What blocking pictures on Facebook actually does
When you block someone on Facebook, they cannot see your photos, posts, or profile at all — it is a complete block, not a selective one. Facebook does not have a setting that lets you block one person from photos while letting them see everything else. If you want to hide pictures from a specific person but keep them as a friend, you need to use privacy controls on individual posts or albums instead.
The difference matters because blocking is permanent and visible (the person will eventually notice they cannot find you), while adjusting photo privacy is quiet and flexible. Choose blocking only if you want no contact with that person. Choose post-level privacy if you want to stay connected but keep certain photos private.
Key Takeaways
- Blocking someone removes them from your friends list and hides your entire profile, photos included — it is all-or-nothing, not selective.
- To hide photos from one person while staying friends, use the audience selector on individual posts or change the privacy of entire albums to "Friends except [name]".
- If you have already posted photos and want to hide them from someone, you can edit each post's privacy or move photos to a private album.
- Blocked people cannot see your profile, message you, or find you in search, but they may notice the block if they try to visit your page.
How to block someone completely (including all photos)
Open Facebook and go to the profile of the person you want to block. Click the three dots (•••) in the top right of their profile header. Select "Block" from the menu. Facebook will ask you to confirm — click "Block [Name]" again.
Once blocked, that person cannot see your photos, posts, profile, or send you messages. They will not receive a notification that you blocked them, but if they try to visit your profile or search for you, they will see a message saying the profile is not available. If you change your mind later, you can unblock them the same way: go to Settings > Privacy > Blocked people, find their name, and click "Unblock".
Hiding photos from one person without blocking them
If you want to keep someone as a friend but hide specific photos, use the audience selector. When you post a photo, click the audience button (it shows who can see it — usually "Friends" or "Public"). Change it to "Friends except [name]" by clicking that option. That person will not see that photo, but they will still see your other posts and remain your friend.
To hide an entire album from someone, go to your Photos, select the album, click the three dots, choose "Edit album", and change the privacy setting to "Friends except [name]". This works for old albums too — you can change the privacy of any album you created at any time.
If you have already posted photos and want to hide them from someone new, go to each photo, click the three dots, select "Edit post", and change the audience. This takes longer than preventing it upfront, but it works for photos already on your timeline.
When someone has already seen your photos
If someone has already seen your photos before you blocked them or changed the privacy, blocking them now will prevent them from seeing future photos, but they may remember what they saw. Blocking does not erase the past — it only stops them from accessing your profile going forward.
If you are concerned about photos that are already public or shared with a wide audience, consider deleting them entirely. Go to your timeline, find the photo, click the three dots, and select "Delete". This removes it from Facebook completely, not just from one person's view.
What happens to messages and tags when you block someone
Blocking someone also prevents them from messaging you and removes any existing conversation thread from your inbox (though you can restore it if you unblock them later). If they tagged you in a photo before you blocked them, that tag remains visible to others, but they cannot tag you in new photos.
If you want to remove a tag from an old photo without blocking the person, go to the photo, click the three dots, select "Report tag", and choose "I want to remove this tag". This removes your name from the photo without blocking the person who posted it.
Blocking versus other privacy controls
Facebook offers several ways to control who sees what. Blocking is the strongest — it hides everything and prevents all contact. Unfriending removes someone from your friends list but they can still see your public posts and photos unless you change your privacy settings. Restricting someone (available on some accounts) lets them stay your friend but only see posts you mark as public.
If you are not sure whether to block or just hide photos, ask yourself: do you want any contact with this person at all? If yes, use the "Friends except" option on individual posts. If no, block them. There is no middle ground on Facebook — you either block completely or they can see something.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can someone tell if I blocked them?
They will not get a notification, but they can figure it out by trying to visit your profile or search for you. If your profile suddenly disappears from their view, they may suspect a block. There is no way to block someone invisibly on Facebook.
If I block someone, do my old photos disappear from their phone or computer?
No. Blocking only prevents them from seeing your profile on Facebook going forward. If they already downloaded or screenshotted your photos, those files stay on their device. Blocking does not reach outside Facebook.
Can I block someone from photos but let them see my posts?
No, Facebook does not allow that level of control. You can only block completely or use "Friends except [name]" on individual posts. If you need to hide photos but show posts, you would have to set each post's privacy separately, which is time-consuming but possible.
What if someone creates a new account to contact me after I block them?
You can block the new account too. If the harassment continues, report it to Facebook using the three dots on their profile and selecting "Report profile". Facebook can take action against accounts used to evade blocks.
Can I see if someone I blocked has tried to contact me?
No. Once blocked, you will not see messages, friend requests, or any contact attempts from that person. If you unblock them later, old messages will reappear in your inbox, but you will not be notified that they tried to reach you while blocked.