When you block someone on Facebook, they can no longer see your profile, send you messages, or find you in search results
A block is a one-way wall. The person you block cannot see your posts, photos, friends list, or any information on your profile — past or future. They cannot message you, tag you in photos, or add you as a friend. They cannot see your comments on mutual friends' posts. If you were already friends, the friendship ends when ready and silently.
The blocked person will not receive a notification that you blocked them. However, they may figure it out if they try to visit your profile and see a message saying the profile is not available, or if they notice they can no longer find you in search. Facebook does not tell them the reason.
Blocking is different from unfriending or muting. When you unfriend someone, they can still see your public posts and visit your profile unless you have privacy settings that prevent it. When you mute someone, their posts stop appearing in your feed, but they can still see your activity and message you. A block removes all of that access.
Key Takeaways
- A blocked person cannot see your profile, posts, photos, or friends list, and cannot message you or send a friend request.
- The blocked person will not be notified that you blocked them, but they may discover it by trying to visit your profile.
- Blocking is permanent until you unblock the person — there is no time limit or automatic expiration.
- You can unblock someone at any time by going to your settings, finding them in your blocked list, and clicking unblock.
- Blocking someone does not delete past messages or comments they made on your posts before the block took effect.
What the blocked person can and cannot do
A blocked person cannot search for you by name and find your profile. If they type your name into Facebook's search bar, your profile will not appear. They cannot visit your profile directly, even if they have a link to it — they will see a message saying the profile is unavailable.
They cannot see any of your posts, whether they are public, friends-only, or shared in groups you both belong to. If you comment on a mutual friend's post, the blocked person cannot see your comment. If you post in a group, they cannot see that post either, even if the group is public.
They cannot send you a message through Messenger or Facebook Chat. Any attempt to message you will fail. They cannot add you as a friend or see your friends list. They cannot tag you in photos or posts. They cannot see your birthday, relationship status, work history, or any other profile information.
One important exception: if you have commented on a mutual friend's post before the block, your old comment will still be visible to the blocked person. The block does not erase your past activity — it only prevents new contact and stops them from seeing your current profile and future posts.
How to block someone on Facebook
On the Facebook app or website, go to the person's profile. Click the three dots in the top right corner of their profile (on mobile, this may appear as "..." or a menu icon). Select "Block" from the menu that appears. Facebook will ask you to confirm — click "Block" again.
You can also block someone from a conversation in Messenger. Open the conversation, tap the person's name at the top, scroll down, and select "Block." Or block them from a comment they made on your post by clicking the three dots next to their comment and selecting "Block."
Facebook will ask whether you also want to delete any messages between you. You can choose to keep the old messages in your archive or delete them. This choice does not affect what the blocked person sees — they will still have their copies of those messages on their end.
How to unblock someone
To unblock someone, go to your Facebook settings. Click on "Privacy" in the left menu, then scroll down to "Blocking." 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 and send you messages again. However, you will not automatically become friends again — if you were friends before the block, you will need to add them as a friend or they will need to send you a friend request.
There is no time limit on a block. You can unblock someone when ready or years later. You can also re-block them at any time if needed.
When blocking is not enough
Blocking prevents someone from seeing your profile and contacting you through their main Facebook account. However, if someone creates a fake account or uses a different account, they can still see your public posts and try to contact you again. Blocking only works on the specific account you blocked.
If someone is harassing you across multiple accounts, you may need to report them to Facebook instead of just blocking. Go to their profile, click the three dots, and select "Report." Describe the harassment. Facebook can investigate and disable accounts that violate their policies.
If the harassment involves threats, explicit images, or other serious harm, you can also report it to local law enforcement. Keep screenshots of the messages or posts as evidence.
Privacy settings that work alongside blocking
Blocking is one tool, but your privacy settings control who can see your posts and contact you in the first place. In your Facebook settings under "Privacy," you can limit who sees your posts (friends only, public, custom lists), who can message you, and who can send you friend requests.
If you set your posts to "Friends Only," people who are not your friends cannot see them even if they are not blocked. If you restrict who can message you, strangers cannot send you Messenger requests. These settings prevent contact before it starts, rather than stopping it after someone has already tried.
You can also use the "Restricted List" feature, which is different from blocking. When you add someone to your restricted list, they remain your friend but can only see posts you mark as public. This is useful if you want to stay connected to someone but limit what they see.
What happens to shared content and groups
If you and a blocked person are both members of the same Facebook group, you will still see each other's posts in that group. Blocking does not remove someone from a group or hide their group activity from you. However, they cannot message you privately, and they cannot see your profile or non-group posts.
If you have shared photos or posts with the blocked person before the block, those items remain in their account. They can still see photos they are tagged in, even if you blocked them. However, they cannot see new photos you post or new tags you add them to.
If you have mutual friends, those friends can still see both of your profiles and activity. Blocking does not affect what your mutual friends can see or do.
Frequently Asked Questions
Will the person know I blocked them?
Facebook does not send a notification. However, if they try to visit your profile or search for you and cannot find you, they may realize you blocked them. There is no way to block someone completely invisibly.
Can I block someone without them seeing that we were ever friends?
No. If you were friends before, that history exists on their account. Blocking does not erase the friendship from their perspective — it only prevents them from seeing your current activity and contacting you going forward.
What if I block someone by accident?
You can unblock them when ready by going to your settings, finding them in your blocked list, and clicking unblock. There is no penalty for blocking and unblocking someone.
Can I block someone from seeing just one post instead of my whole profile?
No. Blocking is all-or-nothing — it hides your entire profile. If you want to hide a single post from certain people, you can use the privacy settings on that specific post to limit who sees it, or delete the post.
If I block someone, will they see old comments I made on their posts?
Yes. Blocking does not delete your past comments on their posts. They will still see comments you made before you blocked them. If you want to remove those comments, you need to delete them manually.