diff --git a/change/@fluentui-react-popover-66a51d32-93ef-481a-bef9-5595c8ef528a.json b/change/@fluentui-react-popover-66a51d32-93ef-481a-bef9-5595c8ef528a.json
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000000..becff8e9e0e45
--- /dev/null
+++ b/change/@fluentui-react-popover-66a51d32-93ef-481a-bef9-5595c8ef528a.json
@@ -0,0 +1,7 @@
+{
+  "type": "patch",
+  "comment": "fix: update popover role to be note when it does not trap focus",
+  "packageName": "@fluentui/react-popover",
+  "email": "sarah.higley@microsoft.com",
+  "dependentChangeType": "patch"
+}
diff --git a/packages/react-components/react-popover/Spec.md b/packages/react-components/react-popover/Spec.md
index 0f8ba5c033719..0cb11f09fe205 100644
--- a/packages/react-components/react-popover/Spec.md
+++ b/packages/react-components/react-popover/Spec.md
@@ -348,7 +348,7 @@ Default popover
 </div>
 
 // on document.body
-<div role="complementary">
+<div role="group">
   {/** content */}
 </div>
 ```
@@ -499,7 +499,7 @@ Accessible markup is divided into two scenarios:
 ```tsx
 // Popover that does not trap focus
 <button aria-expanded="false">Trigger</button>
-<div role="complementary">
+<div role="group">
   No focus trap
 </div>
 
diff --git a/packages/react-components/react-popover/e2e/Popover.e2e.tsx b/packages/react-components/react-popover/e2e/Popover.e2e.tsx
index 8dd9ea1ca7879..9dd8978fd2604 100644
--- a/packages/react-components/react-popover/e2e/Popover.e2e.tsx
+++ b/packages/react-components/react-popover/e2e/Popover.e2e.tsx
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@ const mount = (element: JSX.Element) => {
 };
 
 const popoverTriggerSelector = '[aria-expanded]';
-const popoverContentSelector = '[role="complementary"]';
+const popoverContentSelector = '[role="group"]';
 const popoverInteractiveContentSelector = '[role="dialog"]';
 
 describe('Popover', () => {
diff --git a/packages/react-components/react-popover/src/components/PopoverSurface/PopoverSurface.test.tsx b/packages/react-components/react-popover/src/components/PopoverSurface/PopoverSurface.test.tsx
index 28e20767799a2..173b22b1abd56 100644
--- a/packages/react-components/react-popover/src/components/PopoverSurface/PopoverSurface.test.tsx
+++ b/packages/react-components/react-popover/src/components/PopoverSurface/PopoverSurface.test.tsx
@@ -72,7 +72,7 @@ describe('PopoverSurface', () => {
     expect(queryByRole('dialog')).not.toBeNull();
   });
 
-  it('should set role complementary if focus trap is not active', () => {
+  it('should set role group if focus trap is not active', () => {
     // Arrange
     mockPopoverContext({ trapFocus: false });
     const { getByTestId } = render(<PopoverSurface {...props}>Content</PopoverSurface>);
diff --git a/packages/react-components/react-popover/src/components/PopoverSurface/__snapshots__/PopoverSurface.test.tsx.snap b/packages/react-components/react-popover/src/components/PopoverSurface/__snapshots__/PopoverSurface.test.tsx.snap
index 63ddd15af2316..5bf2a8aeea392 100644
--- a/packages/react-components/react-popover/src/components/PopoverSurface/__snapshots__/PopoverSurface.test.tsx.snap
+++ b/packages/react-components/react-popover/src/components/PopoverSurface/__snapshots__/PopoverSurface.test.tsx.snap
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@ exports[`PopoverSurface renders a default state 1`] = `
   class="fui-PopoverSurface"
   data-tabster="{\\"deloser\\":{},\\"modalizer\\":{\\"id\\":\\"modal-1\\",\\"isOthersAccessible\\":true}}"
   data-testid="component"
-  role="complementary"
+  role="group"
 >
   Default PopoverSurface
 </div>
diff --git a/packages/react-components/react-popover/src/components/PopoverSurface/usePopoverSurface.ts b/packages/react-components/react-popover/src/components/PopoverSurface/usePopoverSurface.ts
index 8533cfb60b853..abf06c0b0dd0d 100644
--- a/packages/react-components/react-popover/src/components/PopoverSurface/usePopoverSurface.ts
+++ b/packages/react-components/react-popover/src/components/PopoverSurface/usePopoverSurface.ts
@@ -42,7 +42,7 @@ export const usePopoverSurface_unstable = (
     },
     root: getNativeElementProps('div', {
       ref: useMergedRefs(ref, contentRef),
-      role: trapFocus ? 'dialog' : 'complementary',
+      role: trapFocus ? 'dialog' : 'group',
       'aria-modal': trapFocus ? true : undefined,
       ...modalAttributes,
       ...props,