You can reduce friend suggestions on Facebook, but you cannot turn them off completely
Facebook does not offer a single switch to disable all friend suggestions. The platform uses your activity, contacts, and mutual connections to generate recommendations, and this feature is built into how the site works. However, you can limit the suggestions you see by adjusting your privacy settings, controlling what Facebook knows about your contacts, and telling the platform which suggestions to ignore.
The most direct method is to remove your phone number and email from Facebook, limit who can see your profile, and use the "See Friendship" feature to hide suggestions from specific people. You can also clear your contact list from Facebook's servers and adjust settings that let the platform access your phone contacts.
Key Takeaways
- Facebook will not stop suggesting friends entirely, but you can reduce suggestions by removing your phone number and email address from your account.
- You can hide individual friend suggestions by clicking the X next to a person's name in the suggestions list, and Facebook will stop showing that person for a while.
- Limiting who can see your profile and adjusting your contact upload settings reduces the data Facebook uses to generate suggestions.
- Clearing your synced contacts from Facebook removes the phone numbers and email addresses the platform uses to match you with people you know.
Remove your phone number and email from your Facebook account
Facebook uses your phone number and email address to match you with people in your contacts and suggest them as friends. Removing these from your account reduces the information Facebook has to generate suggestions.
On a computer, go to Settings and Privacy, then Settings. Click Personal Information on the left side. Find Phone and Email, and click next to your phone number to remove it. Do the same for your email address. On a phone, open the Facebook app, tap the menu icon (three horizontal lines) at the bottom right, scroll down to Settings and Privacy, then tap Settings. Tap Personal Information, then Phone or Email, and remove each one.
This does not stop all suggestions — Facebook can still use your activity and mutual connections — but it removes one major source of data the platform uses to find people to suggest.
Hide individual friend suggestions
When you see a person suggested as a friend, you can tell Facebook not to suggest them again. On a computer, go to your Friends section and look for the "People You May Know" box. Hover over a suggested person's name and click the X button that appears. On a phone, open the Facebook app, tap the menu icon, tap Friends, and scroll to "People You May Know." Tap the X next to any person you do not want to see suggested again.
Facebook will stop showing that person as a suggestion for several months. This does not prevent the platform from suggesting other people, but it removes individuals you have already decided you do not want to connect with.
Limit who can see your profile
The more people who can see your profile, the more people Facebook can suggest to you and suggest you to. Restricting your profile visibility reduces the pool of people the platform uses to generate suggestions.
On a computer, go to Settings and Privacy, then Settings. Click Privacy on the left side. Find "Who can see your profile?" and change it from Public to Friends or a custom list. On a phone, open the Facebook app, tap the menu icon, tap Settings and Privacy, then Settings. Tap Privacy, then tap "Who can see your profile?" and select Friends or a custom audience.
Keep in mind that limiting profile visibility also affects who can find you through search and who can see your posts. If you want to stay visible to the public but reduce suggestions, this method works best combined with removing your contact information.
Turn off contact uploading and clear synced contacts
Facebook can access your phone's contact list and use it to suggest people you know. You can prevent this and remove contacts you have already uploaded.
On an iPhone, open the Facebook app, tap the menu icon at the bottom right, tap Settings and Privacy, then Settings. Tap Apps and Websites, then tap Contacts. Toggle off "Allow" to stop Facebook from accessing your contacts going forward. To remove contacts you have already uploaded, go back to Settings, tap Personal Information, then tap Contacts. Tap "Manage Contacts" and select "Remove All" to clear your synced contact list from Facebook's servers.
On an Android phone, open the Facebook app, tap the menu icon, tap Settings and Privacy, then Settings. Tap Apps and Websites, then tap Contacts. Toggle off "Allow" to stop future access. To remove uploaded contacts, go to Settings, tap Personal Information, then Contacts. Tap "Manage Contacts" and select "Remove All."
This prevents Facebook from using your phone contacts to generate suggestions, though the platform can still suggest people based on mutual friends and your activity.
Adjust your ad preferences and data settings
Facebook uses data about your interests, location, and behavior to suggest friends. While you cannot turn off suggestions entirely, you can limit the data Facebook collects about you.
On a computer, go to Settings and Privacy, then Settings. Click Ads on the left side, then Ad Preferences. You can see the categories Facebook uses to target you and remove interests you do not want to share. Click each category to remove it. You can also go to Settings, click Apps and Websites, and review which apps and websites have permission to share your data with Facebook. Remove access for apps you do not use.
On a phone, open the Facebook app, tap the menu icon, tap Settings and Privacy, then Settings. Tap Ads, then Ad Preferences. Tap each interest category to remove it. These changes do not stop friend suggestions, but they reduce the behavioral data Facebook uses to decide which people to recommend.
What happens when you block or unfriend someone
If you block a person, Facebook will not suggest them as a friend, and they cannot see your profile or send you messages. If you unfriend someone, they disappear from your friends list, but Facebook may suggest them again later because the platform does not treat unfriending as a permanent rejection.
Blocking is more effective if you want to ensure someone never appears in your suggestions. To block someone, go to their profile, click the three dots in the top right, and select "Block." To unblock them later, go to Settings and Privacy, then Settings, click Blocking on the left side, find their name, and click "Unblock."
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does Facebook keep suggesting the same person?
Facebook suggests people based on mutual friends, shared interests, and activity patterns. If you keep seeing the same person, it means the platform thinks you have a strong connection to them. Click the X next to their name to hide them, or adjust your privacy settings to limit the data Facebook uses to generate suggestions.
Can I stop Facebook from accessing my contacts?
Yes. On your phone, go to Facebook's app settings and toggle off access to your contacts. You can also remove contacts you have already uploaded by going to Settings, Personal Information, Contacts, and selecting "Remove All." This prevents Facebook from using your phone's contact list to suggest friends.
Does blocking someone stop them from being suggested as a friend?
Yes. When you block someone, they will not appear in your friend suggestions, and you will not appear in theirs. Blocking is more permanent than hiding a suggestion. If you later want to see suggestions from that person again, you can unblock them in your Blocking settings.
Will removing my phone number stop all friend suggestions?
No. Removing your phone number reduces one source of data Facebook uses, but the platform can still suggest people based on mutual friends, your activity, and other information. Combine removing your phone number with hiding individual suggestions and limiting your profile visibility for the best results.
What is the difference between hiding a suggestion and blocking someone?
Hiding a suggestion tells Facebook not to show that person to you for a while, but they may reappear later. Blocking prevents them from ever appearing in your suggestions and stops them from seeing your profile or contacting you. Use hiding for people you might want to connect with later, and blocking for people you want to avoid entirely.