What blocking does and when to use it
Blocking on Facebook stops another person from seeing your profile, messaging you, or finding you in search. They cannot see your posts, photos, or friend list. If you were already friends, blocking also removes them from your friends list. The blocked person will not receive a notification that you blocked them, but they may notice they can no longer find your profile or see your past interactions.
Blocking is stronger than unfriending. When you unfriend someone, they can still see your public posts and search for your profile — they just cannot see your friends list or send you messages. Blocking cuts off all contact and visibility. Use blocking when you want to stop someone from contacting you or viewing your activity entirely, rather than just removing them from your friends list.
You might block someone because they are harassing you, posting unwanted messages, or you straightforward do not want them to see your content. Facebook also lets you block people temporarily or permanently, and you can unblock them later if you change your mind.
Key Takeaways
- Blocking prevents someone from seeing your profile, posts, photos, and friend list, and stops them from messaging you or finding you in search.
- The person you block will not get a notification, but they may realize they cannot find your profile anymore.
- You can block someone from their profile, from a message thread, or from your settings — all three methods take less than one minute.
- You can unblock someone at any time by going to your blocked list in settings, and they will regain the ability to see your profile and contact you.
How to block someone from their Facebook profile
The fastest way to block someone is from their profile page. Search for their name in the Facebook search bar at the top of your screen, or find them through a mutual friend's profile. Once you are on their profile, 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-dot menu. A dropdown list will appear with several options. Scroll down until you see "Block" and click it. Facebook will ask you to confirm — click "Block [Name]" again. That person is now blocked. They will no longer see your profile, posts, or messages, and you will no longer see theirs.
How to block someone from a message or chat
If someone is messaging you and you want to block them without visiting their profile, you can block them directly from the message thread. Open your messages by clicking the messenger icon (a speech bubble) at the top right of Facebook, or go to facebook.com/messages.
Find the conversation with the person you want to block. Click the three-dot menu icon at the top right of that conversation thread. Select "Block" from the menu. Facebook will confirm the action — click "Block" again. The conversation will disappear from your inbox, and that person can no longer message you or see your profile.
How to block someone from your settings
You can also block someone through your Facebook settings if you prefer not to visit their profile. Click the downward arrow at the top right of Facebook (next to your profile picture) and select "Settings and privacy," then "Settings."
On the left side menu, click "Privacy." Scroll down to the section labeled "Blocking" and click "Edit." You will see a text box that says "Block people." Type the person's name or email address into this box and click "Block." Confirm the action when Facebook asks you to. This method is useful if you want to block someone without them potentially seeing that you visited their profile.
What happens after you block someone
Once you block someone, they cannot message you, see your posts, view your photos, or find your profile in search results. Any messages you sent them before blocking will still be visible in their inbox, but they cannot reply to you. If you were friends before blocking, that friendship is removed.
The blocked person may figure out they are blocked 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. However, Facebook does not send them a notification saying you blocked them. If you want to tell them why, you would need to contact them through another method.
You can see a list of everyone you have blocked at any time by going to Settings > Privacy > Blocking. This list is private — the blocked people cannot see it.
How to unblock someone
If you change your mind about blocking someone, you can unblock them at any time. Go to the downward arrow at the top right of Facebook, select "Settings and privacy," then "Settings." Click "Privacy" on the left menu, then click "Edit" next 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 them, they can see your profile again, message you, and find you in search. They will not be notified that you unblocked them, but they will be able to access your profile as normal.
Blocking versus other privacy options
Facebook offers several ways to control who sees your content and who can contact you. Blocking is the strongest option, but it is not always what you need. If you want someone to stay on your friends list but stop seeing your posts, you can use the "Unfriend" option instead — they will no longer see your activity, but they can still message you and find your profile. If you want to keep someone as a friend but hide specific posts from them, you can adjust the privacy settings on individual posts to exclude them.
You can also mute someone, which stops their posts from appearing in your feed without unfriending them. To mute someone, visit their profile, click the three-dot menu, and select "Mute." They will not know you muted them, and you can unmute them anytime. Muting is useful if you want to see less of someone's content without cutting off contact entirely.
Frequently Asked Questions
Will the person I block know that I blocked them?
Facebook does not send a notification when you block someone. However, they may figure it out if they try to visit your profile and cannot find it, or if they search for you and your profile does not appear. If they ask you directly, you do not have to tell them.
Can I block someone and then unblock them later?
Yes. You can unblock anyone at any time by going to Settings > Privacy > Blocking and clicking "Unblock" next to their name. Once unblocked, they can see your profile and message you again.
If I block someone, will they see my old messages or comments?
Messages you sent them before blocking will still be in their inbox, but they cannot reply. Comments you made on public posts or mutual friends' posts may still be visible to them, depending on the privacy settings of those posts. Blocking only stops future contact and visibility of your profile.
Can I block someone without them seeing that I visited their profile?
Yes. Use the Settings > Privacy > Blocking method instead of visiting their profile directly. This way, they will not see that you viewed their page before blocking them.
What is the difference between blocking and unfriending?
Unfriending removes someone from your friends list, but they can still see your public posts, visit your profile, and message you. Blocking prevents them from seeing your profile, posts, or messages at all. Blocking is much stronger and should be used when you want complete separation.