Where Facebook notifications come from and how to find the controls
Facebook sends notifications through four channels: the bell icon on the website and app, email to your registered address, text messages to your phone, and push notifications that pop up on your device even when you are not in the app. Each channel has its own on-off switch, and they do not all turn off together. If you turn off notifications in the app but leave email turned on, you will still get messages in your inbox.
The notification settings live in one place on both the website and mobile app: your Settings menu. On the website, click the downward arrow in the top right corner, then select Settings and Privacy, then Settings. On the mobile app, tap the three horizontal lines in the bottom right, scroll down to Settings and Privacy, then tap Settings. From there, look for Notifications in the left menu (website) or scroll down to find it (app).
Facebook groups you notifications by type: comments, friend requests, event invitations, marketplace activity, and dozens of others. You can turn off all notifications at once, or silence only the ones that interrupt you most. Most people find it faster to turn off a few specific categories rather than disable everything.
Key Takeaways
- Facebook notifications come through four separate channels — the app, website, email, and text messages — and each one has its own settings that do not affect the others.
- All notification controls are in one place: Settings and Privacy, then Settings, then Notifications in the left menu or by scrolling down.
- You can turn off notifications by type (comments, friend requests, marketplace) rather than silencing everything at once.
- Push notifications on your phone are controlled both in Facebook settings and in your device settings, so you may need to change both to stop them completely.
Turning off notifications on the Facebook website
On a computer, go to Settings and Privacy, then Settings. In the left menu, click Notifications. You will see a list of notification types with toggles next to each one. Click the toggle to turn any notification off. The toggle will turn gray when it is off.
Below the main list, you will see sections for Email Notifications and Text Message Notifications. These are separate from the in-app notifications. If you want to stop receiving emails from Facebook, scroll to Email Notifications and turn off the categories you do not want. The same applies to text messages — scroll to Text Message Notifications and turn off what you do not need.
Facebook also has a section called Other Notifications. This includes things like notifications about your account security, reminders about birthdays, and suggestions for new groups to join. You can turn these off individually or leave them on if you find them useful.
Turning off notifications on the Facebook mobile app
On your phone, open the Facebook app and tap the three horizontal lines in the bottom right corner. Scroll down and tap Settings and Privacy, then Settings. Scroll down until you see Notifications and tap it. You will see the same list of notification types as on the website.
Tap any notification type to see more detail. For example, if you tap Comments, you can choose whether you want notifications when someone comments on your post, when someone replies to your comment, or both. This level of control lets you stay in the loop about things that matter to you and silence the rest.
The mobile app also has a section called Push Notifications. This controls whether Facebook can send notifications that appear on your phone screen even when you are not in the app. If you turn this off here, you will not see the pop-up alerts, but you may still get notifications inside the app itself.
Controlling push notifications on your device itself
Push notifications are controlled in two places: in Facebook settings and in your phone's settings. Turning them off in Facebook is not always enough. You may also need to go into your phone's settings and block Facebook from sending notifications.
On an iPhone, go to Settings, then Notifications. Scroll down and find Facebook. Tap it and turn off Allow Notifications. On an Android phone, go to Settings, then Apps or process Manager, find Facebook, tap Notifications, and turn off Allow Notifications. This stops Facebook from sending any alerts to your phone screen, even if Facebook's own settings say notifications are on.
This two-step process exists because your phone controls what apps can do, separate from what the app itself allows. Facebook might be set to send notifications, but your phone can block them anyway. Checking both places ensures you have full control.
Stopping Facebook emails without unsubscribing from everything
Facebook sends emails for many reasons: someone commented on your post, a friend sent a request, an event is coming up, or a group you joined has new activity. Each type of email has its own setting. You do not have to unsubscribe from all Facebook emails to stop the ones that bother you.
In Notifications settings, find the Email Notifications section. You will see a list of email types with toggles. Turn off the ones you do not want. For example, you can turn off emails about friend suggestions but keep emails about direct messages. This way you still get the emails that matter to you.
If you receive an unwanted email from Facebook, you can also unsubscribe directly from that email. At the bottom of most Facebook emails, there is an Unsubscribe link. Click it and you will be taken to a page where you can turn off that specific type of email. This is faster than going into settings if you only want to stop one or two types.
Muting specific people or groups instead of turning off all notifications
Sometimes you do not want to turn off notifications entirely — you just want to stop hearing from one person or one group. Facebook has a Mute feature for this. If you mute someone, you will not see their posts in your feed and you will not get notifications about their activity, but you remain friends and they do not know you muted them.
To mute someone on the website, go to their profile, click the three dots in the top right, and select Mute. On the mobile app, go to their profile, tap the three dots, and select Mute. You can choose to mute their posts, their stories, or both. You can unmute them at any time by going back to their profile and selecting Unmute.
For groups, you can mute notifications without leaving the group. Go to the group, tap the bell icon, and select Mute Notifications. You can choose to mute for 15 minutes, 1 hour, 8 hours, or until you turn notifications back on. This is useful for active groups that send many notifications but that you want to stay in.
What to do if notifications keep coming back on
Sometimes after you turn off a notification, Facebook turns it back on. This usually happens when you update the app or when Facebook changes your settings as part of a system update. Check your notification settings every few months to make sure they are still the way you set them.
If a specific type of notification keeps turning itself back on, you can try turning it off again and then checking back in a few days. If it keeps happening, it may be a bug in the app. In that case, try uninstalling and reinstalling the Facebook app, which sometimes fixes settings that will not stick.
You can also report the problem to Facebook. In Settings, scroll to the bottom and look for Help and Support. Tap Report a Problem and describe what is happening. Facebook does not always respond quickly, but reporting helps them identify bugs that affect many people.
Frequently Asked Questions
Will turning off notifications mean I miss important messages from friends?
No. Direct messages from friends are separate from notifications. You can turn off all notifications and still see messages in your inbox when you open the app. Messages do not disappear — they just do not alert you until you check the app yourself.
Can I turn off notifications for one friend but not others?
Yes. Use the Mute feature on that person's profile. You will not get notifications about their posts or activity, but you will still be friends. You can unmute them anytime. This is different from unfriending or blocking.
Why do I still get notifications after turning them off in settings?
Push notifications are controlled in two places: Facebook settings and your phone settings. If you turned off notifications in Facebook but not in your phone settings, you will still get alerts. Check both places to make sure they are both turned off.
Do I have to turn off all notifications or can I keep some?
You can keep some and turn off others. In Notifications settings, each type has its own toggle. You can turn off comments but keep messages, or turn off group activity but keep friend requests. Choose what matters to you.
What is the difference between muting and unfriending someone?
Muting stops you from seeing their posts and getting notifications about them, but you stay friends. Unfriending removes them from your friends list entirely. The person does not know you muted them, but they will know if you unfriend them.