How to Hide or Unfollow Someone on Facebook Without Unfriending Them?

By App World Team · appworld.work · Updated September 2026

How Do I Hide or Unfollow Someone on Facebook Without Unfriending Them?

Not every friend on Facebook deserves a spot on your News Feed. Maybe it's a coworker whose political rants drown out everything else, a distant cousin who shares ten posts a day, or an ex whose vacation photos you'd rather not see. The good news is that Facebook gives you several ways to quiet someone down without unfriending or blocking them — so your connection, your friends list, and your ability to message each other all stay exactly the same.

In this guide, we'll walk through every method currently available in the Facebook app — unfollowing, hiding individual posts, using Snooze, and the Restricted list — with clear, up-to-date steps for both iPhone and Android. We'll also explain what each option actually does behind the scenes, whether the other person is notified, and how to reverse your choice later if you change your mind.

Quick Answer

To hide someone's posts on Facebook without unfriending them, go to their profile, tap the Following button (or the three-dot menu), and select Unfollow. You'll remain Facebook friends, keep the ability to message and comment, and they will not be notified — but their posts will no longer appear in your News Feed. If you only want a temporary break, use Snooze for 30 days instead.

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Unfollow vs. Unfriend vs. Block vs. Restrict: What's the Difference?

Facebook actually offers four distinct ways to manage how much of someone you see, and it's easy to confuse them. Here's what each one really does:

• Unfollow: Stops a person's or Page's posts from showing in your News Feed. You stay friends, can still message, comment, tag, and visit their profile directly. Nothing about your friendship changes on their end — they simply won't show up automatically in your feed anymore.
• Hide post: Removes a single post from your feed without changing your follow status. Useful for a one-off annoying post rather than everything that person shares.
• Snooze: Temporarily hides someone's posts, a group, or a Page for 30 days. After the snooze period ends, their content automatically starts appearing in your feed again.
• Restrict: Keeps someone as a friend but limits what they can see. Restricted friends only see the posts you share publicly or specifically tag them in — your friends-only posts stay hidden from them, and they are not notified that they've been restricted.
• Unfriend: Fully removes the connection. You are no longer Facebook friends, and reconnecting requires sending a new friend request.
• Block: The most extreme option. It automatically unfriends the person, hides your profile from them, and prevents any interaction, messaging, or tagging in either direction.

If your goal is simply to clean up your feed while staying connected, Unfollow, Snooze, or Restrict are the tools you want — not Unfriend or Block.

Method 1: Unfollow Someone Directly From Their Profile

This is the most permanent way to stop seeing someone's posts while keeping the friendship intact.

1. Open the Facebook app and go to the person's profile (search their name or tap their name on a post).
2. Tap the Friends or Following button near the top of their profile, just under their cover photo.
3. From the pop-up menu, select Unfollow [Name].

That's it — their posts will stop appearing in your News Feed immediately. You are still Facebook friends, they will not receive a notification, and you can still message, comment on their profile, or tag each other as usual.

Method 2: Unfollow From a Post in Your News Feed

If someone's post is already in front of you and you'd rather not see any more like it, you can unfollow directly from the feed without visiting their profile at all.

1. Scroll to the post from the person you want to unfollow.
2. Tap the three-dot icon (⋯) in the top-right corner of the post.
3. Select Unfollow [Name] from the menu that appears.

This works the same way whether the post is from a friend, a Page, or a group you belong to.

Method 3: Manage All Your Unfollows From Settings

Facebook also keeps a dedicated menu where you can review and manage everyone you've ever unfollowed, plus unfollow new people from a single screen.

1. Tap your profile picture or the menu icon in the top corner of the app.
2. Tap Settings & privacy, then Settings.
3. Scroll down to Preferences and tap News Feed.
4. Select Unfollow to see everyone you currently follow.
5. Tap Unfollow next to any name to stop seeing their posts, or tap Reconnect next to someone you previously unfollowed to start seeing their posts again.

This screen is especially useful for a "feed cleanup" session, since it lists all your friends, Pages, and groups in one place instead of making you visit each profile individually.

Method 4: Hide a Single Post Without Unfollowing

Sometimes you don't want to stop seeing everything someone posts — just that one post about a topic you'd rather avoid. For that, use Hide post instead of Unfollow:

1. Find the post in your News Feed.
2. Tap the three-dot icon (⋯) in the corner of the post.
3. Select Hide post.

This removes only that specific post and does not affect whether you continue seeing the person's future posts.

Method 5: Use Snooze for a Temporary 30-Day Break

If you don't want to commit to a permanent unfollow — say, a friend is going through a phase of posting nonstop about a new baby, a new relationship, or a hobby you're just not into — Snooze is the better tool. It automatically hides that person, Page, or group from your feed for 30 days, then automatically restores their posts once the period ends.

1. Tap the three-dot icon (⋯) on one of their posts in your feed.
2. Select Snooze [Name] for 30 days.

Facebook does not notify the snoozed person or Page, and you can manually unsnooze someone earlier from the same News Feed preferences menu described in Method 3 if you change your mind before the 30 days are up.

Method 6: Use the Restricted List for Extra Privacy

Restrict is a step beyond unfollowing. It's designed for situations where you want to stay Facebook friends on paper — maybe to avoid an awkward conversation — but don't want that person seeing your friends-only posts, stories, or being prompted as someone to tag. Restricted friends can still see anything you share publicly, and they are never notified that they've been added to the list.

1. Go to the person's profile.
2. Tap the three-dot icon (⋯) below their cover photo.
3. Select Add to restricted list (this may also appear under Friends settings, depending on your app version).

You can combine Restrict with Unfollow for maximum control — this way, you neither see their posts nor do they see yours, but you're still officially "friends" on the platform.

Bonus: Take a Break (Best for Exes or Difficult Relationships)

Facebook's Take a Break tool bundles several of the above options into one flow, originally designed for people going through a breakup who don't want to fully cut ties. From a friend's profile, tap the three-dot menu and look for Take a Break. From there you can choose to:

• See less of them in your feed (functions like Unfollow)
• Limit who can see your posts and posts you're tagged in with them
• Edit who can see past posts you're tagged in together

None of these settings unfriend the person, and none of them send a notification.

Will They Know I Unfollowed, Hid, Snoozed, or Restricted Them?

No. Facebook does not send a notification for any of these actions — Unfollow, Hide post, Snooze, or Restrict. The only way someone could theoretically notice is if they check whether their posts are getting fewer likes or comments from you, but there's no built-in feature that tells them directly. This makes all four methods genuinely low-drama ways to clean up your feed.

How to Follow Someone Again

If you change your mind later, reversing an unfollow takes just a few taps:

1. Go to their profile and tap the Follow button, or
2. Go to Settings & privacy > Settings > News Feed > Unfollow, find their name in the list, and tap Follow or Reconnect.

Just like unfollowing, refollowing someone does not send them a notification either.

Which Option Should You Actually Use?

Here's a quick decision guide depending on your situation:

• "I never want to see their posts again, but we can stay friends." → Unfollow
• "This one post is annoying, but I like their content overall." → Hide post
• "I need a temporary break, not a permanent one." → Snooze for 30 days
• "I want to stay friends but don't want them seeing my posts either." → Restrict
• "This is a breakup and I need distance without deleting them." → Take a Break
• "I want nothing to do with them at all." → Unfriend or Block

Common Reasons People Unfollow Without Unfriending

Curious whether your reason for wanting a quieter feed is a common one? These are the situations that come up most often:

• Oversharing: A friend or relative posts dozens of times a day, and their content dominates your feed at the expense of everyone else you actually want to hear from.
• Political or controversial content: You'd rather not see divisive posts from a coworker or acquaintance, even though you have no interest in cutting ties personally.
• Multi-level marketing or promotional posts: Someone constantly shares product pitches, and it clutters your feed without adding value.
• Life events you'd rather step back from: A breakup, a friend's constant relationship updates, or a family member's parenting content you're not currently in the mood to see.
• Professional boundaries: You're connected to a manager, client, or coworker and prefer to keep your feed focused on personal friends instead.

In every one of these cases, Unfollow, Snooze, or Restrict solves the problem without the social awkwardness of an outright unfriend.

Mistakes to Avoid When Managing Your Facebook Feed

• Blocking when you only meant to unfollow. Blocking is permanent and disruptive — it automatically removes the friendship and cuts off messaging. If your goal is just a quieter feed, stick to Unfollow, Snooze, or Restrict.
• Forgetting where your unfollowed list lives. Many people unfollow dozens of friends over the years and forget who's on the list. Check Settings & privacy > Settings > News Feed > Unfollow periodically to review and reconnect with anyone you'd like to see again.
• Assuming Snooze is permanent. Snooze automatically expires after 30 days. If you want a permanent fix, use Unfollow instead, or re-snooze once the period ends.
• Confusing Restrict with Block. Restrict is subtle and reversible — the person stays a friend and is never notified. Block is a hard cutoff that also removes the friendship.

Does This Work the Same on iPhone and Android?

Yes. The Facebook app uses the same underlying menus on both iOS and Android, though the exact icon placement can shift slightly between app updates. On both platforms, look for the three-dot icon (⋯) on posts and profiles, and the Following or Friends button near the top of a profile page. If you use Facebook through a mobile browser instead of the app, the same options are available, typically accessed through the three-dot menu near the cover photo. Desktop users will find nearly identical options by clicking the Friends button on a profile or the three dots on any News Feed post.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does unfollowing someone on Facebook notify them?

No. Facebook never sends a notification when you unfollow a friend or Page. They have no built-in way to find out you've unfollowed them.

What's the difference between unfollowing and unfriending?

Unfollowing only affects your News Feed — you remain friends and can still message and interact normally. Unfriending removes the connection entirely, and reconnecting requires sending a fresh friend request.

Can I unfollow someone without them seeing their profile changed on my end?

Yes. Unfollowing is entirely private and doesn't change anything visible on your profile or theirs.

What happens to old posts and photos I'm tagged in with them after I unfollow?

Nothing changes. Tags, photos, and your past interaction history remain exactly as they were — unfollowing only affects future posts appearing in your feed.

Can I still see their Stories after unfollowing them?

Yes, in most cases their Stories can still appear depending on your settings, though unfollowing generally reduces how prominently their content — including Stories — shows up across the app.

Final Thoughts

You don't need to burn bridges to get a cleaner, more enjoyable Facebook feed. Between Unfollow, Hide post, Snooze, and Restrict, there's a tool for almost every situation — whether you want a quiet, permanent fix or just a 30-day breather. Start with Unfollow if you're unsure; it's reversible, private, and takes less than ten seconds from any post or profile in the Facebook app.

Related reading on App World: Explore more Facebook privacy and app guides at appworld.work.

Article by App World Team — appworld.work. Facebook feature names and menu locations are periodically updated by Meta; steps in this guide reflect the Facebook app as of September 2026 and may vary slightly by device, app version, and region.