You can't delete followers, but you can block them or make your profile private
Facebook doesn't have a button that removes followers from your account. What you can do instead is block specific people (which removes them and prevents them from seeing your profile), make your profile private (which stops new followers from finding you), or remove followers one at a time through your follower list. The method you choose depends on whether you want to target specific people or change who can follow you going forward.
The most common reason people look for this feature is that they've made their profile public at some point and now have followers they don't recognize or don't want. The good news is that removing them takes only a few seconds per person, and you can prevent it from happening again by adjusting your privacy settings.
Key Takeaways
- You can remove individual followers by visiting your follower list and clicking the three dots next to their name, then selecting "Remove Follower."
- Blocking someone removes them as a follower and prevents them from seeing your profile, messaging you, or finding you in search results.
- Making your profile private stops new people from following you unless you approve them first.
- Removing a follower does not notify them, but they may notice if they try to visit your profile later.
- If your profile is public, anyone can follow you; if it's private, only people you approve can see your posts.
How to remove a single follower from your list
Open Facebook and go to your profile by clicking your name or profile picture. On your profile, look for the "Followers" section — this is usually visible on the left side of your profile on desktop, or under your profile picture on mobile. Click "Followers" to see the full list of people following you.
Find the person you want to remove. Hover over their name (on desktop) or tap their profile card (on mobile), and you'll see a three-dot menu icon appear. Click or tap those three dots, then select "Remove Follower" from the menu that appears. That person is now removed and will no longer see your public posts in their feed.
Repeat this process for each follower you want to remove. There's no way to remove multiple followers at once, so if you have many unwanted followers, this will take some time. If you find yourself removing a lot of people, it's usually faster to make your profile private instead (see the next section).
Making your profile private to stop new followers
If you want to prevent strangers from following you in the future, change your profile to private. On desktop, click the down arrow in the top right corner of Facebook, then select "Settings and privacy" and "Settings." On mobile, tap the three horizontal lines (menu icon), scroll down to "Settings and privacy," and tap "Settings."
Look for "Privacy" in the left menu and click it. Find the setting that says "Who can see your posts?" and change it from "Public" to "Friends" or "Private." When your profile is private, only people you've approved as friends can see your posts and follow you. New followers cannot follow you unless you send them a friend request first.
Keep in mind that making your profile private is different from blocking. Private profiles still allow people to send you friend requests and messages — they just can't see your content until you accept. If you want to block specific people entirely, use the blocking method described below.
How to block someone instead of just removing them
Blocking is stronger than removing a follower. When you block someone, they can't see your profile, send you messages, tag you in photos, or find you in search results. You should block someone if they're harassing you, if you want to completely cut off contact, or if you don't want them seeing anything about you at all.
To block someone, go to their profile and click the three dots in the top right corner of their profile header. Select "Block" from the menu. Facebook will ask you to confirm — click "Block" again. That person is now blocked and cannot interact with you in any way on Facebook.
If you change your mind later, you can unblock them by going to Settings, clicking "Blocking" in the left menu, finding their name in the blocked list, and clicking "Unblock." Unblocking them does not automatically re-add them as a follower — they would have to follow you again if your profile is public.
The difference between removing, blocking, and private profiles
| Action | What happens to them | What happens to you | When to use it |
|---|---|---|---|
| Remove Follower | They stop seeing your public posts in their feed. They can still visit your profile if it's public and follow you again. | You see no change in your settings or privacy. | When you want to remove someone specific but don't mind if they follow you again later. |
| Block | They cannot see your profile, message you, or find you in search. They may notice the block if they try to visit your profile. | You cannot see their profile either. You can unblock them later. | When someone is harassing you or you want complete separation. |
| Make Profile Private | Strangers cannot follow you. Only people you approve as friends can see your posts. | You must approve all new friend requests. Existing followers remain unless you remove them. | When you want to control who can see your content going forward. |
What happens when you remove a follower
When you remove a follower, they stop seeing your public posts in their feed. However, if your profile is still public, they can still visit your profile directly and see your public posts there. They can also follow you again if they want to.
Facebook does not send a notification to the person you removed, so they won't get a message saying "You've been removed as a follower." However, they may notice if they try to visit your profile and see that they're no longer following you, or if they realize your posts have stopped appearing in their feed.
If you remove someone and then they follow you again, you can remove them a second time. If this becomes a pattern with the same person, blocking them is a better option because it prevents them from following you at all.
Removing followers on mobile versus desktop
The steps are nearly identical on mobile and desktop, but the layout is slightly different. On desktop, your follower list appears in a sidebar or dedicated section on your profile. On mobile, you access your follower list by tapping your profile picture, then tapping "Followers."
On both platforms, you tap or click the three-dot menu next to each follower's name to see the "Remove Follower" option. Mobile can actually be faster if you have many followers to remove because the list loads continuously as you scroll, whereas desktop sometimes requires clicking through pages.
If you're using Facebook on a phone browser (not the app), the steps are the same as the mobile app. If you're having trouble finding your follower list, make sure you're on your own profile and not someone else's — you can only see and manage your own followers.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I see who unfollowed me?
Facebook does not show you a list of people who have unfollowed you. You can only see your current follower count and your current follower list. If you want to know whether a specific person is still following you, you can visit your follower list and search for their name.
If I remove someone as a follower, can they still message me?
Yes. Removing a follower only stops them from seeing your public posts in their feed. They can still send you messages if your message settings allow it. If you want to prevent them from messaging you, you need to block them instead.
What's the difference between a follower and a friend on Facebook?
Friends can see all your posts (unless you've hidden them from that person). Followers can only see posts you've marked as public. You can have followers without being friends with them. On a private profile, you can only have followers who are also your friends.
If I make my profile private, will my current followers be removed?
No. Making your profile private only stops new people from following you. Your existing followers will remain and can still see your posts. If you want to remove your current followers, you must do that manually before or after changing your privacy settings.
Can I remove all my followers at once?
Facebook does not have a bulk remove option. You must remove followers one at a time through your follower list. If you have many followers you want to remove, making your profile private is usually faster because it stops new followers from appearing, and then you only need to remove the ones you already have.