Block people in the "People You May Know" section
Facebook's "People You May Know" feature suggests accounts based on your mutual friends, shared networks, and browsing activity. You cannot turn off the feature itself, but you can block individual people from appearing there — and blocking them also prevents them from finding you, messaging you, or seeing your profile.
To block someone from "People You May Know": Open Facebook on desktop or mobile, go to the "People You May Know" section (usually on the right side of your feed on desktop, or under the Friends tab on mobile), find the person's card, and click the three dots or menu icon on their suggestion. Select "Block" from the options that appear. Facebook will ask you to confirm; click "Block" again.
Once blocked, that person cannot send you a friend request, see your posts, or find your profile through search. They will not be notified that you blocked them, but if they try to visit your profile or search for you by name, they will see a message saying the profile is not available.
Key Takeaways
- You can block individual people from "People You May Known" by clicking the three-dot menu on their suggestion card and selecting Block.
- Blocking someone prevents them from sending you messages, viewing your profile, or finding you through search.
- The blocked person will not receive a notification that you blocked them, but they will see an error if they try to visit your profile directly.
- If you change your mind, you can unblock someone by going to Settings > Blocking and finding their name in your blocked list.
- Blocking is different from unfriending — unfriending lets someone still see your public posts and send you messages, while blocking cuts off all contact.
Why Facebook suggests people you may know
Facebook builds "People You May Know" suggestions using several signals: mutual friends (people you both follow or are friends with), shared groups or events you have joined, similar networks (like schools or workplaces you list), and your browsing activity on Facebook and other websites.
The feature is designed to help you expand your network, but it can also surface people you deliberately avoid — exes, former colleagues, or people from a part of your life you have moved on from. Facebook does not let you disable the feature entirely, but blocking individual suggestions is the most direct way to keep specific people out of your feed recommendations.
Blocking versus other privacy options
Blocking is the strongest action you can take. A blocked person cannot message you, see your profile, find you in search, or see your posts even if they are shared publicly. They also cannot tag you in photos or posts, and you will not appear in their "People You May Know" suggestions.
If you want a softer approach, you have other options. Unfriending removes someone from your friends list but lets them still see your public posts and send you messages. Restricting a friend lets them stay on your list but hides your posts from their feed — they can still message you and see your profile if they visit it directly. Muting hides someone's posts from your feed without them knowing, but they remain your friend and can still message you.
Choose blocking if you want no contact at all. Choose restricting or unfriending if you want to limit what they see but remain open to future contact. Choose muting if you simply do not want to see their posts but the friendship itself is fine.
How to unblock someone later
If you block someone and later change your mind, you can unblock them. Go to Settings (the gear icon or three horizontal lines, depending on your device), then select "Blocking." You will see a list of all the people you have blocked. Find the person's name and click "Unblock" next to it.
Unblocking someone does not automatically re-add you as friends or restore old messages. It simply removes the block, so they can now send you a friend request, message you, or find your profile again. They will not be notified that you unblocked them.
What happens when you block someone from "People You May Know"
When you block someone from a "People You May Know" suggestion, several things happen immediately. They cannot see your profile, send you messages, or find you through Facebook search. Any existing messages between you remain in your inbox, but they cannot reply to them. If you were friends before, that friendship is removed.
The blocked person will not see a notification saying you blocked them. However, if they try to visit your profile by typing your name into search or clicking a link to your page, they will see a message saying "User Not Found" or "This content is not available." If they try to message you, their message will not go through.
Blocking on mobile versus desktop
The steps are slightly different depending on whether you use Facebook on a phone or computer. On desktop, open Facebook, scroll to "People You May Know" on the right side of your feed, find the person, click the three dots on their card, and select "Block." On mobile, tap the Friends icon at the bottom, scroll to "People You May Know," find the person, tap the three dots on their card, and select "Block."
If you cannot find "People You May Know" on mobile, it may be hidden. Tap the Friends icon, then scroll down — the section usually appears below your friend requests. On some accounts, Facebook shows it less prominently or rotates which suggestions appear, so you may need to scroll or refresh to see it.
Reducing future suggestions
While you cannot turn off "People You May Know" entirely, you can reduce how many suggestions appear by limiting the data Facebook uses to build them. Go to Settings > Apps and Websites and review which apps and websites can share your activity with Facebook. Removing access reduces the browsing signals Facebook uses for suggestions.
You can also limit which groups and events appear on your profile, since Facebook uses these to find mutual connections. Go to your profile, click "Friends," and review which groups are visible. You can hide groups by going to the group page, clicking the three dots, and selecting "Hide from Profile."
Frequently Asked Questions
Will the person know I blocked them from "People You May Know"?
No. They will not receive a notification. However, if they try to find you by name or visit your profile directly, they will see an error message. If they were already your friend, they will notice the friendship is gone, but Facebook does not tell them you blocked them specifically.
Can I block someone without unfriending them first?
If you are not friends with the person, blocking them directly from "People You May Know" is the only step needed. If you are already friends, blocking them will automatically remove the friendship at the same time.
What if I block someone and they keep appearing in "People You May Know"?
This should not happen — once blocked, someone should not reappear in suggestions. If they do, try blocking them again. If the problem continues, report it to Facebook through Settings > Help & Support > Report a Problem.
Can I see who I have blocked?
Yes. Go to Settings > Blocking, and you will see a list of everyone you have blocked. You can unblock anyone from this list by clicking "Unblock" next to their name.
Does blocking someone delete our old messages?
No. Your message history with that person remains in your inbox. You can still read old messages, but they cannot reply to them, and you cannot send them new messages while they are blocked.