Push notifications on Facebook are alerts that appear on your phone or computer even when you're not using the app
A push notification is a message Facebook sends directly to your device — it pops up on your screen, makes a sound, or shows a badge on the app icon. You don't have to open Facebook to see it. The notification tells you something happened: someone commented on your post, a friend went live, a group you follow posted something new, or someone sent you a message.
Push notifications work differently from in-app notifications, which only show up when you're already inside Facebook. Push notifications reach you whether you're checking email, using another app, or your phone is locked. That's why they can feel more intrusive — they interrupt what you're doing.
Facebook sends push notifications based on what you do on the platform and what settings you've chosen. If you've turned them on, Facebook decides which events are important enough to notify you about. You control whether you get them at all, and which types of notifications you want to receive.
Key Takeaways
- Push notifications appear on your device screen or lock screen, even when Facebook is closed, and you can turn them off entirely in your phone's settings or Facebook's notification preferences.
- Facebook sends push notifications for messages, comments, friend requests, group activity, and live videos, depending on which notification types you've enabled.
- You can customize push notifications by type — for example, allowing messages but blocking group posts — through Facebook's notification settings menu.
- Turning off push notifications does not delete your messages or hide posts; it only stops the alerts from reaching your device.
Where to find push notification settings on Facebook
On the Facebook app, go to the menu (three horizontal lines) and scroll down to Settings & Privacy, then tap Settings. Look for Notifications in the list. You'll see several notification channels listed: Push Notifications, Email Notifications, SMS Notifications, and In-App Notifications. Tap Push Notifications to see your options.
On a computer, click the down arrow in the top right corner of Facebook, select Settings & Privacy, then Settings. In the left sidebar, click Notifications. You'll see the same list of notification types. Click Push Notifications to adjust them.
The exact location of these menus changes occasionally as Facebook updates its interface, but the path through Settings & Privacy to Notifications remains the standard route on both mobile and desktop.
Types of push notifications Facebook can send
Facebook groups push notifications into categories so you can control what reaches you. Messages includes direct messages from friends and group chats. Friend requests and tags covers when someone adds you as a friend or tags you in a post or photo. Comments and reactions notifies you when someone comments on your post or reacts with an emoji.
Group activity sends alerts when someone posts in a group you're a member of or when a group admin approves your post. Video and live notifications tell you when a friend goes live or when a video you follow gets new activity. Birthdays reminds you of upcoming birthdays for your contacts.
You don't have to accept all of these. You can turn on messages but turn off group activity, for example. Each category has its own toggle switch in the Push Notifications menu, so you choose exactly which types reach your device.
How to turn push notifications on or off
To turn off all push notifications at once, open the Push Notifications menu and toggle the main switch to off. This stops all alerts from reaching your device. To turn them back on, toggle the same switch to on.
To keep some notifications but block others, leave the main switch on and toggle individual categories off. For example, you might want messages and friend requests but not group posts. Toggle Group Activity to off while leaving Messages and Friend Requests and Tags on.
You can also control push notifications from your phone's settings. On iPhone, go to Settings > Notifications > Facebook and toggle notifications off entirely, or choose Allow Notifications to customize which types appear. On Android, go to Settings > Apps > Facebook > Notifications and adjust the same way. Turning off notifications in your phone's settings overrides Facebook's settings.
The difference between push notifications and other notification types
In-app notifications appear only when you're using Facebook — they show as a red number on the bell icon or as a small popup inside the app. You see them only if you open Facebook. Email notifications arrive in your inbox and summarize activity from the past day or week. SMS notifications are text messages sent to your phone number.
Push notifications are the most immediate because they interrupt you regardless of what you're doing. In-app notifications require you to open the app. Email and SMS are slower and usually summarize multiple events into one message rather than alerting you instantly.
You can have all four types turned on at the same time, or you can use only one. Many people turn off push notifications to reduce interruptions but keep email notifications to stay informed without constant alerts.
Why Facebook sends push notifications
Facebook sends push notifications to keep you engaged with the platform. When you get an alert that someone commented on your post or sent you a message, you're more likely to open the app and spend time there. This increases the time you spend on Facebook, which is how Facebook makes money — through advertising shown to you while you're using the app.
From a practical standpoint, push notifications also serve a real purpose: they let you know about messages and activity you might otherwise miss. If a friend sends you a message, a push notification ensures you see it quickly rather than discovering it days later when you happen to open Facebook.
Understanding this trade-off helps you decide which notifications to keep. If you want to stay connected to close friends and family, keeping message notifications on makes sense. If you find group posts distracting, turning off group activity notifications reduces interruptions without cutting you off from important messages.
Frequently Asked Questions
Will turning off push notifications delete my messages or hide posts?
No. Turning off push notifications only stops the alerts from reaching your device. Your messages, posts, and all your Facebook content remain exactly as they were. The next time you open Facebook, you'll see everything that happened while notifications were off.
Can I turn off push notifications for one person but keep them for others?
Facebook's notification settings don't let you block notifications from specific people. You can turn off notifications by type (messages, comments, group posts) but not by individual contact. If you want to avoid notifications from one person, you can mute their posts or unfriend them, but the notification settings themselves work by category only.
Why do I get push notifications when I thought I turned them off?
Check both Facebook's settings and your phone's settings — they work together. If Facebook's push notifications are on but your phone's notifications for Facebook are off, you won't get alerts. If your phone allows notifications but Facebook's settings are off, you won't get them either. You need both to be on for push notifications to reach you.
Do push notifications use data or battery?
Push notifications use very little data — usually just a few kilobytes per notification. They have minimal impact on battery life. The main cost of push notifications is the interruption and distraction they cause, not the technical resources they consume.