Push notifications on Facebook are alerts that pop up on your phone or computer when something happens on the platform
A push notification is a message that appears on your device even when you are not using Facebook. It shows up as a small banner on your phone's lock screen, a popup on your desktop, or a badge with a number on the Facebook app icon. Facebook sends these to tell you that someone commented on your post, liked your photo, sent you a message, or that a friend you follow posted something new.
Push notifications are different from in-app alerts, which only show up when you are already inside the Facebook app or website. Push notifications reach you whether the app is open or closed, which is why they can feel intrusive if you have not turned them down. They are also different from email notifications — those arrive in your inbox hours or days later, while push notifications happen in real time.
Facebook decides which notifications to send you based on your settings and your activity. If you follow someone closely, comment on their posts often, or message them regularly, Facebook assumes you want to know when they do something new. The platform also sends notifications about things you might have missed, like old posts that are getting new comments.
Key Takeaways
- Push notifications appear on your phone or computer screen in real time, even when you are not using Facebook.
- You can turn off all push notifications, or adjust them by type — messages, comments, likes, friend requests, and event invitations each have separate controls.
- On iPhone and Android, you control push notifications through your phone's settings, not just through Facebook's app settings.
- Turning off notifications does not delete messages or comments — you will still see them when you open Facebook, just without the alert.
- You can silence notifications during certain hours using Do Not Disturb on your phone or Facebook's quiet hours feature.
How to turn off all push notifications on your phone
The fastest way to stop all Facebook notifications is to turn them off in your phone's settings rather than in the Facebook app itself. On an iPhone, go to Settings, scroll to Facebook, and toggle off Notifications. On Android, go to Settings, tap Apps, find Facebook, select Notifications, and toggle off Allow Notifications. This stops every alert from Facebook — messages, comments, likes, and everything else.
If you turn off notifications this way, Facebook will not be able to send you any alerts at all, even if you change your mind later about a specific type. You will still receive messages and comments; you just will not be notified when they arrive. You will see them the next time you open the app.
How to control individual notification types in the Facebook app
If you want to keep some notifications but turn off others, use Facebook's own settings. On your phone, open Facebook, tap the three horizontal lines (menu), scroll down to Settings and Privacy, tap Settings, then Notifications. You will see a list of notification types: Messages, Comments, Likes, Friend Requests, Event Invitations, and others. Tap each one to turn it on or off separately.
For example, you might want notifications when someone messages you, but not when they like your post. You can set Messages to On and Likes to Off. You can also choose how you receive each type — some can go to your phone, some to email, or both. This gives you more control than turning off notifications entirely in your phone's settings.
Facebook also lets you mute notifications from specific people. If a friend posts constantly and their notifications are annoying you, go to their profile, tap the three dots, and select Mute. You can mute them for 30 days or indefinitely, and you can choose whether to mute their posts, their stories, or both.
How to set quiet hours so notifications do not wake you
If you want notifications during the day but not at night, use Facebook's Quiet Hours feature. In the Notifications settings, scroll down to Quiet Hours and toggle it on. Set the start time (when you want notifications to stop) and the end time (when you want them to start again). During quiet hours, Facebook will not send you push notifications, but messages from close friends may still come through if you have that setting enabled.
Your phone also has its own Do Not Disturb mode, which silences all notifications from all apps during the hours you set. On iPhone, go to Settings, tap Focus, and create a new Focus called Sleep or Bedtime. On Android, go to Settings, tap Notifications, and turn on Do Not Disturb. This is a broader tool than Facebook's Quiet Hours — it affects every app, not just Facebook.
Why Facebook sends notifications and how it decides which ones to send
Facebook sends notifications to keep you engaged with the platform. When someone comments on your post or likes your photo, Facebook notifies you because it assumes you care about that person's reaction. When a friend posts something new, Facebook notifies you because you follow them. The platform uses your past behavior to guess which notifications matter to you — if you always reply to messages from one person, Facebook will prioritize notifications from them.
Facebook also sends notifications about things you might have missed. If a post you commented on weeks ago gets a new comment, Facebook may notify you. If someone you have not heard from in a while posts something, Facebook might alert you. These notifications are designed to bring you back to the app and keep you scrolling.
You cannot stop Facebook from deciding to send notifications entirely, but you can control which types reach you and when. The more notifications you turn off, the fewer reasons Facebook has to interrupt you.
The difference between push notifications, email notifications, and in-app alerts
Push notifications appear on your device screen in real time and are the most intrusive. Email notifications arrive in your inbox hours or days later and are the least intrusive. In-app alerts show up only when you are already using Facebook — they appear as a number badge on the app icon or a small popup inside the app.
You can control each type separately. In Facebook's Notifications settings, you can choose whether each notification type goes to your phone (push), your email, or both. For example, you might want messages to push notify you when ready, but only get email notifications about comments on your posts. This way, urgent messages reach you right away, but less time-sensitive activity waits in your inbox.
What happens to messages and comments if you turn off notifications
Turning off notifications does not delete or hide messages and comments. They will still be there when you open Facebook. You just will not get an alert that they arrived. If someone sends you a message and you have notifications off, the message sits in your inbox unread until you check it yourself.
This is useful if you want to stay on Facebook but control when you check it. Instead of being interrupted by notifications all day, you can open the app once or twice a day and catch up on everything at once. Your messages and comments are not lost — they are just waiting for you to see them.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I get notifications for messages but not for likes and comments?
Yes. In Facebook's Notifications settings, toggle Messages on and turn off Likes and Comments. You can adjust each notification type independently, so you receive alerts only for the activity that matters to you.
Why am I getting notifications from people I do not follow?
Facebook may notify you about activity from people you do not follow if they are close friends, if you message them often, or if they interact with your posts frequently. You can mute notifications from specific people by going to their profile and selecting Mute, or turn off the notification type entirely in your settings.
If I turn off notifications on my phone, will I still get them on my computer?
No. Turning off notifications in your phone's settings only affects your phone. Your computer will still receive notifications unless you turn them off separately in your computer's settings or in Facebook's notification preferences for that device.
Do I have to turn off notifications in both my phone settings and the Facebook app?
No. If you turn off notifications in your phone's settings, Facebook cannot send any push notifications to that device, regardless of what the Facebook app settings say. If you want more control over which types of notifications you receive, adjust the settings in the Facebook app instead.
What is the difference between muting someone and turning off notifications?
Muting someone stops notifications from that specific person for a set time. Turning off a notification type stops all notifications of that kind from everyone. If you mute someone's posts, you will not see their posts in your feed or get notified about them, but you can still message them and see their profile.