Removing a friend from Facebook takes one click, and the person won't be notified

To delete a friend on Facebook, find their profile, click the three dots next to the "Friends" button, and select "Unfriend" from the menu. The person will no longer see your posts, and you won't see theirs — but Facebook won't send them a notification that you've removed them. They may notice over time if they look at your profile or realize they can't find your posts in their feed.

The process is the same whether you're on a computer or phone, though the exact location of buttons shifts slightly between the two. This guide walks you through both, plus what happens after you unfriend someone and how to handle situations where you want to limit contact without fully removing them.

Key Takeaways

  • Unfriending someone removes them from your friends list and hides your posts from their feed, but Facebook does not notify them of the change.
  • You can unfriend someone from their profile page by clicking the three dots next to "Friends" and selecting "Unfriend".
  • If you want to stay connected but limit what someone sees, you can restrict them or adjust your privacy settings for individual posts instead of unfriending.
  • Unfriending is different from blocking — blocking prevents someone from finding your profile at all, while unfriending just removes them from your friends list.
  • You can unfriend someone and then refriend them later without any special steps.

How to unfriend someone on a computer

Open Facebook in your web browser and search for the person's name using the search bar at the top of the page. Click on their profile when it appears in the results. Once you're on their profile, look for the "Friends" button — it's usually near the top of the page, often next to a message button or other options.

Click the three dots (or sometimes a small arrow) next to the "Friends" button. A menu will drop down with several options. Select "Unfriend" from this menu. Facebook will remove them from your friends list when ready. You can close the page or navigate elsewhere — there's no confirmation step or undo button, though you can always refriend them later if you change your mind.

How to unfriend someone on your phone

Open the Facebook app and tap the search icon at the bottom of the screen (it looks like a magnifying glass). Type the person's name and tap their profile when it appears. Scroll down slightly until you see the "Friends" button, which may appear as a blue button with a checkmark or the word "Friends" on it.

Tap the three dots next to the "Friends" button. A menu will appear with options including "Unfriend". Tap "Unfriend" to remove them. The change happens right away, and you can return to your feed or continue browsing. If you're using Facebook Messenger, unfriending someone does not delete your message history with them — your old conversations stay in your inbox.

What happens after you unfriend someone

Once you unfriend someone, they can no longer see posts you share with your friends. If your profile is public, they can still see posts you've marked as public, but they won't see anything limited to friends only. They also won't appear in your friends list anymore, and you won't see their posts in your feed.

The person may eventually notice they can't find your posts or that you're no longer on their friends list, but Facebook sends no notification. If they search for you, they'll still find your profile — unfriending doesn't hide you from search. If you want to prevent someone from finding you at all, you would need to block them instead, which is a separate action.

Restricting someone instead of unfriending

If you want to stay friends with someone but limit what they see, Facebook offers a "Restrict" option that's less obvious than unfriending. When you restrict someone, they can still see your public posts and any posts you tag them in, but they won't see posts you share with friends only. They also won't be able to see when you're online or when you last used Messenger.

To restrict someone, go to their profile, click the three dots next to "Friends", and select "Restrict" instead of "Unfriend". This is useful if you want to keep someone as a friend for professional reasons but don't want them seeing your personal updates. You can unrestrict them at any time using the same menu.

The difference between unfriending and blocking

Unfriending and blocking are two different actions with different results. When you unfriend someone, they're removed from your friends list, but they can still find your profile if they search for you and see any posts you've marked as public. When you block someone, they can't find your profile at all, can't send you messages, and can't see your posts even if they're public.

Blocking is the stronger action and is useful if you want complete separation from someone. Unfriending is milder — it's what you do when you straightforward don't want to see someone's posts or have them see yours, but you're not trying to hide from them entirely. You can unfriend and refriend someone without issue, but blocking and unblocking can sometimes cause awkwardness if the person notices.

Unfriending people in bulk or from your friends list

If you want to remove multiple friends at once, you can visit your friends list and unfriend from there instead of going to each person's profile. On a computer, click your profile picture in the top right, select "Friends", and you'll see your full friends list. Hover over any friend's name and a three-dot menu will appear — click it and select "Unfriend".

On your phone, tap your profile picture at the bottom right, tap "Friends", and scroll through your list. Tap the three dots next to any friend's name and select "Unfriend". This method is faster if you're removing several people, since you don't have to navigate to each profile individually. The unfriending happens when ready for each person you select.

Frequently Asked Questions

Will the person know I unfriended them?

Facebook does not send a notification when you unfriend someone. However, they may notice over time if they look at your profile or realize they can't see your posts in their feed. If they search for you, they'll still find your profile — unfriending doesn't hide you from search.

Can I refriend someone after I unfriend them?

Yes. You can unfriend someone and send them a friend request again later with no penalty or special steps. They'll receive the request like any other, and they can accept or decline it. There's no waiting period or consequence for refriending someone you've previously unfriended.

What's the difference between unfriending and removing a friend request?

Removing a friend request happens before someone is your friend — you're declining their request to connect. Unfriending happens after you're already friends and removes them from your friends list. The end result is similar (you're no longer connected), but unfriending is what you do when you want to disconnect from someone you were already friends with.

If I unfriend someone, will they still see my old posts they liked or commented on?

Yes. Posts they've already liked or commented on will still show their interaction, and they can still see those old posts if they search for them or if the posts are public. Unfriending only stops them from seeing new posts you share with friends. It doesn't erase their past interactions with your content.

Can I unfriend someone without them seeing it on mutual friends' profiles?

Unfriending is private — it doesn't show up in anyone's feed or notification. Mutual friends won't be notified that you've unfriended someone, and the change won't appear on their profiles. The only way someone would know is if they notice you're no longer on your friends list when they visit your profile.