Turn off notifications in Facebook's settings on any device
Facebook notifications appear as badges on your app icon, pop-ups on your screen, and alerts on your phone or computer. You can turn off all of them, some of them, or just the ones that bother you most — the controls are in your notification settings, not scattered across your phone's system settings.
The fastest way is to go directly to Facebook's notification preferences and switch off the categories you don't want. You can do this on your phone or computer in about two minutes. If you want to keep some notifications but silence others — for example, keep messages but turn off group activity — you can control each type separately.
Key Takeaways
- Facebook notifications are controlled inside the Facebook app or website, not in your phone's system settings.
- You can turn off all notifications at once, or silence specific types like comments, friend requests, or group posts.
- Phone and computer settings are separate — turning off notifications on your phone does not affect your computer, and vice versa.
- If you turn off notifications but stay logged in, you will still see activity when you open Facebook; you just won't get alerts.
- Messenger notifications are controlled separately from Facebook notifications, even though both apps are owned by Meta.
Turn off notifications on iPhone or Android
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 menu.
You will see a list of notification types: Comments, Likes, Friend Requests, Group Activity, Event Invitations, and others. Tap any category to turn it off completely, or tap it again to turn it back on. If you want finer control — for example, to get notifications from close friends but not acquaintances — tap the category name to see more options.
Some notification types have a toggle switch; others let you choose All, Friends, Close Friends, or Off. Once you have made your choices, the changes save automatically. You do not need to tap a save button.
Turn off notifications on Windows or Mac
Go to facebook.com in your web browser and log in if you are not already. Click the downward arrow at the top right of the page, then click Settings & Privacy, then click Settings. On the left side, click Notifications.
You will see notification types grouped by where they appear: In-App Notifications, Email Notifications, and Push Notifications (the alerts that pop up on your screen). Click the notification type you want to change. A menu will appear with options like On, Off, or specific categories. Select what you want and the change saves right away.
If you want to turn off email notifications specifically — the messages Facebook sends to your email address — scroll down to the Email section and click each type to turn it off. This is separate from the notifications that appear inside Facebook or on your screen.
Turn off notifications for specific people or groups
If you want to stay notified about most activity but silence notifications from one person or one group, you can do that without going into settings. On your phone, find the person's profile or the group page, tap the three dots at the top right, and look for an option like Mute Notifications or Turn Off Notifications. On your computer, right-click the person's name or group and select the mute option from the menu.
Muting someone or a group does not unfriend them or leave the group — they will not know you have muted them. You will still see their posts and activity when you open Facebook; you just will not get alerts about it. If you change your mind, you can unmute them the same way.
Handle Messenger notifications separately
Facebook Messenger has its own notification settings, separate from the main Facebook app. If you want to turn off message alerts but keep Facebook notifications, or vice versa, you need to change Messenger's settings directly.
On your phone, open Messenger and tap your profile picture at the top left. Tap Notifications & Sounds. You will see toggles for different notification types: message notifications, call notifications, group notifications, and others. Turn off the ones you don't want. On your computer, open Messenger and click your profile picture, then click Notifications to see the same options.
Stop notifications from appearing on your lock screen
Even if you turn off Facebook notifications in the app, your phone's system settings might still show them on your lock screen or in your notification center. To stop this, go to your phone's system settings, not Facebook's settings.
On iPhone, go to Settings > Notifications > Facebook. Turn off Allow Notifications. On Android, go to Settings > Apps > Facebook > Notifications and turn off Allow Notifications. This stops all notifications from Facebook at the system level, even if Facebook's app settings are turned on. If you want to use both controls together — for example, to get some Facebook notifications but not others — turn off the notification types you don't want in Facebook's settings, then leave your phone's system notifications on.
What happens when you turn off notifications
Turning off notifications does not delete your account, log you out, or hide your activity from other people. It only stops the alerts from reaching you. When you open Facebook, you will still see all your messages, comments, likes, and friend requests — they just will not pop up or send you an alert.
If you turn off all notifications and then realize you miss them, you can turn them back on the same way. There is no waiting period or penalty. You can also turn notifications back on for just one category — for example, turn off group posts but keep message notifications on.
Frequently Asked Questions
Will people know I turned off notifications?
No. Turning off notifications is private. Other people cannot see whether you have notifications on or off, and Facebook does not tell them you have muted them or their posts. They will not know unless you tell them.
Why am I still getting notifications after I turned them off?
Check whether you turned off notifications in Facebook's settings or only in your phone's system settings. You may need to turn them off in both places. Also check whether you are getting email notifications instead of app notifications — these are controlled separately. If you are getting notifications from Messenger, you need to turn those off in the Messenger app, not the Facebook app.
Can I turn off notifications for just one type, like comments?
Yes. In your notification settings, you can turn off individual categories like Comments, Likes, Friend Requests, or Group Activity while keeping others on. This lets you stay notified about the things that matter to you and silence the rest.
Do I have to turn off notifications on my phone and computer separately?
Yes. Your phone and computer have separate notification settings. If you turn off notifications on your iPhone, you will still get them on your Mac or Windows computer unless you turn them off there too. You need to change the settings on each device.
What if I want notifications back but forgot where the settings are?
Go to the three-line menu in the Facebook app (or the arrow at the top right on a computer), tap or click Settings & Privacy, then Settings, then Notifications. All your notification controls are in one place. You can turn any category back on by tapping or clicking it.