4 Ways to Block People on Facebook Without Losing Your Cool

These days, it’s no longer surprising when a friend or acquaintance suddenly breaks into a rant on your Facebook feed. It can be triggered by anything from a celebrity’s controversial statement to an argument about pineapple on pizza.

If somebody on your Facebook feed has crossed what you consider to be a line, you can use several methods to remove their posts — or them — from sight.

You can unfriend them, block them, snooze them (so you won’t see anything from them for 30 days), or simply hide one of their entries.

Here’s a rundown of how to accomplish each, using the new version of Facebook on your desktop.

1. Hide a Post

Let’s say your old college roommate shares a throwback photo of you from your wild fraternity days, complete with a questionable hairstyle and fashion choices. They tag you in it so it shows up on your timeline for all your FB connections to see.

But you don’t want your grandkids to see it and start calling you “Disco Grandpa.”

Well, don’t sweat it! It’s easy to hide that one post so that it simply doesn’t appear on your timeline. (It will still appear on the timeline of the person who wrote it, but there’s nothing you can do about that.)

To hide a post, click on the three dots on the upper-right of the entry. You can hide that specific post or “snooze” the person who put up the post for 30 days.

Note: If you hide a post and then change your mind, you can find it again, although it will take a bit of doing:

1. Click on the arrow in the upper-right corner of your Facebook page.
2. Select “Settings & Privacy” > “Activity Log.”
3. In the column on the left, look for “Filter” (it will be a small blue link in the upper-right corner of the column) and click on it.
4. Scroll down to and select “Hidden from Timeline.” Click on “Save Changes.”
5. You should see the hidden posts in the left-hand column. Hover your cursor over the entry you want to unhide, click on the three dots, and you should be able to restore it.

2. Unfriend Somebody

You’ve friended somebody who you thought might be interesting, but it turns out that their endless posts about their pet rock collection or their obsession with conspiracy theories is driving you nuts.

Hiding the occasional post won’t do it for you. You want to unfriend them.

It’s not hard:

1. Go to their profile (you can either click on their profile photo or search on their name).
2. Click on the “person” icon (it’s right next to the “Message” button).
3. Select “Unfriend” > “Confirm.”

According to Facebook, the person you unfriend will not be notified that you have unfriended them. However, you will no longer be in their friends list, so they may notice that you’re gone.

If you change your mind, you will have to go through the normal “friending” process again.

3. Block Somebody

Sometimes, there’s no way around it — a person has really offended you, and you don’t want them anywhere, anytime, on your timeline. In that case, it’s time to block them.

When you block somebody, they won’t be able to post on your timeline. They also won’t be able to see anything you post on your timeline, tag you, send you an invite, try to friend you, or start a conversation with you.

And if you’re already friends with them, you’ll unfriend them as well. Essentially, blocking someone is like erecting a digital wall between you two — they can’t interact with you in any way on Facebook.

To block somebody:

1. Click on the arrow on the upper-right corner of your Facebook page.
2. Click on “Settings & Privacy” > “Settings.”
3. Look for and select “Blocking” in the left-hand column.
4. Look for the “Block users” section in the center of the page, and type the person’s name — or part of their name — in the “Block users” field.
5. A list will come up of names that fit what you typed in. Find the person you want to block and click the “Block” button next to their name.

If you change your mind, it’s relatively easy to unblock somebody — go back to the “Block users” section, and you’ll see a list of everyone you’ve blocked underneath the “Block users” field. Simply click the “Unblock” button next to their name.

4. Unfollow Someone

Sometimes, you just want a break from someone’s constant barrage of posts about their latest diet, their workout routine, or their collection of antique bottle caps.

You don’t want to unfriend them because, well, Thanksgiving dinner could get awkward. That’s where the “Unfollow” feature comes in handy.

Unfollowing someone means you remain friends, but their posts won’t appear in your timeline. It’s like putting their updates in a soundproof room — they’re still talking, but you don’t have to hear it.

Unlike blocking, unfollowing doesn’t prevent the person from seeing your posts or interacting with you; it simply mutes their content from your feed.

To unfollow someone:

1. Find a post from the person you want to unfollow.
2. Click on the three dots on the upper-right of the post.
3. Select “Unfollow [Name].”

And voilà, you’ve unfollowed them! If you ever decide you miss their posts about their latest avocado toast masterpiece, you can easily follow them again by visiting their profile and clicking the “Follow” button.

Take Control of Your Timeline

There you have it — a guide to keeping your Facebook feed as serene as a walk in the park on a sunny day.

Whether you’re hiding a post, unfriending, blocking, or unfollowing someone, remember: you’re in control of your timeline!

Now go forth and curate your digital space like a Zen garden, free from rants, spoilers, and the endless debate over the best kind of pizza topping.

Happy blocking!