The difference between blocking and limiting what one person sees
You have three separate tools on Facebook, and they do different things. Blocking stops someone from finding your profile, messaging you, or seeing anything you post — but they'll know something happened because they can't find you. Restricting (Facebook's term for limiting one person) lets them stay your friend, but their comments won't show to others and they can only see posts you mark public. Unfriending removes them as a friend but they can still see posts you make public.
Most people who want to hide posts from one specific person use the Restrict feature, because the other person doesn't get a notification and may not realize anything changed. If you want them to see nothing at all and don't mind them knowing, blocking is faster. This guide covers both, plus how to hide individual posts from specific people after you've already posted them.
Key Takeaways
- Restricting someone hides your posts from them without notifying them, and they can only see what you mark as public.
- You can restrict someone directly from their profile or from a comment they made on your post.
- Blocking someone prevents them from seeing your profile or any of your posts, but they may notice they can't find you.
- After you post something, you can hide it from specific people by editing the post's privacy settings.
- You can undo a restriction or block at any time by visiting your blocked or restricted list in settings.
How to restrict someone so they see fewer of your posts
Open Facebook and go to the person's profile. Click the three dots next to the "Message" button (on mobile, swipe left on their name in your friends list first). Select "Restrict [Name]" from the menu. That's it — they're now restricted.
When someone is restricted, they can still see posts you mark as public, but they won't see posts you share only with friends. Their comments on your posts will be hidden from other people, and you'll see a notification when they comment so you can decide whether to approve it. They won't get a message saying they're restricted, but they may notice over time that they see fewer of your posts.
You can also restrict someone from a comment they made on your post. Find their comment, click the three dots next to it, and select "Restrict [Name]". This does the same thing as restricting from their profile.
How to block someone completely
Go to the person's profile and click the three dots next to the "Message" button. Select "Block" from the menu. Facebook will ask you to confirm — click "Block [Name]" again.
Once you block someone, they can't see your profile, posts, or friend list. They can't message you, tag you in photos, or find you in search. If you were already friends, that friendship ends. The blocked person may eventually realize they can't find you, but Facebook doesn't send them a notification that you blocked them.
Blocking is stronger than restricting, so use it only if you want to cut off contact completely. If you just want to hide posts from someone you're still friendly with, restrict them instead.
How to hide a post you've already shared from one person
Find the post on your timeline. Click the three dots in the top right corner of the post. Select "Who can see this?" A menu will appear showing who can currently see it (Friends, Public, etc.). Click "Edit" or the pencil icon.
A new window opens. Look for the option that says something like "Hide from" or a minus sign next to specific names. Click it and type the person's name. Select them from the dropdown. Click "Done" or "Save" to apply the change.
This method hides only that one post from that one person. They won't be notified, and if they somehow already saw it, it will disappear from their view. You'll need to repeat this for each post you want to hide from them — there's no way to hide all past posts from someone at once.
How to undo a restriction or block
Click the menu icon (three horizontal lines) in the bottom right corner on mobile, or the down arrow in the top right on desktop. Go to "Settings & Privacy," then "Settings." Scroll down and select "Blocking" (or "Restricted List" if you restricted someone instead).
You'll see a list of everyone you've blocked or restricted. Find the person's name and click "Unblock" or "Unrestrict" next to it. Confirm when Facebook asks. The person will be able to see your posts again, and if you were friends before, you'll need to send them a friend request to reconnect.
What happens if someone you blocked tries to contact you
A blocked person can't message you, but they might try. Their message won't go through — it will sit in their chat as "sent" but you'll never receive it. They can't see that you've blocked them from the message alone, so they may think you're just not responding.
If you unblock someone later, old messages they sent while blocked won't appear. You'll only see messages sent after you unblock them. If you want to keep a record of why you blocked them, take a screenshot before you unblock.
Blocking on mobile versus desktop
The steps are the same on both, but the buttons look slightly different. On mobile, you'll tap three dots; on desktop, you'll click them. The menus are organized the same way. If you block someone on your phone, they're blocked on desktop too — Facebook syncs your blocks across all devices.
The Settings menu is in a different place on mobile (bottom right) than desktop (top right), but once you're in Settings, the path to Blocking is identical. If you're having trouble finding the button on mobile, make sure you're on the person's profile and not in a message thread.
Frequently Asked Questions
Will someone know if I restrict them?
No. They won't get a notification, and Facebook doesn't tell them they're restricted. They may eventually notice they see fewer of your posts, but there's no way for them to know for certain unless they ask you directly.
Can I restrict someone but still see their posts?
Yes. Restricting is one-way — you control what they see from you, but you still see everything they post. If you don't want to see their posts either, you can unfollow them separately, which hides their posts from your feed without unfriending them.
What's the difference between restricting and unfriending?
Restricting keeps them as a friend but hides most of your posts from them. Unfriending removes the friendship, but they can still see posts you mark as public. Restricting is better if you want to stay friends but limit what they see; unfriending is better if you want a cleaner break.
If I block someone, can they still see old posts I made before I blocked them?
No. Once you block someone, they can't see any of your posts, including ones from before the block. If you unblock them later, they'll be able to see old posts again.
Can I hide a post from multiple people at once?
No. You have to hide each post individually from each person. There's no bulk option. If you want to hide many posts from someone, restricting them is faster than hiding posts one by one.