You can remove a Facebook friend in two taps, and they won't get a notification

To remove someone from your Facebook friends, find their profile, tap or click the "Friends" button, and select "Remove Friend" from the menu. The person will not receive a notification that you removed them, though they may notice over time if they check your profile or look for you in their friends list. Facebook does not send a message to them about the removal.

The removal is immediate. Once you confirm, you are no longer friends on Facebook. If you want to reconnect later, you will need to send them a new friend request, and they will have to accept it.

Key Takeaways

  • Removing a friend takes seconds: visit their profile, tap the Friends button, and select Remove Friend.
  • The person you remove will not get a notification, but they can see you are no longer friends if they visit your profile.
  • After removal, you cannot see their posts unless their profile is public, and they cannot see yours unless you are friends again.
  • If you want to stop seeing someone's posts without removing them, you can unfollow them instead — they stay your friend but their posts stop appearing in your feed.

How to remove a friend on Facebook desktop

Open Facebook in a web browser and go to the person's profile. You can search for their name using the search bar at the top, or find them through your friends list. Once you are on their profile page, look for the "Friends" button — it is usually near the top of the profile, next to or near their name and profile picture.

Click the Friends button. A small menu will appear with options including "Remove Friend". Click that option. Facebook will ask you to confirm. Once you confirm, the removal is complete.

How to remove a friend on the Facebook mobile app

Open the Facebook app and search for the person's name using the search icon at the bottom of the screen. Tap their profile to open it. At the top of their profile, you will see a "Friends" button — it may say "Friends" with a checkmark, or show a friend icon.

Tap the Friends button. A menu will appear. Select "Remove Friend" and confirm when Facebook asks you to verify. The removal happens immediately.

The difference between removing a friend and blocking someone

Removing a friend and blocking are two different actions with different results. When you remove a friend, they can still see your profile if it is set to public, and they can still message you. When you block someone, they cannot see your profile at all, cannot message you, and cannot find you in search results.

Remove a friend when you simply want to end the friendship but do not need to prevent them from contacting you. Block someone when you want to cut off all contact and prevent them from viewing your activity. Blocking is stronger and more final-feeling, so use it when removal is not enough.

What happens after you remove a friend

Once you remove someone, they will no longer see your posts in their feed (unless your profile is public and they follow you). You will not see their posts in your feed. Any private messages between you remain in both of your message histories, but you cannot send them new messages unless you are friends again or they message you first.

The person may notice you are no longer friends if they visit your profile or check their friends list. Facebook does not notify them of the removal, so they will only know if they look. Some people check their friends list regularly; others never do.

Unfollowing as an alternative to removing a friend

If you want to stay friends with someone but do not want to see their posts, you can unfollow them instead of removing them. When you unfollow someone, you remain friends, but their posts stop appearing in your feed. They will not know you unfollowed them.

To unfollow someone on desktop, visit their profile and click the "Following" button near the top. Select "Unfollow". On mobile, tap the "Following" button on their profile and select "Unfollow". You can refollow them at any time by tapping or clicking "Follow" on their profile.

Removing multiple friends at once

Facebook does not have a built-in tool to remove multiple friends in one action. You will need to remove each person individually by visiting their profile and selecting Remove Friend. If you need to remove many people, this will take time, but there is no faster official way to do it.

Some third-party apps claim to remove multiple friends at once, but Facebook's terms of service restrict what these apps can do, and using them carries a small risk that Facebook may limit your account. The safest approach is to remove people one at a time through Facebook itself.

Frequently Asked Questions

Will the person know I removed them?

Facebook does not send a notification when you remove someone. They will only know if they visit your profile, check their friends list, or notice your posts stopped appearing in their feed. Many people never notice.

Can I remove someone and then add them back later?

Yes. After you remove someone, you can send them a new friend request at any time. They will have to accept it before you are friends again. There is no waiting period or penalty for removing and re-adding someone.

What if I remove someone by mistake?

You can send them a new friend request to reconnect. There is no undo button for removals, but sending a new request is quick. If you are worried about awkwardness, you could message them first to explain it was an accident.

Does removing a friend delete our message history?

No. Your past messages with that person stay in your message history even after you remove them as a friend. You can still read old conversations, but you cannot send new messages unless you are friends again or they message you first.

Can I remove someone without them seeing that I removed them?

Yes. Facebook does not notify people when you remove them, and there is no public record of the removal. The only way they will know is if they check your profile or their friends list themselves.