Having a lot of notifications on Facebook can be overwhelming. The constant stream of likes, comments, event invites, and messages can make it difficult to keep up. While you can clear notifications one by one, this can be a tedious process if you have hundreds built up. Fortunately, there are a few ways to clear all Facebook notifications at once.
Use the “Mark All as Read” Button
The easiest way to clear all Facebook notifications is to use the “Mark All as Read” button. This button is located in the top right corner of the notifications tab on desktop and mobile. Clicking it will instantly mark all of your unseen notifications as read. This clears them out without you having to click on each one individually.
To use the Mark All as Read button on desktop:
- Click on the notifications (globe) icon in the top nav bar
- In the top right corner of the notifications window, click “Mark All as Read”
- All unseen notifications will be cleared
On mobile:
- Tap on the notifications (speech bubble) icon in the bottom nav bar
- Tap on the three horizontal lines menu icon in the top right corner
- Tap on “Mark All as Read”
- This will clear all unread notifications
This method allows you to clean up your notifications tab in one click without having to view each one.
Turn Off Notification Types
Another way to reduce Facebook notifications is to turn off notifications for specific types of activity. This prevents certain notifications from even reaching your account in the first place. You can toggle notifications on and off for:
- Friends requests
- When you’re tagged in a post
- Likes and reactions to your posts
- Comments on your posts
- Event invites
- Page notifications
- Group notifications
- Messages
To manage your notification settings on desktop:
- Click the arrow icon in the top right corner
- Select “Settings & Privacy”
- Click “Settings”
- Select “Notifications” on the left side
- Toggle notifications on or off for each activity type
On mobile:
- Tap the three line menu icon
- Scroll down and choose “Settings & Privacy”
- Select “Settings”
- Tap “Notifications”
- Turn notifications on or off as desired
By disabling certain notifications types, you can significantly reduce the number of notifications you receive. Prioritize the notification types that are most important to you.
Mute Conversations and Groups
Muting conversations and groups on Facebook will prevent notifications from those specific sources. This is a great way to reduce notifications from busy groups or active conversations you don’t necessarily need alerts from constantly. You can mute:
- Individual conversations and group chats
- Pages you’ve liked
- Groups you’ve joined
- Specific people’s posts
To mute a conversation on desktop:
- Open the conversation thread
- Click the mute button in the top right
- Choose mute for either 8 hours, 24 hours, or indefinitely
On mobile:
- Open the conversation
- Tap the name of the person or group at the top
- Tap mute and select the time period
Muting stops notifications from specific high-activity sources instead of disabling an entire notification category. It’s great for quieting chatty groups or reducing updates from pages and people you don’t need alerts from.
Clean Up Old Notifications
If you haven’t used Facebook actively for a while, you may come back to a sea of old, irrelevant notifications. These can clutter up your notifications tab and feel mentally overwhelming. Fortunately, Facebook lets you clear out older notifications in bulk.
On desktop:
- Click on the notifications (globe) icon
- At the top of the list, click “Filters”
- Select “Earlier than 30 days ago”
- Click the checkmark next to each old notification to select it
- Click “Mark as read” to clear all the old selected notifications
On mobile:
- Tap on the notifications (speech bubble) icon
- Tap the three horizontal line menu icon
- Tap “Filters”
- Select “Earlier than 30 days ago”
- Press and hold on each old notification to select it
- Tap “Mark as Read”
Purging old notifications helps clean up your tab and gets rid of non-urgent updates from weeks or months ago.
Turn Off Email Notifications
Each Facebook notification also triggers an email alert by default. Having these sent to your inbox can amplify the notification overload. The good news is you can disable email updates from Facebook.
On desktop:
- Click the arrow icon in the top right
- Choose “Settings & Privacy”
- Click “Settings”
- Select “Notifications” on the left
- Turn off “Email” notifications
On mobile:
- Tap the three line menu icon
- Select “Settings & Privacy”
- Tap “Settings”
- Scroll down and tap “Notifications”
- Toggle “Email notifications” off
With emails disabled, you won’t get a duplicate notification every time you receive a Facebook alert. This prevents notification overload.
Hide All Notifications from a Person
If a specific person is blowing up your notifications, you can hide all of their notifications at once.
On desktop:
- Click on the notifications (globe) icon
- Find one of the person’s notifications
- Hover over it and click the X icon
- Select “Hide all from [person’s name]”
On mobile:
- Tap the notifications (speech bubble) icon
- Tap and hold on one of the person’s notifications
- Tap “Hide notifications like this”
- Confirm by tapping “Hide all”
This stops all notifications from that person without fully unfriending or unfollowing them. Their profile updates will no longer appear in your notifications feed.
Temporarily Deactivate Your Account
Deactivating your Facebook account lets you take a complete break from notifications. You can temporarily deactivate for up to 30 days.
To deactivate on desktop:
- Click the arrow icon in the top right
- Select “Settings & Privacy” then “Settings”
- Click “Your Facebook Information” in the left column
- Choose “Deactivation and Deletion”
- Click “Deactivate Account” and follow the prompts
On mobile:
- Tap the three line menu icon
- Scroll down and select “Settings & Privacy”
- Tap “Settings”
- Scroll down and tap “Account Ownership and Control”
- Select “Deactivation and Deletion”
- Tap “Deactivate Account” and confirm
Once your account is deactivated, you will stop receiving all Facebook notifications. Your profile and data will remain intact so you can easily reactivate later.
Conclusion
Facebook notifications can pile up quickly, but you have options to manage the clutter. Use the “Mark All as Read” button to clear them instantly. Disable certain notification types you don’t need. Mute conversations and groups that are less important. Clean out old notifications you’ve already seen. Turn off email notifications. Hide all notifications from spammy friends. Or deactivate your account for a complete break. With these tips, you can control your Facebook notifications and stay focused.