How to block someone on Facebook
To block someone on Facebook, go to their profile, click the three dots in the top right corner, and select "Block." Facebook will prevent that person from seeing your profile, messaging you, or finding you in search results. The block takes effect when ready. You can block as many people as you need to, and Facebook does not notify them that you have blocked them.
If you want to block someone without visiting their profile, you can also block them from a conversation. Open the message thread, click the information icon at the top, scroll down, and select "Block." You can reverse any block at any time by going to your settings, finding the person in your blocked list, and clicking "Unblock."
Key Takeaways
- Blocking someone prevents them from seeing your profile, sending you messages, tagging you in photos, or finding you through search.
- You can block someone from their profile, from a message thread, or from your settings — all three methods work the same way.
- Facebook does not tell the blocked person that you blocked them, though they may figure it out if they try to visit your profile.
- You can unblock someone later from your settings if you change your mind, and blocking is not the same as unfriending or muting.
Blocking versus unfriending and muting
Blocking is stronger than unfriending or muting. When you unfriend someone, they can still see your public posts and visit your profile if they search for you — they just are no longer connected as friends. When you mute someone, their posts stop appearing in your feed, but they can still message you and see your profile. Blocking removes all of that access.
Choose blocking if you want to cut off contact completely. Choose unfriending if you want to end the friendship but do not mind if they see your public posts. Choose muting if you want to stay connected but do not want to see their posts in your feed. You can also adjust your privacy settings so only friends see your posts, which limits what strangers can see without blocking anyone.
What a blocked person cannot do
A blocked person cannot see your profile, posts, or photos. They cannot send you messages or see your past conversations with them. They cannot tag you in photos or posts. They cannot add you as a friend. They cannot see your friend list or your birthday. They cannot find you through Facebook search.
However, a blocked person can still see posts or comments you made on other people's profiles or pages before the block took effect. If you commented on a mutual friend's post, that comment remains visible to the blocked person. If you want to remove those comments, you will need to delete them separately. Blocking only prevents new contact and hides your profile going forward.
How to block someone from a message thread
Open the message conversation with the person you want to block. At the top of the thread, you will see an information icon (usually a circle with an "i" inside). Click it. Scroll down until you see the "Block" option and click it. Facebook will ask you to confirm — select "Block" again. The conversation will remain in your inbox, but the person cannot send you new messages.
If you want to delete the conversation entirely after blocking, you can do that separately. Right-click the conversation in your message list and select "Delete," or swipe left on mobile and tap the trash icon. Deleting the conversation does not unblock the person — it only removes it from your inbox.
How to unblock someone
To unblock someone, go to your settings. On desktop, click the downward arrow in the top right corner and select "Settings & Privacy," then "Settings." On mobile, tap the menu icon (three horizontal lines) and go to "Settings & Privacy," then "Settings." Scroll down to "Blocking" and click it.
You will see a list of everyone you have blocked. Find the person you want to unblock and click "Unblock" next to their name. Confirm the action. Once you unblock someone, they can see your profile again, send you messages, and add you as a friend. Unblocking does not automatically re-add them as a friend — you will need to accept a new friend request if they send one.
Blocking on Facebook versus other platforms
Facebook blocking works the same way on the main Facebook app, Facebook Messenger, and Facebook.com on a computer. If you block someone on Facebook, they are also blocked on Messenger — you do not need to block them twice. However, if you use Instagram (which Facebook owns), blocking someone on Facebook does not block them on Instagram. You will need to block them separately on Instagram if you want to block them there too.
If the person has a business page or a public figure page in addition to a personal profile, blocking their personal profile does not block their pages. You can still see their public posts and pages unless you block those separately. If you want to avoid seeing content from a business page without blocking the person, you can unfollow the page instead.
What to do if someone keeps trying to contact you after being blocked
If someone creates a new account to message you after you have blocked them, that is harassment. Screenshot the messages and report the new account to Facebook. Go to the profile, click the three dots, and select "Report." Choose "It's pretending to be someone else" or "It's spam" depending on the situation. Facebook will review the report.
If the harassment continues or escalates, you can also report it to local police. Keep records of all messages and screenshots. You can also turn on "Message Requests" in your settings so that messages from people who are not your friends go into a separate folder and do not notify you when ready. This gives you control over when and whether you see messages from strangers.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can someone tell if I blocked them?
Facebook does not send a notification when you block someone. However, if they try to visit your profile or search for you, they will see a message saying the profile is not available. They may figure out that you blocked them, but Facebook does not explicitly tell them.
If I block someone, can they still see old messages between us?
No. Once you block someone, they cannot see your past messages with them in their inbox. The conversation disappears from their message list. However, if you unblock them later, the old messages will reappear for both of you.
Does blocking someone delete our friendship?
Yes. Blocking someone automatically removes you as friends. If you unblock them later, you will not automatically be friends again — they will need to send you a new friend request and you will need to accept it.
Can I block someone without them seeing that I viewed their profile?
Facebook does not show profile view notifications to most users, so this is not usually a concern. However, if you want to block someone without visiting their profile at all, you can block them from a message thread or from your blocked list in settings.
What if I block someone by mistake?
You can unblock them when ready from your settings. Go to Settings, find Blocking, locate their name, and click Unblock. There is no waiting period — the unblock takes effect right away.