Push notifications from Facebook are messages that appear on your phone or computer even when you're not using the app

A push notification is a message Facebook sends directly to your device — it shows up as a popup, a banner at the top of your screen, or a badge with a number on the Facebook app icon. The notification arrives whether you have Facebook open or not. Facebook uses them to tell you someone commented on your post, sent you a message, tagged you in a photo, or that a friend you follow just posted something.

The company's goal is to pull you back into the app. The more you open Facebook because of a notification, the more time you spend there, and the more ads you see. That's why Facebook sends notifications for things that feel urgent (a direct message) and things that aren't (someone liked a comment on a post from three days ago). You get to decide which notifications actually reach you and which ones stay silent.

Key Takeaways

  • Push notifications from Facebook arrive on your phone or computer screen even when the app is closed, designed to bring you back into the platform.
  • You can turn off notifications by category — messages, comments, friend requests, event invites — rather than silencing Facebook entirely.
  • On iPhone, iPad, and Android, notification settings live in your phone's system settings, not just in the Facebook app itself.
  • Turning off push notifications does not prevent you from seeing posts when you open Facebook; it only stops the interruptions.
  • You can set different notification rules for different times of day using your phone's focus modes or Do Not Disturb settings.

Where Facebook push notifications come from

Facebook sends push notifications through your phone's operating system — Apple's iOS, Google's Android, or your computer's system. Facebook doesn't control whether the notification reaches you; your phone does. That's why you can turn off Facebook notifications in two places: inside the Facebook app itself, and in your phone's system settings. If you block notifications in your phone's settings, Facebook cannot override that choice.

The notification types Facebook offers include messages from friends, comments on your posts, likes, tags, event invites, friend requests, and posts from pages you follow. Facebook also sends notifications about its own features — reminders to use Marketplace, suggestions to join a group, or alerts that someone you know just joined Facebook. Each category can be controlled separately.

How to turn off push notifications on iPhone and iPad

Open Settings on your iPhone or iPad, then tap Notifications. Scroll down and find Facebook. Tap it. You'll see a toggle for Allow Notifications — turn it off to block all Facebook push notifications at the system level. If you want to keep some notifications but not others, leave this toggle on and scroll down to see the notification types Facebook offers.

You can also control how notifications appear. Under Notification Style, choose Banners (a message slides down from the top), Alerts (a popup you have to dismiss), or None (silent). If you choose Banners or Alerts, you can also toggle Sound and Badges separately — badges are the red numbers on the app icon. Some people turn off sound and badges but keep banners so they see notifications without being startled.

For finer control, open the Facebook app itself and go to Settings & Privacy > Settings > Notifications. Here you can turn off specific notification types — for example, you might keep message notifications but turn off "someone liked your post" notifications. The app-level settings only work if your phone's system settings allow Facebook to send notifications at all.

How to turn off push notifications on Android

Open Settings on your Android phone, then tap Apps or process Manager (the name varies by phone). Find and tap Facebook. Tap Notifications. You'll see a toggle for Allow Notifications — turn it off to block all Facebook push notifications. If you want to keep notifications but change how they appear, leave this on and look for options like Notification Sound, Vibration, or LED Light.

Inside the Facebook app, go to Menu (the three horizontal lines) > Settings & Privacy > Settings > Notifications. You can turn off specific types here — messages, comments, tags, event invites, and others. Android phones also let you create notification channels, which means you can silence Facebook during work hours but allow it during evenings. Check your phone's Do Not Disturb or Focus settings to set up time-based rules.

How to turn off push notifications on a computer

On Windows, open Settings > System > Notifications & actions. Scroll down to find Get notifications from these senders and look for Facebook or your web browser (Chrome, Edge, Firefox). Toggle off the one you use to access Facebook. On Mac, go to System Preferences > Notifications, find your web browser in the list, and uncheck Allow notifications.

If you use Facebook in a web browser rather than an app, the browser itself controls notifications. When you first visit Facebook, your browser may ask "Allow notifications from Facebook?" — you can click Block at that moment. If you already said yes, you can change it in your browser's settings. In Chrome, click the lock icon next to the website address, find Notifications, and change it to Block. In Firefox and Safari, the process is similar but the menu location differs slightly.

The difference between muting and turning off notifications

Turning off notifications stops Facebook from sending you messages. Muting a conversation or a person is different — it silences notifications from that specific person or chat while you still get notifications from everyone else. If you mute a message thread, you can still read it when you open Facebook; you just won't get a notification when new messages arrive.

To mute a conversation on Facebook Messenger, open the chat, tap the person's name at the top, scroll down, and tap Mute notifications. You can mute for 15 minutes, 1 hour, 8 hours, 24 hours, or until you unmute it. To mute notifications from a specific person's posts, go to their profile, tap the three dots, and select Mute [Person's Name]. Muting is useful when you want to stay connected but don't need every single update.

What happens when you turn off notifications

Turning off push notifications does not delete your messages, hide your posts, or change what you see when you open Facebook. It only stops the interruptions. You can still read all your messages, see all your comments, and view your feed — you just won't be alerted when something new arrives. Some people find this freeing because they check Facebook on their own schedule rather than being pulled in by notifications.

If you turn off all notifications but want to know when someone sends you a direct message, you can turn message notifications back on while keeping others off. This is a common setup: allow messages and calls, but silence everything else. You stay reachable for urgent contact while avoiding the constant stream of "someone liked your post" alerts.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I turn off notifications from one person but keep them from everyone else?

Yes. In Messenger, open the conversation with that person, tap their name, and select Mute notifications. You can choose how long to mute them. On the main Facebook app, go to their profile, tap the three dots, and choose Mute [Person's Name]. They won't know you muted them.

Will Facebook know if I turn off notifications?

No. Turning off notifications is a setting on your device; Facebook cannot see whether you have them on or off. The company can see that you're not opening the app as often, but it cannot tell whether that's because you turned off notifications or for any other reason.

What's the difference between Do Not Disturb and turning off notifications?

Do Not Disturb is a phone-wide setting that silences all notifications from all apps during certain hours. Turning off Facebook notifications only affects Facebook. If you use Do Not Disturb, Facebook notifications will be silent during those hours but will come through at other times. You can use both together — Do Not Disturb for nighttime, and Facebook notification settings for daytime control.

If I turn off notifications, will I miss important messages?

You won't miss the messages themselves — they'll still be in your inbox when you open Facebook. You just won't be alerted when they arrive. If you're worried about missing urgent contact, keep message notifications on but turn off everything else. That way you're alerted for direct messages but not for likes or comments.

Can I have different notification settings for Facebook on my phone and computer?

Yes. Your phone and computer are separate devices with separate settings. You can turn off notifications on your phone but keep them on your computer, or vice versa. The settings don't sync between devices.