How to stop Facebook notifications right now
Facebook notifications stop when you change your settings in the app or on your computer. You can turn off all notifications at once, or pick which ones you want to see — like messages from friends but not game requests. The steps are different depending on whether you use Facebook on your phone, tablet, or web browser, but each takes less than two minutes.
The fastest way is to go into your Facebook settings, find the Notifications section, and switch off the types you don't want. You can also silence notifications from specific people or pages without unfollowing them, so you stay connected but stop getting the alerts.
Key Takeaways
- Facebook notifications turn off in Settings on your phone app or in Preferences on the web version — the location is different for each device.
- You can turn off all notifications at once, or choose which types to keep, such as messages only or friend requests only.
- Muting a person or page stops their notifications without unfollowing them, so their posts still appear in your feed if you search for them.
- Phone notifications and in-app notifications are controlled separately, so you may need to change both to fully stop the alerts.
- If you turn notifications back on later, Facebook remembers your old settings and restores them automatically.
Stop notifications on Facebook's iPhone or Android app
Open the Facebook app and tap the three horizontal lines (the menu icon) at the bottom right of your screen. Scroll down and tap Settings & Privacy, then tap Settings. Look for Notifications in the list.
You will see different notification types listed: Messages, Friend Requests, Comments, Likes, and others. Tap each one and choose Off to stop that type of notification. If you want to keep some notifications but turn off others, tap only the ones you don't want and leave the rest as they are.
After you change these settings, Facebook stops sending notifications to your phone's notification center. However, you may also need to turn off notifications in your phone's own settings. Go to your phone's Settings app, find Facebook in the list of apps, and make sure notifications are turned off there too. Some phones show notifications even when the app has them disabled, so checking both places stops them completely.
Stop notifications on Facebook's website
Log into Facebook on your computer and click the downward arrow at the top right of the page. Click Settings & Privacy, then click Settings. On the left side, click Notifications.
You will see a list of notification types with dropdown menus next to each one. Click each dropdown and select Off for the notifications you don't want. The options include Messages, Friend Requests, Comments on Your Posts, Likes, Tags, and Event Invitations. You can turn off all of them or keep only the ones that matter to you.
Facebook also sends notifications through email. In the same Notifications section, look for Email Notifications and click it. Turn off the email types you don't want the same way. Some people turn off app notifications but keep email notifications for important messages, or vice versa — it depends on what works for you.
Mute notifications from specific people or pages
If you want to stay friends with someone but don't want their notifications, you can mute them instead of unfollowing or unfriending them. Find their profile or a post they made, click the three dots in the corner of the post, and select Mute [Person's Name]. You will stop getting notifications from them, but their posts will still show up in your feed if you visit their profile or search for them.
The same works for pages. If a page sends too many notifications, click the three dots on one of their posts and choose Mute [Page Name]. You can unmute them anytime by going back to their profile and clicking the three dots again.
Muting is different from unfollowing. When you unfollow someone, you stop seeing their posts in your feed at all. When you mute them, you just stop getting alerts, but their posts still appear if you look for them. This is useful if you want to stay connected to someone but don't need constant notifications.
Turn off notifications for specific apps and games
Facebook games and apps send their own notifications separate from Facebook's main notifications. If you play games through Facebook or use apps that connect to your account, they may send alerts even after you turn off Facebook notifications.
To stop these, go to your Facebook Settings, click Apps and Websites on the left, and look for Apps, Websites and Plugins. Find the game or app in the list, click it, and look for notification settings. You can usually turn off notifications for each app individually. If an app does not have a notification setting in Facebook, you may need to go into the app itself and turn off notifications there.
What to do if notifications keep coming after you turn them off
Sometimes notifications continue even after you change your settings. This usually happens because you changed the settings in the app but not on the website, or vice versa. Check both places — the Facebook app on your phone and Facebook.com on your computer — and make sure notifications are off in both.
If you use Facebook on multiple devices, you need to turn off notifications on each one separately. Changing settings on your phone does not affect your tablet or computer. Go through each device you use and turn off notifications the same way.
If notifications still appear after you have turned them off everywhere, try logging out of Facebook completely and logging back in. Sometimes the app does not register setting changes until you restart it. Close the app completely (not just minimize it), wait a few seconds, and open it again. Then check your notification settings one more time to make sure they stuck.
Turn notifications back on if you change your mind
If you turn off all notifications and later decide you want some of them back, Facebook remembers your previous settings. Go back to Settings > Notifications and switch the types you want back on. You do not have to set them up from scratch — just toggle them back to On.
You can also turn notifications back on for a specific person or page you muted. Go to their profile, click the three dots, and select Unmute. Notifications from them will resume immediately.
Frequently Asked Questions
Will turning off notifications make me miss important messages?
No. Messages will still arrive in your inbox — you just will not get an alert when they come in. You can check your messages anytime by opening Facebook. If you want to keep notifications for messages but turn off everything else, you can do that by leaving Messages on and turning off the other notification types.
Can I turn off notifications for just one person without unfriending them?
Yes, mute them. Click the three dots on their post and select Mute. They will not know you muted them, and you will stay friends. Their posts still appear in your feed if you visit their profile, but you will not get notifications from them.
Do I need to turn off notifications on my phone and my computer separately?
Yes. Facebook treats each device as separate. If you turn off notifications on your phone app but leave them on at Facebook.com, you will still get notifications on your computer. Change the settings on every device you use Facebook on.
What is the difference between muting and unfollowing?
Muting stops notifications but keeps the person in your friends list and their posts in your feed. Unfollowing removes their posts from your feed but keeps you friends. Unfriending removes them completely. Muting is the gentlest option if you just want fewer alerts.
Why do I still get notifications after turning them off?
You probably changed settings in one place but not another. Check your phone app settings, your computer settings, and your phone's own notification settings for Facebook. You may also need to close and reopen the app for changes to take effect.