You can delete individual notifications or turn off entire notification types in Facebook's settings
Facebook notifications appear in two places: in the bell icon at the top of your screen, and in your phone's notification center if you have the app installed. You can remove notifications one at a time by clicking the X next to each one, or you can prevent whole categories of notifications from arriving in the first place by changing your notification settings. The fastest route depends on whether you want to clear what's already there or stop new ones from showing up.
Deleting a notification from your bell icon clears it from that list, but Facebook will still send you new ones of the same type unless you change your settings. If you want to stop getting certain notifications altogether, you need to adjust your notification preferences instead.
Key Takeaways
- Individual notifications disappear when you click the X next to them, but new ones of the same type will still arrive unless you change your settings.
- You can turn off notifications by type — comments, friend requests, messages, group activity — in Facebook Settings under Notifications.
- Phone notifications and browser notifications are controlled separately, so you may need to change settings in both places.
- Muting a person, page, or group stops their notifications without unfriending or unfollowing them.
Deleting notifications one at a time on desktop
Open Facebook and look for the bell icon in the top right corner of your screen. Click it to see your notification list. Each notification has an X button on the right side — click it to remove that single notification from your list. The notification disappears immediately, but Facebook will still send you new notifications of the same type unless you change your settings.
This method works for clearing out old notifications quickly, but it does not stop new ones from arriving. If you keep getting notifications about the same thing, you will need to adjust your notification settings instead of deleting them one by one each time.
Turning off notification types in Facebook Settings
Go to Facebook Settings by clicking the downward arrow in the top right corner, then select Settings and Privacy, then Settings. On the left side, click Notifications. You will see a list of notification categories like Comments, Friend Requests, Messages, Group Activity, and Events.
Click on any category to see your options. Most categories let you choose between Off, Email Only, or Push Notifications (which appear on your phone and in your browser). Select Off to stop that type of notification entirely. You can turn off notifications for individual people, pages, or groups by clicking their name in the Notifications menu and choosing Off.
Stopping notifications from specific people or pages
If one person, page, or group is sending too many notifications, you do not have to unfriend or unfollow them. Instead, you can mute them. Find a post or notification from that person or page, click the three dots in the corner, and select Mute [Name]. You will have options to mute them for 30 days or permanently. Muted people still appear in your feed, but you will not get notifications about their activity.
You can also mute a group by going to the group page, clicking the three dots, and selecting Mute Group. This stops notifications without leaving the group, so you can still see posts if you visit the group directly.
Managing phone notifications separately
If you use the Facebook app on your phone, notifications are controlled in two places. First, check Facebook's own settings as described above — those control what Facebook tries to send. Second, check your phone's settings, because your phone can block notifications even if Facebook is trying to send them.
On iPhone, go to Settings, scroll to Facebook, and tap Notifications. You can turn notifications off entirely or choose which types appear (badges, sounds, banners). On Android, go to Settings, Apps, Facebook, Notifications, and toggle off the types you do not want. If notifications are turned on in Facebook but off in your phone settings, you will not see them.
Clearing notifications from your browser
If you use Facebook in a web browser on your computer, browser notifications are separate from the bell icon notifications. To turn off browser notifications, go to Facebook Settings, click Notifications on the left, and look for Browser Notifications. Set it to Off. You may also need to check your browser's own notification settings — in Chrome, Firefox, Safari, or Edge, go to Settings, find the Websites or Notifications section, find Facebook, and toggle notifications off there.
Browser notifications are the pop-up alerts that appear on your screen even when you are not actively using Facebook. Turning them off in both Facebook Settings and your browser prevents these interruptions while keeping your bell icon notifications intact if you want them.
What happens when you delete or turn off notifications
Deleting a notification from your bell icon list only removes it from that list — it does not change what Facebook sends you in the future. Turning off a notification type in Settings stops new notifications from arriving, but it does not delete the old ones already in your list. If you turn off notifications for comments, you will not get notified when someone comments on your post, but you can still see comments if you visit the post directly.
Muting someone or a page does not unfriend or unfollow them, and they cannot tell that you muted them. They can still see your posts and message you — you just will not get notifications about their activity.
Frequently Asked Questions
Will people know if I turn off their notifications?
No. Turning off notifications for a person, page, or group is private. They cannot see that you muted them or changed your notification settings. They can still message you and see your posts — you just will not be notified about their activity.
Can I turn off notifications for just one type of comment?
Facebook groups notifications by broad category — Comments, Messages, Friend Requests, and so on. You cannot turn off comments from one person while keeping them on for everyone else through the main settings. Instead, mute that specific person to stop their notifications without unfriending them.
Why am I still getting notifications after I turned them off?
Check both Facebook Settings and your phone or browser settings, because notifications can be turned on in one place and off in another. If Facebook is set to send notifications but your phone is set to block them, you will not see them. Also check whether you turned off the right category — for example, turning off Messages will not stop notifications about comments.
Do I have to delete notifications manually, or can I clear them all at once?
You have to delete them one at a time by clicking the X next to each notification. Facebook does not have a "clear all" button for your notification list. However, turning off notification types in Settings stops new ones from arriving, so you will not have to delete as many going forward.
What is the difference between muting and unfriending?
Muting stops notifications but keeps the person as your friend — you can still see their posts if you visit their profile, and they can still message you. Unfriending removes them as a friend entirely. Muting is useful when you want to stay connected but do not want constant notifications.