What blocking a Facebook post actually does
Blocking a Facebook post is not the same as blocking a person. When you block a post, you hide it from your feed without the person knowing you did it. The post stays on Facebook — your friends can still see it, the person who posted it can still see it — but it will not appear in your News Feed or in search results when you are logged in.
Facebook gives you several ways to control what shows up in your feed. You can hide individual posts, mute a person's posts for a set time, unfollow someone entirely, or adjust what type of content Facebook shows you. Each option works differently and has different effects on your relationship with that person.
Key Takeaways
- Hiding a single post removes it from your feed without notifying the person who posted it, but they can still see it on their own profile.
- Muting someone for 30 days hides all their posts temporarily; after 30 days, their posts return to your feed automatically.
- Unfollowing someone removes all their posts from your feed permanently, but you stay friends and can still message them.
- The person whose post you hide, mute, or unfollow will not receive a notification that you did so.
- You can adjust these settings at any time — hiding a post is not permanent, and you can unmute or re-follow someone whenever you want.
How to hide a single post from your feed
To hide one post without affecting anything else: find the post in your News Feed, look for the three dots in the top right corner of the post, and tap or click them. A menu will appear with several options. Select "Hide post" from that menu. The post disappears from your feed when ready.
This is the gentlest option. It affects only that one post. The person does not know you hid it. If they post something else tomorrow, you will see it in your feed unless you hide that one too. Hiding posts is useful when someone shares something you do not want to see — a political argument, a video you are not interested in, a photo from an event — but you still want to stay connected to them.
How to mute someone for 30 days
Muting someone temporarily removes all their posts from your feed for one month. After 30 days, their posts come back automatically. To mute someone: find any post from that person, tap or click the three dots, and select "Mute [person's name] for 30 days." You will see a confirmation that they are muted.
Muting is useful when someone is posting a lot about a topic you want to avoid right now — election coverage, a show you have not watched yet, detailed updates about something stressful — but you do not want to unfollow them permanently. After 30 days, if you want to keep muting them, you can do it again. You can also unmute them at any time by going to your settings and finding the Muted Accounts list.
How to unfollow someone completely
Unfollowing someone removes all their posts from your News Feed, but you stay friends with them. They cannot tell that you unfollowed them. To unfollow someone: go to their profile, find the "Following" button (it appears next to their name if you are already following them), and click it. The button will change to "Follow," which means you have unfollowed them.
You can also unfollow someone from a post: tap or click the three dots on their post and select "Unfollow [person's name]." After you unfollow someone, you will not see their posts, but they can still see yours if you are friends. You can message them, see their profile if you visit it directly, and re-follow them at any time. Unfollowing is permanent until you decide to follow them again.
How to control what types of posts you see
Facebook also lets you tell it what kind of content you want to see less of. If you see a post about a topic you want to avoid, tap or click the three dots and select "See less of this." You can do this for posts about specific topics, from specific pages, or in specific categories. Facebook will show you fewer posts like that one, though it may not eliminate them entirely.
You can also adjust your News Feed preferences in Settings. Go to Settings and Privacy, then Settings, then scroll to "Feeds" and select "News Feed Preferences." From there you can choose whose posts to see first, whose posts to see less of, and which types of content to prioritize. These settings are all about what Facebook shows you — none of them notify the other person.
The difference between hiding, muting, and unfollowing
Each action works differently depending on what you want to accomplish. Hiding a post affects only that one item and is permanent for that specific post, but the person can still post tomorrow and you will see it. Muting affects all posts from someone for exactly 30 days, then automatically stops. Unfollowing is permanent until you change your mind, and it hides all their posts indefinitely.
| Action | What happens to their posts | How long it lasts | Do they know? |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hide one post | That post disappears from your feed only | Permanent for that post | No |
| Mute for 30 days | All their posts disappear from your feed | 30 days, then posts return | No |
| Unfollow | All their posts disappear from your feed | Until you re-follow them | No |
| Block the person | You cannot see their profile, posts, or messages | Until you unblock them | No, but they may notice |
Blocking a person is different from all three of these. When you block someone, you cannot see their profile, posts, or messages, and they cannot see yours. Blocking is the strongest action and is usually reserved for people you do not want any contact with. Hiding, muting, and unfollowing are all ways to control your feed without cutting off contact entirely.
What happens if you change your mind
All of these actions are reversible. If you hide a post and then want to see it, you cannot unhide that specific post — but you can visit the person's profile directly and find it there. If you mute someone and want to see their posts again before 30 days are up, go to your settings, find Muted Accounts, and unmute them. If you unfollow someone and want to follow them again, go to their profile and click "Follow."
Facebook keeps a record of your muted accounts in your settings, so you can see who you have muted and unmute them whenever you want. There is no penalty for changing your mind, and the other person will not be notified that you changed your settings.
Frequently Asked Questions
Will the person know if I hide their post?
No. Facebook does not notify people when you hide their posts, mute them, or unfollow them. The person can still see their own post on their profile and in their friends' feeds — they just will not know that you hid it.
Can I hide posts from a specific topic instead of a specific person?
Yes. When you see a post about a topic you want to avoid, tap the three dots and select "See less of this." You can also go to News Feed Preferences in your settings and choose topics or pages you want to see less of. Facebook will reduce how often those posts appear, though it may not eliminate them completely.
What is the difference between muting and unfollowing?
Muting is temporary — after 30 days, their posts come back automatically. Unfollowing is permanent until you decide to follow them again. Both hide their posts from your feed, but muting is better if you just want a break from someone for a month.
If I unfollow someone, can they still message me?
Yes. Unfollowing only affects what appears in your News Feed. You stay friends with them, so they can still message you, comment on your posts, and see your profile. They just will not see their own posts in your feed.
Can I undo hiding a post?
You cannot unhide a specific post, but you can visit the person's profile directly and find the post there. If you want to see all their posts again, unfollow them and then re-follow them, or adjust your News Feed preferences to show more of their content.