Where to find Facebook notification settings

Facebook stores notification controls in different places depending on whether you use your phone or computer. On a phone, you'll go through your device's settings first, then Facebook's app settings. On a computer, the controls are inside Facebook itself. The fastest way is usually through your phone's settings, because turning notifications off there stops them completely — even if Facebook's app still has them enabled.

Before you start, know that Facebook sends notifications through multiple channels: push notifications (the alerts that pop up on your screen), email, and text messages. You can turn off each one separately, so you might silence your phone alerts but keep emails, or vice versa. Most people want to kill the phone notifications first, since those are the ones that interrupt you throughout the day.

Key Takeaways

  • On iPhone, go to Settings > Notifications > Facebook and toggle off "Allow Notifications" to stop all Facebook alerts on your phone.
  • On Android, go to Settings > Apps > Facebook > Notifications and toggle off "Show Notifications" to disable phone alerts.
  • On a computer, click the menu icon in the top right of Facebook, select Settings and Privacy > Settings, then go to Notifications to control what alerts you receive.
  • Turning off notifications in your phone's settings is the fastest method because it stops alerts even if Facebook's app settings still have them enabled.
  • You can disable notifications for specific types of activity (messages, friend requests, comments) without turning off all notifications.

Disable notifications on iPhone

Open your iPhone's Settings app and scroll down until you find Facebook. Tap it. You'll see a row labeled "Notifications" — tap that row. At the top of the next screen, you'll see "Allow Notifications" with a toggle switch next to it. If the toggle is green or blue, notifications are on. Tap the toggle to turn it off. The toggle will turn gray, and Facebook notifications will stop appearing on your phone immediately.

If you want to keep some notifications but silence others, don't turn off "Allow Notifications" entirely. Instead, scroll down on that same screen and you'll see options like "Sounds," "Badges," and "Lock Screen." You can toggle each of these off individually. For example, turning off "Sounds" means you'll still see notifications on your lock screen, but your phone won't make a noise or vibrate when they arrive.

Disable notifications on Android

Open your Android phone's Settings app. The exact path varies slightly by phone brand, but look for "Apps" or "Applications" in the main menu. Tap it, then find and tap Facebook. You should see a "Notifications" option — tap it. Toggle off "Show Notifications." The toggle will turn gray, and Facebook alerts will stop on your phone.

Some Android phones also let you control notifications by long-pressing the Facebook app icon on your home screen, then tapping "Notifications" or "App Notifications." This is a faster shortcut if your phone supports it. Either method works — use whichever one you find first.

Turn off notifications on Facebook's website

If you use Facebook on a computer, you can control notifications from inside Facebook itself. Click the menu icon (three horizontal lines) in the top right corner of the page. Select "Settings and Privacy," then click "Settings." On the left side, you'll see a menu — scroll down and click "Notifications." You're now in Facebook's notification control panel.

You'll see a list of notification types: Messages, Friend Requests, Comments, Likes, and others. Next to each one, you'll see a dropdown menu that usually says "On," "Off," or "Instant." Click the dropdown for any notification type you want to turn off and select "Off." You can also choose "Instant" (you get notified right away), "Daily Summary" (Facebook bundles notifications into one email per day), or "Weekly Summary" (one email per week). This method doesn't stop phone notifications — it only controls what Facebook sends to your email and what appears in your notification bell on the website.

Stop email and text notifications from Facebook

Facebook can also send you notifications by email and text message. To turn these off, go to the same Notifications page in Facebook's settings (Settings and Privacy > Settings > Notifications). Look for sections labeled "Email Notifications" and "Text Message Notifications." For email, you'll see a long list of notification types — click the dropdown next to each one and select "Off." For text messages, there's usually a single toggle you can turn off.

If you're getting Facebook emails and you're not sure where they're coming from, scroll to the very bottom of any Facebook email. You'll see an "Unsubscribe" link. Clicking it will turn off that specific type of email notification. This is faster than going through Facebook's settings if you only want to stop one or two types of emails.

What to do if notifications keep coming after you turn them off

If you've turned off notifications but they're still appearing, check that you've turned them off in the right place. The most common mistake is turning off notifications in Facebook's settings but forgetting to turn them off in your phone's settings. Your phone's settings override Facebook's settings, so if your phone is set to allow Facebook notifications, you'll keep getting them no matter what Facebook's app says.

Another reason notifications might persist: you may have turned off only one type of notification (like comments) but left others on (like messages). Go back through the settings and make sure you've turned off everything you don't want. If you've checked both your phone's settings and Facebook's settings and notifications are still coming, try closing and reopening the Facebook app, or restarting your phone. Sometimes the app needs to refresh to recognize the change.

Disable notifications on Facebook's mobile app

You can also control notifications from inside the Facebook app itself, though this method is less reliable than using your phone's settings. Open the Facebook app and tap the menu icon (three horizontal lines) in the bottom right corner. Tap "Settings and Privacy," then "Settings." Scroll down and tap "Notifications." You'll see options for different notification types — tap each one and select "Off." Again, this only works if your phone's settings also allow Facebook notifications. If your phone is blocking them, these settings don't matter.

The reason to use your phone's settings instead of the app's settings is that phone-level controls are more complete and more reliable. If you turn off notifications in your phone's settings, Facebook can't override that choice. But if you only turn them off in the app, a Facebook update or a change to your phone's settings could turn them back on.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I turn off notifications for just one person or one type of activity?

Yes. In Facebook's notification settings, you can turn off notifications for specific activities like comments, likes, or friend requests, while keeping others on. You can also mute notifications from a specific person by going to their profile, clicking the three dots, and selecting "Mute." Muting stops notifications from that person without unfriending them.

Will turning off notifications affect my messages?

It depends on which notifications you turn off. If you turn off all Facebook notifications in your phone's settings, you won't get alerts for messages either. But in Facebook's settings, you can turn off most notifications while keeping message notifications on. Go to Notifications in Facebook's settings and leave "Messages" set to "On" while turning off everything else.

What's the difference between turning off notifications in my phone's settings versus Facebook's settings?

Your phone's settings control whether any alerts from Facebook reach your phone at all. Facebook's settings control what types of activity Facebook tries to notify you about and how (email, text, or in-app). If your phone blocks Facebook notifications, you won't get any alerts even if Facebook's settings say to send them. If Facebook's settings say not to send notifications, your phone won't receive anything to display.

If I turn off notifications, will I still see messages when I open the app?

Yes. Turning off notifications only stops the alerts that pop up or appear on your lock screen. When you open the Facebook app, you'll still see all your messages, comments, and activity. You just won't be interrupted by alerts while you're doing something else.

How do I turn notifications back on if I change my mind?

Follow the same steps you used to turn them off, but toggle the switches back on or select "On" from the dropdown menus. On your phone, go to Settings > Notifications > Facebook and toggle "Allow Notifications" back on. In Facebook's settings, go to Notifications and change notification types from "Off" back to "On" or "Instant."