How to delete someone from Facebook
To remove someone from your Facebook friends list, find their profile, click the "Friends" button, and select "Remove Friend" from the menu that appears. The person will not receive a notification that you removed them, though they may notice over time that you are no longer on their friends list. If you want to prevent them from seeing your profile or sending you messages in the future, you can block them instead — blocking is more restrictive than unfriending.
The steps differ slightly depending on whether you are using Facebook on a computer or a phone, but the core action is the same on both. You can also remove someone from your friends list directly from your own friends list without visiting their profile.
Key Takeaways
- Removing someone as a friend does not notify them, but they can see they are no longer on your friends list if they visit your profile.
- On a computer, visit the person's profile, click "Friends," and select "Remove Friend" from the dropdown menu.
- On a phone, open their profile, tap "Friends," and then tap "Remove Friend" to confirm.
- Blocking someone prevents them from seeing your profile, sending you messages, or finding you in search — it is stronger than unfriending.
- You can remove someone from your own friends list by clicking their name in your friends section and selecting the remove option.
Removing someone on a computer
Open Facebook in your web browser and search for the person's name using the search bar at the top of the page. Click on their profile to open it. Look for the "Friends" button — it is usually near the top of their profile, often next to a "Message" button or other action buttons.
Click the "Friends" button and a small menu will drop down. Select "Remove Friend" from that menu. The person is now removed from your friends list. If you change your mind, you can send them a new friend request later.
Removing someone on a phone
Open the Facebook app and use the search icon to find the person's name. Tap on their profile to open it. Scroll to find the "Friends" button — on most phones it appears near the top of the profile, sometimes shown as a person icon with a checkmark.
Tap the "Friends" button. A menu will appear with options including "Remove Friend." Tap that option and confirm when prompted. The removal happens immediately.
Removing someone from your own friends list
You can also remove a friend without visiting their profile. On a computer, click your own profile picture in the top right corner, then select "Friends" from the menu. Find the person you want to remove in your friends list. Hover over their name or profile picture until a small menu appears, then click the three dots or the "X" icon and select "Remove Friend."
On a phone, tap your profile picture at the bottom of the screen, then tap "Friends." Find the person in your list, tap their name or profile picture, and look for the "Friends" button with a checkmark. Tap it and select "Remove Friend" to confirm.
The difference between removing and blocking
Removing someone as a friend and blocking them are two separate actions with different results. When you remove a friend, they can still see your public posts, visit your profile (if it is set to public), and send you a new friend request. They simply will not appear on your friends list anymore.
When you block someone, they cannot see your profile at all, cannot send you messages, cannot find you in search results, and cannot see your posts or comments on other people's pages. Blocking is the right choice if you want to prevent all contact with someone. Removing is the right choice if you simply want to end the friendship but do not need to hide your profile from them.
What happens after you remove someone
The person you removed will not see a notification saying you unfriended them. However, if they visit your profile or look at their own friends list, they will notice you are no longer there. Depending on your privacy settings, they may still be able to see some of your public posts or activity.
If you remove someone by mistake, you can send them a new friend request. They will receive it like any other request, and you can explain what happened if you want to. There is no way to "undo" a removal instantly — the only option is to request friendship again.
Removing someone who has already removed you
If someone removes you as a friend, you will not receive a notification. You may only notice when you try to visit their profile and see that you are no longer friends, or when you look at your friends list and realize they are gone. You cannot remove someone who is not on your friends list, so if they have already removed you, the action is already complete on their end.
If you want to prevent them from sending you a new friend request or contacting you, you can block them. Otherwise, you can simply leave things as they are.
Frequently Asked Questions
Will the person know I removed them?
Facebook does not send a notification when you remove someone. However, they can discover it themselves by visiting your profile or checking their friends list. There is no automatic alert, so many people never notice.
Can I remove someone without them seeing my profile?
Removing someone does not hide your profile from them. If you want to prevent them from seeing your profile entirely, you need to block them instead. Blocking is the only way to hide your profile and prevent all contact.
What if I remove someone and then want to be friends again?
Send them a new friend request. They will receive it as a regular request and can accept or decline. You can explain what happened in a message if you want to, but there is no special "re-add" option — it works like any other friend request.
Does removing someone delete our old messages?
No. Removing someone as a friend does not delete your message history with them. You can still see old conversations in your message inbox, and they can see them too. If you want to delete messages, you must do that separately.
Can I remove someone and then block them?
Yes. You can remove someone as a friend and then block them separately. Blocking is stronger — it prevents them from seeing your profile and contacting you at all. You do not have to remove them first; you can block someone directly without removing them.