Where to find Facebook notification settings
Facebook notification controls live in different places depending on whether you use the app, the website, or both. On your phone, open the Facebook app, tap the menu icon (three horizontal lines) at the bottom right, scroll down to Settings & Privacy, then tap Settings. On a computer, click the downward arrow in the top right corner of any Facebook page, select Settings & Privacy, then click Settings. From there, look for Notifications in the left sidebar.
The notification settings page shows you every type of alert Facebook can send — likes, comments, friend requests, event invitations, and dozens more. Each one has its own on-off switch. You do not have to turn off all notifications at once; you can disable only the ones that bother you and leave the rest active.
Key Takeaways
- Notification settings are in Settings & Privacy on both the app and website, but the exact path differs slightly between devices.
- You can turn off individual notification types (like comments or friend requests) without disabling all notifications.
- Phone notifications, email notifications, and in-app notifications are controlled separately, so you may need to adjust more than one setting.
- Turning off notifications does not delete your messages or hide your account — it only stops the alerts from reaching you.
Turning off notifications on the Facebook app
Open the Facebook app and tap the three-line menu at the bottom right. Scroll down and tap Settings & Privacy, then Settings. Tap Notifications. You will see a list of notification categories: In-App Notifications, Push Notifications, Email Notifications, and others depending on your phone type.
Tap Push Notifications to control alerts that appear on your phone's lock screen or notification center. You will see a list of notification types — likes, comments, friend requests, event invites, and more. Tap the toggle next to any notification type to turn it off. If you want to stop all push notifications at once, tap All Push Notifications at the top and turn off the main toggle.
If you want to keep some notifications but stop others, go through the list and toggle off only the ones you do not want. For example, you might keep friend request notifications on but turn off likes and comments. Each setting saves automatically.
Turning off notifications on Facebook's website
On a computer, click the downward arrow in the top right corner of Facebook and select Settings & Privacy, then Settings. In the left sidebar, click Notifications. You will see notification categories listed: In-App Notifications, Email Notifications, and Push Notifications (if you have the browser extension or use Facebook's desktop app).
Click on each category to see what notifications fall under it. For example, under Email Notifications, you might see options for likes, comments, friend requests, and event invites. Click the dropdown next to each one and select Off. You can also click Off next to the category name itself to turn off all notifications of that type at once.
Controlling notifications by notification type
Facebook groups notifications separately by what triggers them. Likes and reactions alert you when someone reacts to your post. Comments alert you when someone replies to your post or a comment you made. Friend requests notify you when someone wants to add you. Event invitations tell you when you are invited to an event. Group activity alerts you to posts in groups you joined.
You do not have to turn off all of these. Many people keep friend request and message notifications on but turn off likes and comments, since those happen constantly. Go through the list and toggle off only the notification types that distract you. The ones you leave on will continue to reach you as usual.
Email notifications versus push notifications
Facebook can send you notifications three ways: as push notifications on your phone, as emails to your email address, and as in-app alerts you see when you open Facebook. These are controlled separately. You might turn off push notifications but keep email notifications on, or vice versa.
If you want to stop all email from Facebook, go to Settings > Notifications and find Email Notifications. Click the dropdown next to each notification type and select Off. If you want to stop push notifications but still get emails, turn off only the Push Notifications section. Check both sections to make sure you have turned off what you intended.
What happens when you turn off notifications
Turning off a notification does not delete messages, hide your account, or change how Facebook works. It only stops the alert from reaching you. If someone comments on your post and you have comments notifications turned off, the comment still appears on your post — you just will not get an alert about it. If you log into Facebook later, you will still see the comment there.
You can turn notifications back on at any time by going to the same settings and toggling them back on. There is no waiting period or re-activation step. The change takes effect immediately.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I turn off notifications for just one person?
No, Facebook does not let you mute notifications from a specific person. You can mute their posts so you do not see them in your feed, but that is different from notifications. To stop seeing someone's posts without unfriending them, go to their profile, click the three dots, and select Mute.
Why am I still getting notifications after I turned them off?
You may have turned off push notifications but not email notifications, or vice versa. Check both settings to make sure you turned off the type of notification you are receiving. Also check that you are in the right section — Push Notifications controls phone alerts, while Email Notifications controls emails. If you turned off both and still receive alerts, log out of Facebook and back in, as the change sometimes takes a few minutes to sync.
Will turning off notifications affect my messages?
Turning off notifications does not affect your messages. Messages are separate from notifications. If you want to stop message alerts specifically, go to Notifications and look for Messages in the list, then toggle it off. You will still receive messages — you just will not get an alert when they arrive.
Can I schedule notifications to turn off at certain times?
Facebook does not have a built-in scheduling feature for notifications. Your phone's operating system may have a Do Not Disturb or Focus Mode feature that silences all app notifications during certain hours. On iPhone, this is Focus in Settings. On Android, it is Do Not Disturb in Settings. These silence notifications without turning them off in Facebook itself.