Turn off all Facebook notifications at once
The fastest way to stop Facebook notifications is to turn them off in the app or website settings, not on your device itself. Facebook lets you disable notifications by notification type — so you can keep messages but silence everything else, or turn them all off together.
On your phone, open Facebook, tap the three horizontal lines (menu) at the bottom right, scroll down and tap Settings & Privacy, then Settings. Tap Notifications. You will see a list of notification types: Messages, Friend Requests, Comments, Likes, and others. Tap each one and select Off. On a computer, click the downward arrow at the top right of Facebook, select Settings & Privacy, then Settings, then Notifications in the left menu. Click each notification type and choose Off.
This method works because Facebook's own settings override your phone's notification permissions. Even if your phone allows Facebook to send notifications, Facebook will not send them if you have turned them off in the app.
Key Takeaways
- Facebook notifications are controlled in the app or website settings, not in your phone's notification center, so you must change them within Facebook itself.
- You can turn off all notifications at once or disable only specific types — for example, keep messages but silence friend requests and likes.
- On Android and iPhone, go to Settings & Privacy > Settings > Notifications and set each type to Off; on a computer, use the same path from the menu arrow.
- If notifications still arrive after you turn them off in Facebook, check your phone's notification settings to make sure Facebook has permission to send them.
Turn off notifications for specific types of activity
You do not have to choose between all notifications or none. Facebook lets you silence only the ones that bother you. For example, you might want to keep notifications for messages and friend requests but turn off notifications for likes, comments, and posts from pages you follow.
On your phone, follow the same path to Settings & Privacy > Settings > Notifications. Instead of turning everything off, tap only the notification types you want to disable. Common ones to silence are Likes, Comments on Your Posts, Posts from Pages You Follow, and Suggested Posts. Leave the ones you want turned on — usually Messages and Friend Requests — set to their current setting. On a computer, click each notification type in the Notifications menu and choose Off only for the ones you want to stop.
This approach keeps you connected to people who matter while cutting out the noise from activity you do not care about.
Stop notifications from specific people or pages
If you want to keep Facebook notifications in general but silence one particular person or page, you can mute them instead of changing your overall settings. Muting stops notifications from that person or page without unfriending them or unfollowing them.
To mute a person on your phone, go to their profile, tap the three dots at the top right, and select Mute [Name]. A menu will appear asking what you want to mute — choose Posts, Stories, or both. You can also choose to mute notifications only, which stops alerts but still shows their posts in your feed. On a computer, click the three dots on their profile or on one of their posts and select Mute. To mute a page, visit the page, click the three dots, and select Mute [Page Name].
Muting is temporary and reversible. You can unmute someone or a page at any time by going back to their profile or page and selecting Unmute.
Check your phone's notification settings if Facebook notifications continue
Sometimes Facebook notifications keep arriving even after you turn them off in the app. This usually means your phone's notification settings are overriding Facebook's settings. Your phone's operating system controls whether apps can send notifications at all, and Facebook's app settings control which notifications Facebook sends.
On iPhone, go to Settings > Notifications > Facebook. Make sure Allow Notifications is turned off. If it is on, Facebook can send notifications no matter what you set in the app. On Android, go to Settings > Apps > Facebook > Notifications and turn off Allow Notifications. If you want to keep some notifications but not others, you can also adjust individual notification channels here, though it is usually easier to control this in Facebook's app settings instead.
If you turn off notifications at the phone level, you will not receive any Facebook notifications at all. If you want to receive some notifications but not others, turn notifications back on at the phone level and control which types you receive in the Facebook app instead.
Disable notifications from Facebook's website on a computer
If you use Facebook on a web browser instead of the app, the steps are slightly different. Click the downward arrow at the top right of the page, then Settings & Privacy, then Settings. In the left menu, click Notifications. You will see the same list of notification types as in the app. Click each one and select Off to disable it.
On a computer, you may also see browser notifications — small pop-ups that appear in the corner of your screen even when Facebook is not open. These are controlled separately. Most browsers allow you to turn off notifications for specific websites. In Chrome, click the lock icon next to the website address in the search bar, find Notifications, and set it to Block. In Firefox, right-click the Facebook tab, select Mute Site, and choose Block Notifications. In Safari, go to Safari > Settings > Websites > Notifications, find Facebook, and select Deny.
Turn off email notifications from Facebook
Facebook also sends email notifications about messages, friend requests, and activity on your posts. These are controlled separately from app and browser notifications. To turn them off, click the downward arrow at the top right of Facebook, go to Settings & Privacy > Settings, and click Notifications in the left menu. Scroll down to the section labeled Email. You will see options for different types of email notifications. Click each one and select Off, or select Only Important to receive only critical alerts.
You can also unsubscribe from Facebook emails directly. At the bottom of any Facebook email, there is usually an Unsubscribe link. Click it to stop receiving that type of email. This method works quickly if you only want to stop one type of email notification.
Frequently Asked Questions
Will turning off notifications affect my messages?
Not necessarily. You can turn off notifications for likes and comments while keeping notifications for messages turned on. In the Notifications settings, you control each type separately. Messages is usually listed as Messages or Message Requests, so you can leave those on while turning off everything else.
Can I turn off notifications for just one friend?
Yes. Go to that person's profile, tap the three dots, and select Mute [Name]. Choose whether to mute their posts, stories, or notifications. You will still be friends and see their posts in your feed, but you will not receive notifications about their activity.
Why do I still get Facebook notifications after turning them off?
Check your phone's notification settings. Go to your phone's Settings app, find Facebook in the Notifications or Apps section, and make sure notifications are turned off there too. Your phone's settings override Facebook's app settings, so if your phone allows Facebook to send notifications, they will arrive even if you turned them off in the app.
Do I have to turn off all notifications, or can I keep some?
You can keep some and turn off others. In the Notifications settings, each notification type has its own on/off switch. Most people keep Messages and Friend Requests on but turn off Likes, Comments, and Suggested Posts. Choose whichever combination works for you.
How do I stop email notifications from Facebook?
Go to Settings & Privacy > Settings > Notifications and scroll to the Email section. Turn off each email notification type, or click Only Important to receive only critical alerts. You can also unsubscribe from individual emails by clicking the Unsubscribe link at the bottom of the email itself.