What blocking does and why you might use it
Blocking someone on Facebook prevents that person from seeing your profile, posts, photos, and comments. They cannot message you, tag you in posts, or find your profile through search. If you were already friends, blocking also removes them from your friends list. The person you block will not receive a notification that you blocked them, though they may figure it out if they try to visit your profile and see a message saying the content is not available.
You might block someone because they are harassing you, posting things that upset you, or straightforward because you no longer want them to see your activity. Blocking is different from unfriending — when you unfriend someone, they can still see your public posts and find your profile, but you are no longer connected. Blocking is the stronger option when you want a complete separation.
Facebook also offers a middle ground called "restricting" a friend, which keeps them on your friends list but limits what they can see. If you are not sure blocking is what you need, consider whether restricting might work instead.
Key Takeaways
- Blocking prevents someone from seeing your profile, posts, messages, and comments — they will see an error if they search for you.
- The person you block will not be notified, but they may discover it by trying to visit your profile or search for you.
- You can block someone from their profile, from a conversation, or from your settings, depending on where you are when you decide to block.
- You can unblock someone at any time by going to your blocked list in settings, though they will not be notified when you unblock them.
- Blocking is permanent until you choose to unblock — the person stays blocked even if they try to contact you through a different account.
How to block someone from their Facebook profile
The quickest way to block someone is from their profile page. Open Facebook and search for the person's name or find them through your friends list. Click on their profile to open it.
Look for the three-dot menu icon in the top right corner of their profile header — it appears next to the "Message" button or "Add Friend" button, depending on whether you are already connected. Click the three dots and select "Block" from the menu that appears. A window will pop up asking you to confirm. Click "Block [Name]" to finish.
On mobile, the process is the same: open their profile, tap the three-dot menu, and select "Block". The confirmation window will appear on your screen.
How to block someone from a Facebook message or conversation
If someone is messaging you and you want to block them, you do not have to visit their profile. Open the conversation in Messenger or in the Messages section of Facebook. Look for the person's name at the top of the conversation.
On desktop, click the information icon (a small circle with an "i") in the top right corner of the conversation. Scroll down and click "Block". On mobile, tap the person's name at the top of the conversation, then scroll down and tap "Block [Name]".
When you block someone from a message, that conversation stays in your inbox but they cannot send you new messages. If you want to delete the conversation as well, you can do that separately — blocking and deleting are two different actions.
How to block someone from your Facebook settings
You can also block someone through your privacy settings without visiting their profile. This is useful if you want to block multiple people or if you are not sure of their exact profile name. Click the downward arrow in the top right corner of Facebook (on desktop) or the menu icon (on mobile), then select "Settings and Privacy" and then "Settings".
On the left side, click "Privacy". Scroll down to find "Blocking" and click it. You will see a section that says "Block users". Type the person's name or email address in the text box and click "Block". A list of matching profiles will appear — select the correct person and confirm.
This method is slower than blocking from a profile, but it works when you cannot remember someone's exact name or when you want to block someone you are not currently connected to.
What happens after you block someone
Once you block someone, they when ready lose access to your profile and all your posts. Any messages you sent them before the block remain in their inbox, but they cannot reply to you. If you were tagged in a photo together, that tag remains visible to others, but the blocked person cannot see the photo or click through to your profile from the tag.
The person you blocked cannot see that you blocked them through a notification, but they will discover it if they try to visit your profile — they will see a message saying "User Not Found" or "This content is not available". If they search for you by name, your profile will not appear in their results.
Blocking is one-way: if you block someone, you also cannot see their profile, posts, or messages. This is intentional — it prevents you from accidentally viewing their content and them knowing you looked.
How to unblock someone
If you change your mind, you can unblock someone at any time. Go to Settings, then Privacy, then Blocking (the same path you used to block them). You will see a list of all the people you have blocked under "Blocked users". Find the person's name and click "Unblock" next to it. Confirm when prompted.
When you unblock someone, they do not receive a notification. Your profile becomes visible to them again, and they can message you, see your posts, and search for you. However, you are not automatically re-added as friends — if you were friends before you blocked them, you will need to send a friend request again or they will need to send one to you.
You can unblock and re-block someone as many times as you want. There is no limit to how many people you can block, and blocking someone does not affect your account in any way.
Blocking versus restricting and other privacy options
Facebook offers several ways to control who sees your content, and blocking is the strongest option. Restricting a friend is weaker — they stay on your friends list, but they can only see posts you mark as public. They cannot see your full friends list, and their comments on your posts are hidden from other friends unless you approve them. Restricting is useful when you want to stay connected but limit what someone sees.
Unfriending removes someone from your friends list, but they can still see your public posts and find your profile through search. Muting someone hides their posts from your feed without unfriending them — they stay your friend, but you do not see what they post. Muting is temporary and private; the person does not know you muted them.
Choose blocking if you want complete separation and do not want the person to see anything about you. Choose restricting if you want to stay technically connected but limit their access. Choose unfriending if you want to end the friendship but do not mind them seeing your public posts. Choose muting if you just want a break from seeing their posts without any permanent change to your relationship.
Frequently Asked Questions
Will the person know I blocked them?
They will not receive a notification, but they may figure it out if they try to visit your profile or search for you and see an error message. If they ask mutual friends about you, those friends can still see your profile and posts — blocking only affects that one person.
Can I block someone without them knowing I looked at their profile?
Yes. Blocking someone does not notify them, and Facebook does not tell them you visited their profile before blocking. However, if you have mutual friends, they may mention it in conversation.
What if someone blocks me — can I see their profile?
No. If someone blocks you, you cannot see their profile, posts, or comments. You cannot message them, and if you try to search for them, they will not appear in results. You will see a message saying the profile is not available.
Can I block someone on Facebook but still be friends on Instagram or Messenger?
Blocking on Facebook blocks them across Instagram and Messenger as well, since Meta owns all three platforms. If you block someone, they cannot message you on any of these apps. However, you can block someone on Instagram without blocking them on Facebook — the block does not carry over automatically between platforms.
If I unblock someone, will they know?
No. Unblocking does not send a notification. They will only know if they try to visit your profile and suddenly can see it again, or if they search for you and find you in results. There is no way for them to know the exact moment you unblocked them.