_private_group", [True, False], ids=["private group", "public group"])
+def test_public_about_get_app_info(api_client: TestClient, is_private_group: bool, database: AllRepositories):
+    settings = get_app_settings()
+    group = database.groups.get_by_name(settings.DEFAULT_GROUP)
+    assert group and group.preferences
+
+    group.preferences.private_group = is_private_group
+    database.group_preferences.update(group.id, group.preferences)
+
+    response = api_client.get(api_routes.app_about)
+    as_dict = response.json()
+
+    assert as_dict["production"] == settings.PRODUCTION
+    assert as_dict["version"] == APP_VERSION
+    assert as_dict["demoStatus"] == settings.IS_DEMO
+    assert as_dict["allowSignup"] == settings.ALLOW_SIGNUP
+
+    if is_private_group:
+        assert as_dict["defaultGroupSlug"] == None
+    else:
+        assert as_dict["defaultGroupSlug"] == group.slug
+
+
 def test_admin_about_get_app_info(api_client: TestClient, admin_user: TestUser):
     response = api_client.get(api_routes.admin_about, headers=admin_user.token)