What blocking your Facebook profile actually does
Blocking your profile on Facebook prevents specific people from seeing your posts, photos, and personal information. When you block someone, they cannot find your profile by searching, cannot see anything you share, and cannot send you messages or friend requests. If you were already friends, blocking also removes them from your friends list.
Facebook offers two main ways to restrict who sees your content: blocking individual people, or changing your privacy settings so your profile is only visible to friends. Blocking is the stronger option when you want to hide from someone specific. Privacy settings are better when you want to control what the general public can see.
This guide covers how to block individual people on Facebook using a computer or phone, what happens when you block someone, and how to unblock them later if you change your mind.
Key Takeaways
- You can block someone directly from their profile, from a post they made, or from your friends list on any device.
- When you block someone, they cannot see your profile, your posts, or your photos, and any existing friendship is removed.
- Blocking someone does not delete old comments or messages they may have sent you before the block.
- You can see a list of everyone you have blocked and unblock anyone at any time from your settings.
- Blocking is different from unfriending — unfriending removes them as a friend but they can still see your public posts.
How to block someone from their Facebook profile
The fastest way to block someone is to go to their profile and use the block button. On a computer, open their profile, click the three dots (•••) in the top right corner of their profile header, and select "Block" from the menu. On a phone, tap the three dots, scroll down, and tap "Block."
Facebook will ask you to confirm that you want to block this person. After you confirm, the block takes effect immediately. The person will not receive a notification that you blocked them, but they may notice they can no longer find your profile or see your posts if they search for you.
How to block someone from a post or comment
If someone has posted something or left a comment that bothers you, you can block them without visiting their profile. On a computer, hover over their name or profile picture in the post or comment and click the three dots that appear. Select "Block" from the menu. On a phone, press and hold their name or picture, then tap "Block."
This method is useful when you see a comment from someone you want to block but do not want to visit their full profile first. The block works the same way as blocking from their profile — they will not be able to see your content after this point.
How to block someone from your friends list
You can also block someone directly from your friends list without opening their profile. On a computer, go to your profile, click "Friends," find the person you want to block, and click the three dots next to their name. Select "Block" from the menu. On a phone, go to your profile, tap "Friends," find the person, and tap the three dots next to their name, then tap "Block."
This approach is helpful if you want to block multiple people quickly or if you are cleaning up your friends list and want to block rather than simply unfriend someone.
What happens when you block someone
Once you block someone, they cannot see your profile when they search for you, cannot see any of your posts or photos, and cannot send you messages or friend requests. If you were already friends, they are removed from your friends list. Any comments they left on your old posts before the block remain visible to others, but they cannot see those posts anymore.
The person you blocked will not see a notification saying you blocked them. However, they may figure it out if they try to visit your profile and cannot find it, or if they notice they can no longer see your posts in their feed.
Blocking does not delete past conversations. If you had messaged back and forth before blocking, those old messages stay in your message history, but you cannot send new messages to each other while the block is active.
How to see who you have blocked and unblock them
You can view your entire blocked list at any time and unblock someone if you change your mind. On a computer, click the down arrow in the top right corner of Facebook, select "Settings and privacy," then "Settings," then scroll down to "Blocking" on the left side. You will see a list of everyone you have blocked.
On a phone, tap the menu icon (three horizontal lines), scroll down to "Settings and privacy," tap "Settings," scroll down to "Blocking," and you will see the same list. To unblock someone, click or tap "Unblock" next to their name. Once you unblock them, they can see your profile and posts again, but you will not automatically become friends.
Blocking versus unfriending versus privacy settings
Blocking, unfriending, and adjusting privacy settings are three different tools that do different things. Unfriending removes someone from your friends list, but they can still see your public posts and find your profile if they search for you. Blocking prevents them from seeing your profile or any of your content at all.
Privacy settings let you control who can see your posts without blocking anyone. For example, you can set your posts to be visible only to friends, or you can hide your profile from search results entirely. If you want to hide from one specific person but keep your profile visible to everyone else, blocking is the right choice. If you want to limit what the general public sees, privacy settings work better.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can someone tell if I blocked them?
Facebook does not send a notification when you block someone. However, they may realize it if they try to find your profile and cannot, or if they notice your posts have disappeared from their feed. There is no way for them to see an official "blocked" label on your profile.
If I block someone, do my old comments on their posts disappear?
No. Comments you made on their posts before you blocked them will still be visible to others on their profile. However, once you block them, you cannot see their posts or interact with them anymore. They also cannot see any new posts you make.
What happens to messages if I block someone?
Old messages you sent back and forth stay in your message history, but you cannot see them while the block is active. Once you unblock the person, you can see the old messages again. You cannot send new messages to someone while they are blocked.
If I unblock someone, do we become friends again?
No. Unblocking someone only removes the block — it does not restore your friendship. If you were friends before you blocked them, you will need to send a new friend request after unblocking to become friends again.
Can I block someone without them seeing that I unfriended them first?
Yes. Blocking is stronger than unfriending and includes the unfriend action automatically. When you block someone, they are removed from your friends list, and they cannot see your profile or posts. You do not need to unfriend them separately.