Stop Facebook notifications by changing settings on your device or in the Facebook app itself
Facebook sends notifications to your phone, computer, and email by default. You can turn off all of them, some of them, or just the ones that bother you most. The steps differ slightly depending on whether you use an iPhone, Android phone, or a computer, but the principle is the same: you either block notifications at the app level or adjust them inside Facebook's settings.
Most people find it faster to turn off notifications in the Facebook app first, since that's where you can pick and choose which types of alerts you want to keep. If you want Facebook to stop bothering you entirely, you can also disable notifications at the device level — this prevents Facebook from sending anything to your phone or computer, no matter what the app is set to do.
Key Takeaways
- You can turn off individual notification types (likes, comments, friend requests) inside the Facebook app without deleting your account or stopping other people from messaging you.
- On iPhone, go to Settings > Notifications > Facebook and toggle off "Allow Notifications"; on Android, go to Settings > Apps > Facebook > Notifications and turn off the toggle.
- On a computer, click the menu icon in the top right of Facebook, select Settings, then Notifications, and turn off each category you don't want to see.
- Turning off notifications does not affect your messages, friend requests, or other people's ability to contact you — it only stops the alerts from appearing on your screen.
- If you turn notifications back on later, Facebook remembers your previous settings, so you won't have to reconfigure everything from scratch.
Turn off notifications on an iPhone
On iPhone, you have two options: turn off all Facebook notifications at once, or go into the Facebook app and choose which types of notifications to keep.
To turn off all notifications from Facebook, open Settings on your iPhone, scroll down and tap Notifications, find Facebook in the list, and tap it. Toggle off "Allow Notifications" at the top. This stops every alert from Facebook — no sounds, no badges on the app icon, nothing. If you change your mind later, come back to this same screen and toggle it back on.
To turn off only certain types of notifications while keeping others, open the Facebook app itself, tap the three horizontal lines in the bottom right corner, scroll down to Settings & Privacy, tap Settings, then tap Notifications. You'll see a list of notification types: Comments, Likes, Friend Requests, Messages, and others. Tap each one and choose "Off" or "Muted" (muted means you'll still see it in the app, but you won't get an alert). This method takes longer but gives you more control.
Turn off notifications on an Android phone
Android phones store notification settings in a different place than iPhones, but the process is just as straightforward.
To turn off all Facebook notifications, open Settings on your Android phone, tap Apps (or Application Manager, depending on your phone), find and tap Facebook, then tap Notifications. Toggle off the switch at the top. This blocks all alerts from Facebook immediately.
To turn off only specific notification types, open the Facebook app, tap the three horizontal lines in the bottom right, go to Settings & Privacy, then Settings, then Notifications. You'll see the same list as iPhone users: Comments, Likes, Friend Requests, Messages, and more. Tap each category and select "Off" to stop those alerts while keeping others active.
Turn off notifications on a computer or laptop
Facebook's desktop version puts notification settings in a slightly different location than the mobile app, but you control the same categories.
Open Facebook in your web browser and click the menu icon (three horizontal lines or a downward arrow) in the top right corner. Select Settings, then click Notifications in the left sidebar. You'll see a list of notification types: Comments, Likes, Friend Requests, Messages, and others. Click each one and choose "Off" to stop those alerts. You can also choose "Email" or "Push" to receive notifications only through email or only as browser alerts, depending on what works for you.
If you don't see a Notifications option in the Settings menu, look for it under "Preferences" instead — Facebook occasionally reorganizes this menu depending on your account region or when you last updated your browser.
The difference between turning off notifications and muting people
Turning off notifications stops alerts from appearing on your screen. Muting a person or a page does something different: it hides their posts from your feed without unfriending them or stopping them from seeing your posts. These are two separate controls.
If you want to stop seeing posts from a specific person but don't want to unfriend them, mute them instead of turning off notifications. To mute someone on any device, go to their profile, click the three dots in the top right, and select "Mute." To mute a page, click the three dots on one of their posts and choose "Mute Page." Muting does not send them a notification — they won't know you muted them.
What happens when you turn off notifications
When you turn off Facebook notifications, the following things stop: alert sounds, badge numbers on your app icon, pop-up alerts on your computer, and email notifications. The following things do not stop: people can still message you, send you friend requests, tag you in posts, or comment on your photos. You just won't be alerted when these things happen.
You can still see all of this activity when you open the Facebook app or website — it will be waiting for you in your notifications tab. Turning off notifications only removes the alert; it doesn't delete the activity or prevent people from contacting you.
Turn notifications back on if you change your mind
If you turn off notifications and later decide you want them back, follow the same steps you used to turn them off. On iPhone, go back to Settings > Notifications > Facebook and toggle "Allow Notifications" back on. On Android, go to Settings > Apps > Facebook > Notifications and toggle the switch back on. On a computer, go to Settings > Notifications and click each category to turn it back on.
Facebook remembers which notification types you had turned on before, so if you had Comments and Messages on but Likes off, those settings will return when you re-enable notifications. You won't have to reconfigure everything from the beginning.
Frequently Asked Questions
Will people know I turned off notifications?
No. Turning off notifications is invisible to other people. They can still message you, tag you, and comment on your posts. You just won't receive an alert when they do. When you open Facebook later, you'll see all of their activity waiting for you.
Can I turn off notifications for one person but keep them for everyone else?
Not directly through notifications settings. Instead, mute that person's profile. Go to their profile, click the three dots, and select "Mute." You'll stop seeing their posts in your feed, but you can still visit their profile if you want to. This is different from turning off notifications, but it achieves a similar goal of reducing their alerts.
What if I only want to turn off email notifications but keep app notifications?
On a computer, go to Settings > Notifications and click each notification type. You'll see options for "Push" (app alerts), "Email," or "Off." Select "Push" to keep only app notifications and turn off email. On a phone, you can only control notifications through the app itself or your device settings — you can't separate push and email alerts the same way.
Do I need to turn off notifications on every device, or does it apply everywhere?
You need to adjust them separately on each device. If you turn off notifications on your iPhone, your Android phone will still receive them. If you turn them off in the Facebook app on your phone, your computer might still send you email notifications. Adjust each device individually to get the setup you want.
Will turning off notifications affect my messages or friend requests?
Turning off notifications will not prevent you from receiving messages or friend requests. People can still send them to you. You just won't get an alert when they arrive. When you open Facebook, you'll see them in your messages or friend requests section as usual.