Blocking a Facebook friend stops them from seeing your profile, messaging you, or finding you in search
When you block someone on Facebook, they cannot see your posts, photos, or profile information. They also cannot send you messages, tag you in photos, or add you as a friend. If you were already friends, the friendship ends immediately. The blocked 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 instead.
Blocking is different from unfriending. When you unfriend someone, they can still see your public posts and send you messages — they just are no longer on your friends list. Blocking removes all of that access. If you want to hide from someone but keep the friendship technically intact, unfriending is the softer option. If you want a complete separation, blocking is what you need.
Key Takeaways
- Blocking someone on Facebook removes all their access to your profile, posts, and messages — they cannot see anything you share or contact you.
- The person you block will not get a notification, but they may discover it by trying to visit your profile or search for you.
- You can block someone from their profile, from your friends list, or from a message or comment they sent you.
- You can unblock someone at any time by going to your settings, though they will not be notified when you do.
- Blocking someone does not delete past messages or comments — those remain in your message history unless you delete them manually.
How to block someone from their Facebook profile
Open Facebook and navigate to the person's profile. You can find them by searching their name in the search bar at the top of the page. Once you are on their profile, look for the three-dot menu icon in the top right corner of their profile header (the area with their name and profile photo). Click that icon.
A dropdown menu will appear with several options. Look for the option that says "Block" — it is usually near the bottom of the menu. Click "Block," and Facebook will ask you to confirm. Click "Block" again in the confirmation window. The block is now active.
How to block someone from your friends list
Go to your own profile and click on the "Friends" section. This shows your complete friends list. Search for the person you want to block by typing their name in the search box that appears at the top of your friends list. Once you find them, hover over their name or profile picture.
A menu icon (three dots) will appear next to their name. Click it, and select "Block" from the options shown. Confirm the block when prompted. This method is faster if you already know the person is on your friends list and do not want to navigate to their profile first.
How to block someone from a message or comment
If someone sends you a message you want to block them from, open the message thread. At the top of the conversation, you will see the person's name and a three-dot menu icon on the right side. Click the three-dot icon and select "Block" from the menu that appears.
You can also block someone directly from a comment they left on your post. Hover over their comment, and a three-dot menu icon will appear in the top right corner of that comment. Click it and select "Block." This is useful if someone is harassing you in the comments and you want to stop them immediately without visiting their profile.
What happens after you block someone
Once the block is active, the person cannot see your profile, posts, photos, or any information you share on Facebook. Any messages you sent them before the block remain in their inbox, but they cannot reply to you. If you sent them a friend request before blocking, that request disappears. If they sent you a friend request, it also disappears.
Past comments or tags involving both of you will still exist on Facebook, but the blocked person cannot click on your name or profile to view your information. They will see an error message if they try. You will not see their posts, comments, or profile either — blocking works both ways in terms of visibility.
How to unblock someone
If you change your mind, you can unblock someone at any time. Go to your Facebook settings by clicking the downward arrow in the top right corner of your screen and selecting "Settings and privacy," then "Settings." On the left side menu, click "Blocking."
You will see a list of all the people you have blocked under the "Blocked people" section. Find the person you want to unblock and click the "Unblock" button next to their name. Confirm when prompted. The block is now removed, and the person can see your profile and send you messages again. They will not be notified that you unblocked them.
What blocking does not do
Blocking someone does not delete your past messages with them. If you want to remove a conversation, you need to delete the message thread separately. Go to your messages, find the conversation, and delete it manually. Blocking also does not remove past comments or posts involving both of you — those remain on Facebook, but the blocked person cannot interact with them or see your profile information.
Blocking is also not permanent. You can unblock someone whenever you want, and there is no limit to how many times you can block and unblock the same person. Facebook does not track or limit this action. If you block someone and they create a new account, that new account is not automatically blocked — you would need to block the new account separately if they contact you.
Frequently Asked Questions
Will the person know I blocked them?
Facebook does not send a notification when you block someone. However, they may figure it out if they try to visit your profile and see an error message, or if they notice they cannot find you in search results. There is no way to block someone completely invisibly, but Facebook does not tell them directly.
Can I block someone without unfriending them first?
No — blocking automatically ends the friendship. When you block someone, they are removed from your friends list immediately. You do not need to unfriend them separately. If you want to keep the friendship but just hide your posts, unfriend them instead of blocking.
What if someone blocks me on Facebook?
You will not receive a notification that someone blocked you. You may discover it by trying to visit their profile and seeing an error message, or by searching for them and not finding their profile in results. You cannot message them or see their posts. If you think someone blocked you, the only way to know for certain is to try visiting their profile.
Can I block someone on Messenger without blocking them on Facebook?
On newer versions of Facebook and Messenger, blocking on one platform blocks on both. If you block someone in Messenger, they are also blocked on Facebook. You cannot block someone on Messenger only — the block applies across both services.
If I unblock someone, will they see all my old posts?
Yes — when you unblock someone, they regain access to everything they could see before you blocked them. They will be able to see your posts, photos, and profile information again. Any posts you made while they were blocked will now be visible to them if your privacy settings allow it.