What blocking your profile means and how to do it
Facebook does not have a single "block my profile" button that hides your account from everyone at once. Instead, you block individual people one at a time, or you adjust your privacy settings to control who sees your posts and profile information. If you want to prevent someone specific from viewing your profile, messaging you, or seeing your activity, you block that person. If you want to limit what the general public can see, you change your privacy settings.
To block a specific person on Facebook, go to their profile, click the three dots in the top right corner, and select "Block." That person will no longer be able to see your profile, send you messages, or find you in search. They will not receive a notification that you blocked them, but they may notice they can no longer access your profile if they try to visit it.
Key Takeaways
- Blocking a person prevents them from seeing your profile, messaging you, or finding you in Facebook search, but you must block each person individually.
- You can adjust your privacy settings to control whether friends, friends of friends, or only you can see your posts and profile information.
- Blocking is different from unfriending — a blocked person cannot see your profile at all, while an unfriended person can still view it if your settings allow.
- If you block someone, you will also be removed from their friends list, and any existing messages between you will remain in your inbox but cannot be reopened.
- You can unblock someone at any time by going to your settings, finding them in your blocked list, and clicking "Unblock."
How to block someone on Facebook
To block a specific person, navigate to their Facebook profile. You can find them by searching their name in the search bar at the top of Facebook. Once you are on their profile, look for the three horizontal dots (the menu icon) in the top right corner of their profile header, next to any message or add friend buttons.
Click those three dots and a menu will appear. Select "Block" from the options. A confirmation window will pop up explaining what blocking does — it will tell you that this person will no longer be able to see your profile, send you messages, or find you in search. Click "Block" again to confirm. The person is now blocked.
If you are blocking someone from a message thread, you can also click the three dots at the top of the conversation and select "Block" from there. The result is the same.
Adjusting privacy settings to limit who sees your profile
If you do not want to block specific people but instead want to control what the general public can see, you can change your privacy settings. Go to the menu icon (three horizontal lines) in the top right corner of Facebook and select "Settings and privacy," then "Settings." On the left side, click "Privacy."
In the Privacy section, you will see options for "Who can see your posts?" and "Who can see your profile?" For each, you can choose "Public" (everyone), "Friends" (only your friends), "Friends except..." (friends minus specific people), or "Only me." Choose the level that fits what you want to share.
You can also control who can contact you by going to "Settings and privacy" > "Settings" > "Privacy" and adjusting "Who can message you?" You can limit messages to friends only, or allow anyone to message you. These settings do not block anyone — they just control visibility and access.
The difference between blocking and unfriending
Blocking and unfriending are not the same. When you unfriend someone, they are removed from your friends list, but they can still see your profile and posts if your privacy settings allow it. When you block someone, they cannot see your profile, posts, or activity at all, and they cannot message you or find you in search.
Blocking is stronger than unfriending. Use unfriending if you simply do not want to stay connected but do not mind if they see your public posts. Use blocking if you want to prevent someone from viewing your profile or contacting you entirely.
What happens to messages when you block someone
When you block someone, any existing messages between you and that person will remain in your inbox. You can still read old conversations, but you cannot send new messages to that person or receive messages from them. If they try to message you, the message will not go through.
The blocked person can still see old messages they sent you (on their end), but they cannot see your replies or any new activity. If you unblock them later, you will be able to message each other again, and the old conversation history will still be there.
How to unblock someone
If you change your mind and want to unblock someone, go to the menu icon in the top right corner and select "Settings and privacy," then "Settings." On the left side, click "Privacy," then scroll down to find "Blocked." Click "See all" or "Edit" next to the blocked list.
You will see a list of everyone you have blocked. Find the person you want to unblock and click "Unblock" next to their name. Confirm the action when prompted. That person can now see your profile again and message you, though they will not be notified that you unblocked them.
Blocking on Facebook Messenger
You can also block someone directly from Facebook Messenger without visiting their profile. Open a conversation with the person, click the person's name at the top of the chat, and scroll down to find "Block." Click it and confirm. This blocks them from your profile as well — blocking in Messenger and blocking on Facebook are the same action.
If someone is harassing you through Messenger, you can also report the conversation. Click the three dots at the top of the chat and select "Report." This alerts Facebook to the behavior, and they may take action against the account.
Frequently Asked Questions
Will the person know I blocked them?
No, Facebook does not send a notification when you block someone. However, they may figure it out if they try to visit your profile and cannot access it, or if they notice they can no longer find you in search. There is no way for them to know for certain from Facebook itself.
Can I block someone without being their friend?
Yes. You can block anyone on Facebook, whether you are friends with them or not. You can block someone who is following you, someone who commented on your posts, or a complete stranger. Go to their profile and click the three dots to block them.
If I block someone, will they see my old posts or comments?
No. Once you block someone, they cannot see any of your profile, posts, or comments you made on public pages. However, comments you made before blocking them may still be visible on other people's posts or pages if those comments were public.
What if I want to block someone but stay friends with them?
Facebook does not allow you to stay friends with someone while blocking them. If you block someone, they are automatically removed from your friends list. If you want to stay connected but limit what they see, unfriend them instead and adjust your privacy settings, or use the "Friends except..." option to hide your posts from specific people.
Can I block someone on Facebook but not on Messenger?
No. Blocking on Facebook and Messenger is one action — you cannot block someone on one platform but not the other. If you block someone, they are blocked across both Facebook and Messenger.