Facebook gives you two ways to remove someone: unfriend them, or block them entirely
Unfriending removes someone from your friends list so they can no longer see your posts, message you directly, or access your profile unless it is set to public. They will not get a notification that you unfriended them, but they may notice if they try to visit your profile or search for you. You can unfriend someone in seconds and re-add them later if you change your mind.
Blocking is stronger: a blocked person cannot find your profile, see your posts, message you, or add you as a friend. They will not know you blocked them unless they try to search for you and notice your profile is gone. Blocking is permanent until you unblock them, and it is the right choice if someone is harassing you or you want no contact at all.
Most people unfriend when they straightforward do not want to stay connected. You block when someone is bothering you or you need a hard boundary. This guide covers both.
Key Takeaways
- Unfriending removes someone from your friends list without notifying them, and they can still see your public posts and send you a message request.
- Blocking prevents someone from finding your profile, seeing any of your posts, or messaging you, and is the stronger option if someone is harassing you.
- You can unfriend someone in two taps from their profile or from your friends list, and undo it anytime by sending a new friend request.
- Blocking someone removes them from your friends list automatically and prevents them from re-adding you unless you unblock them first.
- Facebook does not notify the other person when you unfriend them, but blocking is also silent — they only know if they try to find you.
How to unfriend someone on Facebook
Open Facebook on your phone or computer and go to the person's profile. On a phone, tap the three dots next to the "Friends" button (or where it says "Friends" if you are already connected). On a computer, click the down arrow next to "Friends". Select "Unfriend" from the menu. Facebook will ask you to confirm — tap or click "Remove" and it is done.
You can also unfriend someone from your friends list without visiting their profile. Go to your own profile, tap or click "Friends", find the person, tap or click the three dots next to their name, and select "Unfriend".
Once you unfriend someone, they disappear from your friends list. Your old posts remain visible to them if your privacy settings allow it (for example, if you posted something as "Public"). They can still send you a message, but it will land in your "Message Requests" folder instead of your main inbox, and you will not get a notification unless you check there.
How to block someone on Facebook
Go to the person's profile. On a phone, tap the three dots and scroll down to find "Block". On a computer, click the down arrow next to "Friends" or the three dots, and select "Block [Name]". Facebook will confirm that you want to block them. Tap or click "Block" again, and the block takes effect when ready.
When you block someone, Facebook automatically unfriends them if you were connected. They cannot search for you, see your profile, see your posts, message you, or add you as a friend. If they try to visit your profile using an old link, they will see a message saying the profile cannot be found.
Blocking is not reversible in the moment — you have to unblock the person later if you want to undo it. To unblock someone, go to your settings, find "Blocking" in the privacy section, locate the person's name, and tap or click "Unblock".
What happens to messages and old posts after you unfriend or block
If you unfriend someone, your old conversations stay in your message history, and you can still read them. The person can also still see those old messages on their end. However, they cannot send you new messages that land in your main inbox — new messages go to your Message Requests instead.
If you block someone, old messages stay in your history, but the blocked person cannot see them. They also cannot start a new conversation with you at all. If you later unblock them, the old messages reappear and they can message you again.
Posts you made before unfriending or blocking remain visible according to your privacy settings. If you posted something as "Public", the person can still see it even after you unfriend them. If you posted it as "Friends Only", they lose access once you unfriend them. Blocking is more thorough — a blocked person cannot see any of your posts or profile information, period.
Removing someone from a specific group or event
If you want to remove someone from a Facebook group you manage, go to the group, find the member's name in the members list, tap or click the three dots next to their name, and select "Remove from Group". They will not get a notification, but they will notice they are no longer in the group if they try to access it.
You cannot remove someone from an event unless you are the event organizer. If you are the organizer, go to the event, find the person's name in the guest list, tap or click the three dots, and select "Remove". They will see that they are no longer invited.
Removing someone from a group or event does not unfriend them or block them — you remain connected on Facebook, and they can still see your profile and posts depending on your privacy settings.
Undoing an unfriend or unblocking someone
If you unfriend someone by mistake, you can add them back by searching for their name, going to their profile, and sending a new friend request. They will get a notification of the request, just like any other friend request. There is no way to "undo" an unfriend silently — the person will know you sent a new request.
To unblock someone, go to your settings on a phone or computer. Tap or click "Privacy", then find "Blocking". You will see a list of people you have blocked. Find the person you want to unblock and tap or click "Unblock". Once you unblock them, they can search for you, see your profile, and send you friend requests again, but you are not automatically re-added as friends.
What to do if someone is harassing you
If someone is sending you unwanted messages, commenting on your posts, or otherwise bothering you, blocking is your first step. Blocking stops them from contacting you and seeing your activity.
If the harassment continues after you block them (for example, if they create a fake account to message you), you can report them to Facebook. Go to the message or post, tap or click the three dots, and select "Report". Facebook reviews reports and may remove the account if it violates their rules. You can also report someone's profile directly by going to their page, tapping or clicking the three dots, and selecting "Report Profile".
Frequently Asked Questions
Will the person know if I unfriend them?
Facebook does not send a notification when you unfriend someone. However, they may notice if they try to visit your profile, search for you, or look at their friends list and see you are gone. There is no way to unfriend someone completely silently.
Can I unfriend someone without them seeing it?
Unfriending is silent on Facebook's end, but the person may figure it out on their own. If you want to stay connected but limit what they see, you can adjust your privacy settings instead — for example, you can make certain posts visible only to specific friends or hide your friends list entirely.
What is the difference between unfriending and blocking?
Unfriending removes them from your friends list but they can still see your public posts and send you messages (which go to Message Requests). Blocking prevents them from finding your profile, seeing any posts, or messaging you. Blocking is stronger and is the right choice if someone is harassing you.
If I block someone, can they still see my old posts?
No. When you block someone, they cannot see any of your posts, old or new, or access your profile. If you later unblock them, they can see posts again according to your privacy settings.
Can I block someone without unfriending them first?
You do not need to unfriend first — blocking automatically removes them from your friends list. Once you block someone, they are unfriended and blocked at the same time.