Where to find Facebook notification settings

Facebook notification settings live in one place: the Settings menu in the bottom right of your screen (on desktop) or the menu icon at the bottom right (on mobile). From there, you go to Settings & Privacy, then Settings, then Notifications. This is where you control almost everything Facebook sends you.

The settings are organized by type — notifications about messages, friend requests, comments, posts you're tagged in, and so on. Each one has its own toggle or dropdown menu. You don't have to turn everything off at once; you can silence specific types while keeping others on.

Key Takeaways

  • Facebook notification settings are in Settings & Privacy > Settings > Notifications on both desktop and mobile.
  • You can turn off notifications by type (messages, comments, friend requests) rather than silencing your entire account.
  • Browser notifications and app notifications are controlled separately — turning off one does not affect the other.
  • The "Do Not Disturb" feature lets you pause all notifications for a set time without changing your permanent settings.
  • Muting specific people or groups stops their notifications without unfriending them or leaving the group.

Turning off notifications by category

Once you're in the Notifications section, you'll see categories like "Messages", "Friend Requests", "Comments", "Likes", and "Tags". Each category has a dropdown menu (usually set to "On" by default). Click the dropdown and you can choose "Off" to stop those notifications entirely, or sometimes "Muted" or "Email Only" depending on the category.

For example, if you don't want to be notified every time someone likes your post, find "Likes" and set it to "Off". If you want to keep message notifications but turn off everything else, you can do that too. The granularity is there — you're not forced into an all-or-nothing choice.

The difference between app notifications and browser notifications

Facebook can send you notifications in two separate ways: through the Facebook app on your phone, and through your web browser when you're on a computer. Turning off one does not turn off the other. If you're getting notifications on your phone but want them gone, you need to check your phone's app settings, not just Facebook's website settings.

On iPhone, go to Settings > Notifications > Facebook and toggle off "Allow Notifications". On Android, go to Settings > Apps > Facebook > Notifications and turn them off there. On a computer, your browser controls this — in Chrome, click the lock icon next to the website address, find Notifications, and set it to "Block".

Using Do Not Disturb to pause notifications temporarily

If you want to silence Facebook for a few hours without permanently changing your settings, use the "Do Not Disturb" feature. This is in the same Notifications menu. You can set it to pause all notifications for 15 minutes, 1 hour, 4 hours, or 8 hours. When the time is up, your normal notification settings come back automatically.

This is useful if you're in a meeting, sleeping, or just need a break. You don't have to remember to turn notifications back on — they resume on their own. It's a temporary pause, not a permanent change.

Muting notifications from specific people or groups

You don't have to silence all of Facebook to stop hearing from one person or group. You can mute individual people or groups so their posts, comments, and activity don't send you notifications. The person doesn't know you've muted them, and you stay friends or in the group.

To mute someone, go to their profile, click the three dots in the top right, and select "Mute". To mute a group, go to the group page, click the three dots, and choose "Mute Group". You can also mute notifications from a specific person's messages without muting their posts — in Messenger, swipe left on their conversation (mobile) or right-click it (desktop) and select "Mute".

Controlling email notifications separately

Facebook can also send you emails about activity on your account. These are controlled in a different place: Settings & Privacy > Settings > Emails. Here you'll see categories like "Notifications", "Reminders", and "Recommendations". You can turn off email notifications without affecting your in-app or browser notifications.

Some people want to see notifications in the app but not get emails, or vice versa. This setting lets you do that. If you're getting too many emails from Facebook, this is often the fastest way to stop them.

What happens when you turn off notifications

Turning off a notification type means Facebook stops alerting you about it — you won't see a badge on the app, a browser popup, or an email. But the activity still happens. If someone comments on your post and you have comments notifications off, the comment still exists; you just won't be told about it. You can still see it if you go looking for it on your timeline or in your notifications center.

Turning off notifications does not change your privacy settings, hide your posts, or affect what other people can see. It only controls what alerts you receive.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I turn off notifications for one person without unfriending them?

Yes. Mute their profile so you don't see notifications about their posts or activity, but you stay friends. Go to their profile, click the three dots, and select "Mute". You can unmute them anytime from the same menu.

Why am I still getting notifications after turning them off?

You may have turned off notifications in one place but not another. Check your phone's app settings (Settings > Apps > Facebook > Notifications on Android, or Settings > Notifications > Facebook on iPhone), your browser settings, and your email settings. Also check whether you've muted the person or group by accident — that's a separate setting.

Do I have to turn off all notifications or can I pick and choose?

You can pick and choose. Each notification type has its own setting. You could turn off likes and comments but keep messages on, for example. Go through the Notifications menu and set each category the way you want it.

What's the difference between "Off" and "Muted"?

"Off" means you get no notifications for that type of activity at all. "Muted" (when available) usually means you get notifications less frequently or only in certain ways — for example, email only instead of app and email. Check the dropdown menu for each category to see what options are available.

If I turn off notifications, will people know?

No. Turning off notifications is private. People cannot see whether you have notifications on or off. They won't know you muted them unless you tell them.