Where to find Facebook notification settings
Facebook stores notification controls in three places, and which one you need depends on what's bothering you. The main settings live in your account preferences, but you can also silence notifications from individual apps, and you can adjust what Facebook sends to your phone's lock screen separately from what shows up in the Facebook app itself.
Start by opening Facebook on the device where you're seeing too many notifications — phone, tablet, or computer. The steps differ slightly between iOS, Android, and desktop, but the principle is the same: you're telling Facebook which types of alerts you want to receive and which ones you don't.
Key Takeaways
- Facebook notification settings live in three separate places: your Facebook account settings, your phone's app notification permissions, and your phone's lock screen settings.
- You can turn off entire categories of notifications (like friend requests or event invitations) without turning off all notifications, so you only silence what actually bothers you.
- Turning off notifications in Facebook settings does not delete your account or hide your profile — it only stops the alerts from reaching you.
- Phone-level notification controls override Facebook's own settings, so if Facebook keeps sending alerts even after you've disabled them, check your phone's settings next.
How to change notification settings on desktop
On a computer, click the downward arrow in the top right corner of Facebook (next to your profile picture). Select "Settings and privacy," then "Settings." On the left side, you'll see a menu — click "Notifications."
You'll now see a list of notification types: Messages, Friend Requests, Comments, Likes, Tags, Event Invitations, and others. Click on any category to open its options. For each one, you can choose "On," "Off," or "Email only" (if you want Facebook to email you instead of sending an in-app alert). Most people find it useful to keep Messages and Comments on but turn off Likes and Friend Requests, since those tend to pile up fastest.
Below the main categories, you'll see "Other Notifications" — this catches things like birthday reminders, suggested posts, and group activity. You can turn these off individually or all at once. There's also a section for notifications about your own posts: you can choose whether to be notified when someone comments on something you posted, or when someone likes it.
How to change notification settings on iPhone or iPad
Open the Facebook app and tap the three horizontal lines (the menu) in the bottom right corner. Scroll down and tap "Settings and privacy," then "Settings." Tap "Notifications," and you'll see the same categories as on desktop: Messages, Friend Requests, Comments, Likes, and so on.
Tap any category to see your options. You can turn notifications on or off for that type of alert. If you want finer control — for example, to get notifications from close friends but not from acquaintances — tap "Manage preferences" within each category. This lets you choose specific people or groups whose activity will still notify you.
After you've adjusted Facebook's own settings, check your phone's notification permissions separately. Go to Settings on your iPhone, tap "Notifications," find Facebook in the list, and tap it. Here you can turn off "Allow Notifications" entirely, or keep it on but disable "Lock Screen," "Banners," or "Badges" (the red number on the app icon). Many people keep notifications on in the Facebook app but turn off Lock Screen notifications so alerts don't interrupt them constantly.
How to change notification settings on Android
Open the Facebook app and tap the three horizontal lines in the bottom right. Go to "Settings and privacy," then "Settings." Tap "Notifications" and you'll see the same categories as iPhone and desktop. Tap any category to turn it on or off, or tap "Manage preferences" to choose specific people or groups.
After adjusting Facebook's settings, check your phone's notification permissions. Go to Settings on your Android device, tap "Apps" or "process Manager," find Facebook, and tap "Notifications." You can turn off "Allow notifications" entirely, or keep it on but disable "Pop on screen" (which shows alerts on your lock screen) or "Badge" (the number on the app icon).
Android also lets you create a "Do Not Disturb" schedule. Go to Settings, find "Do Not Disturb" or "Focus Mode," and set times when no notifications will interrupt you — for example, 9 p.m. to 8 a.m. This silences Facebook along with all other apps during those hours, which is useful if you want to keep notifications on during the day but not at night.
Turning off notifications from specific people or groups
If you want to keep Facebook notifications on overall but silence alerts from one particular person or group, you don't have to dig into settings. On desktop, go to that person's profile, click the three dots in the top right, and select "Turn off notifications from [name]." On mobile, tap the three dots on their profile and choose the same option.
For groups, go to the group page, tap the bell icon at the top, and choose "Off." You can also choose "Highlights" to get notified only about posts that lots of people are engaging with, rather than every single post.
This approach is faster if you're only bothered by a few specific people or groups, rather than entire categories of notifications. It also lets you keep notifications on for people you actually want to hear from.
What happens when you turn off notifications
Turning off notifications does not hide your profile, delete your account, or change what other people see when they interact with you. It only stops alerts from reaching your phone or computer. If someone comments on your post and you've turned off comment notifications, you won't see an alert, but the comment is still there — you'll just see it the next time you open Facebook.
You can turn notifications back on at any time by going back to the same settings and switching them on again. There's no waiting period or reactivation process. If you change your mind about a category you turned off, just flip it back on.
Frequently Asked Questions
Will people know if I turn off notifications from them?
No. Turning off notifications is invisible to other people. They won't see that you've silenced alerts from them, and it doesn't change whether you receive their messages or see their posts — it only stops the alerts from reaching you.
Can I turn off notifications for just one type of alert, like Likes?
Yes. Each notification category (Messages, Likes, Comments, Friend Requests, and so on) can be turned on or off separately. You can keep Messages on and turn off everything else, or any other combination you prefer.
Why am I still getting notifications after I turned them off in Facebook settings?
Your phone's notification permissions override Facebook's settings. Check your phone's Settings app and look for Facebook under Notifications or Apps. Make sure "Allow notifications" is turned off, or disable "Lock Screen" and "Banners" if you want to keep some notifications but not see them constantly.
Can I set different notification settings for different times of day?
Facebook doesn't have a built-in scheduling feature, but your phone does. On iPhone, use Focus modes (Settings > Focus) to silence notifications during certain hours. On Android, use Do Not Disturb or Focus Mode. These silence all apps during your chosen times, including Facebook.
If I turn off all notifications, will I miss important messages?
You'll still see messages when you open Facebook — you just won't get alerts. If you want to keep messages on but turn off everything else, go to Notifications settings and turn off individual categories while leaving Messages on.