What blocking does and doesn't do
When you block someone on Facebook, that person can no longer see your profile, send you messages, find you in search results, or see your posts and comments anywhere on the platform. They cannot tag you in photos or add you as a friend. If you were already friends, the friendship ends immediately.
Blocking is not the same as unfriending. When you unfriend someone, they can still see your public posts and search for your profile — they just can't message you or see your friends list. Blocking is more complete: the blocked person essentially cannot interact with you or find you on Facebook at all.
One thing blocking does not do: it does not prevent someone from viewing Facebook through a different account, or from screenshotting your public posts before you block them. If you have posted something publicly and want it gone, you need to delete the post itself, not just block the 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 conversation thread, or from your settings — the result is the same regardless of which route you use.
- 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.
- You can unblock someone at any time from your blocked list in settings, and doing so does not automatically restore your friendship.
How to block someone from their profile
The quickest way to block someone is to go to their Facebook profile and use the menu there. Click the three dots (or the down arrow on older versions) in the top right corner of their profile header. A menu will appear with options including "Block".
Click "Block" and Facebook will ask you to confirm. The confirmation screen explains what blocking does and gives you the option to also report the person if they have violated Facebook's rules. You do not have to report them to block them — blocking and reporting are separate actions. Click "Block" again to confirm.
After you block someone, their profile will no longer be visible to you, and you will not see their posts, comments, or messages. If you navigate to where their profile used to be, you will see a message saying the profile is not available.
How to block someone from a message or comment
If someone is messaging you or commenting on your posts and you want to block them without visiting their profile, you can block them directly from the conversation. In Messenger, open the conversation with that person, click the person's name at the top, and scroll down to find "Block". Click it and confirm.
You can also block someone from a comment they left on your post. Hover over or tap their comment, click the three dots that appear, and select "Block". This removes their comment from your post and blocks them from your account at the same time.
How to block someone from your settings
If you want to block someone but do not want to visit their profile or find their message, you can use your blocked list in settings. Click the down arrow in the top right corner of Facebook (on desktop) or the menu icon (on mobile), then go to "Settings and Privacy" and select "Settings".
On the left side, click "Blocking". You will see a search box labeled "Block users". Type the person's name and click their profile when it appears. Click "Block" next to their name and confirm.
This method is useful if you want to block someone without them potentially seeing that you visited their profile, though Facebook does not notify people when you visit their profile anyway.
What happens after you block someone
The blocked person will not receive a notification saying you blocked them. However, if they try to visit your profile, send you a message, or search for you, they will see that your profile is not available or that the message could not be sent. Over time, they may realize they have been blocked.
Any existing messages between you and the blocked person will remain in your message history, but they will not be able to send you new messages. If you were in a group chat together, you will both still be in the chat, but they will not see your messages and you will not see theirs.
If you had tagged each other in photos or posts before blocking, those tags remain visible to other people, but the blocked person cannot click on your name to visit your profile from those tags.
How to unblock someone
If you change your mind, you can unblock someone at any time. Go to "Settings and Privacy", then "Settings", then "Blocking" on the left side. You will see a list of people you have blocked. Find the person you want to unblock and click "Unblock" next to their name.
Unblocking someone does not automatically make you friends again or restore any messages you deleted. It simply removes the block, so that person can now see your profile, send you messages, and interact with you on Facebook again. You will need to send them a friend request if you want to be friends.
Blocking versus other privacy options
Facebook offers several ways to control who sees your content and who can contact you. Blocking is the strongest option, but it is not always the right choice. If you want someone to stop messaging you but do not mind if they see your public posts, you can restrict them instead. Restricted people can see your public posts but cannot see your friends list or message you.
If you want to hide your posts from one person without blocking them entirely, you can adjust the privacy settings on individual posts. You can also mute someone, which hides their posts from your feed without them knowing, but they can still message you and see your profile.
Unfriending is gentler than blocking — the person can still see your public posts and search for you, but they cannot message you or see your friends list. Use unfriending if you want to end a friendship but do not need to hide your profile entirely.
Frequently Asked Questions
Will the person know I blocked them?
Facebook does not send a notification when you block someone. However, if they try to visit your profile, message you, or search for you, they will see that your profile is unavailable or that the message could not be sent. They may then figure out that you blocked them.
Can I block someone without them seeing that I visited their profile?
Yes. Facebook does not notify people when you visit their profile, whether you block them or not. You can block someone from your settings without ever going to their profile, and they will have no way of knowing you looked at it.
If I unblock someone, will they know?
No. Unblocking someone does not send them a notification. They will only know if they try to contact you and find that they can now do so, or if they notice your profile is suddenly visible to them again.
What happens to messages if I block someone?
Your existing message history with that person stays in your Messenger inbox, but you cannot see new messages from them. They cannot send you new messages while blocked. If you unblock them later, they can message you again, but the conversation history remains the same.
Can I block someone from a group chat?
Blocking someone removes them from one-on-one conversations with you, but if you are both in a group chat, you will both remain in the group. You will not see their messages in the group, and they will not see yours, but you will both still be listed as members.