Blocking stops someone from seeing your profile and contacting you
When you block a person on Facebook, they cannot see your profile, posts, or story. They cannot send you messages, add you as a friend, or tag you in photos. If you were already friends, blocking also removes them from your friends list. The person will not receive a notification that you blocked them, but they may figure it out if they try to visit your profile and see an error message.
Blocking is different from unfriending. When you unfriend someone, they can still see your public posts and send you messages unless you also block them. Blocking is the stronger action and is the right choice if someone is harassing you, if you want a complete break from contact, or if you need to protect your privacy from a specific person.
Key Takeaways
- Blocking someone removes them from your friends list, hides your profile from them, and stops them from messaging or tagging you.
- You can block someone from their profile, from a message thread, or from your friends list in under one minute.
- The person you block will not get a notification, but they can discover the block if they search for your profile.
- You can unblock someone at any time from your blocked list in Facebook settings.
How to block someone from their Facebook profile
Open the person's Facebook profile. Look for the three-dot menu icon in the top right corner of their profile header (on desktop) or near their name (on mobile). Tap or click the menu, then select "Block" from the list of options.
Facebook will ask you to confirm. You will see a message explaining what blocking does. Click or tap "Block [Name]" to finish. The block takes effect immediately.
How to block someone from a message or chat
Open your messages or chats in Facebook Messenger. Find the conversation with the person you want to block. Press and hold the conversation (on mobile) or right-click it (on desktop). A menu will appear with the option to block. Select "Block" and confirm.
Blocking from Messenger works the same way as blocking from a profile — the person loses access to your profile and cannot contact you. This route is faster if you already have the message thread open.
How to block someone from your friends list
Go to your profile and click or tap "Friends." Search for the person's name in your friends list or scroll to find them. Click or tap their name to open their profile, then use the three-dot menu to block them as described above.
You can also hover over their name in your friends list (on desktop) and click the three-dot icon that appears, then select "Block." This method skips the step of opening their full profile.
What happens after you block someone
The person cannot see your profile, posts, stories, or comments. They cannot send you messages or see your message history with them — past messages disappear from their view. They cannot add you as a friend, tag you in photos, or invite you to events or groups.
If you were in the same Facebook group or had mutual friends, those connections remain. The person can still see posts you made in groups, but they cannot interact with them. Your mutual friends can still see both of you and can still talk to both of you separately.
How to unblock someone
Go to your Facebook settings. On desktop, click the downward arrow in the top right corner, then select "Settings and privacy" and "Settings." On mobile, tap the three-line menu, scroll down, and tap "Settings and privacy," then "Settings."
Look for "Blocking" in the left menu (desktop) or scroll down to find it (mobile). You will see a list of people you have blocked. Find the person you want to unblock and click or tap "Unblock" next to their name. Confirm the action. The block is removed immediately, and the person can now see your profile and contact you again.
What to do if someone is harassing you
Blocking stops most unwanted contact, but if someone creates a new account to contact you after being blocked, that is harassment. You can report the new account to Facebook by going to their profile, clicking the three-dot menu, and selecting "Report." Choose "It's pretending to be someone or impersonating me" or "It's harassing me," depending on what is happening.
If the harassment involves threats, explicit images, or other serious behavior, you can also report it to local police. Keep screenshots of the messages or posts as evidence. Facebook takes reports seriously and may remove accounts or restrict the person's ability to create new ones.
Frequently Asked Questions
Will the person know I blocked them?
They will not get a notification, but they may figure it out if they try to visit your profile and see a message saying the profile is not available. If they search for you in their friends list and cannot find you, they may suspect a block. There is no way to block someone completely invisibly.
Can I block someone and still see their posts?
No. When you block someone, you cannot see their profile, posts, or activity. If you want to see their posts but prevent them from contacting you, unfriend them instead and adjust your privacy settings so only friends can message you.
What if I block someone by accident?
Go to your settings, find the Blocking section, and click "Unblock" next to their name. The block is removed right away. They will not know you unblocked them unless you send them a message or add them as a friend again.
Can I block someone on Facebook but still be friends on Instagram?
Yes. Facebook and Instagram are separate platforms with separate block lists. Blocking someone on Facebook does not block them on Instagram. If you want to block them on both, you need to block them separately on each app.
What if someone blocks me?
You will not get a notification, but you will notice you cannot find their profile, see their posts, or send them messages. If you try to visit their profile directly, you will see a message saying the page is not available. You cannot unblock yourself — only the person who blocked you can unblock you.