Facebook has become one of the most popular social media platforms, with over 2.9 billion monthly active users as of 2023. With so many connections on the platform, it’s common for people to re-evaluate their Facebook friends list from time to time and remove connections that are no longer relevant.
You may wish to “unfriend” someone on Facebook for various reasons – an old friend you’ve lost touch with, an ex-partner, or even a family member or coworker who frequently posts content you find annoying. But unfriending can be seen as a bold move, and you may not want the person to know they’ve been unfriended.
Can you unfriend someone without them knowing?
The short answer is no. There is no way to secretly or privately unfriend someone on Facebook. When you unfriend someone, they will not get a notification informing them of your action. However, there are several ways the person can figure out they’ve been unfriended.
Ways someone can know they’ve been unfriended
- Your name will disappear from their friends list.
- Posts you make will no longer show up in their News Feed.
- They will no longer see your posts on their News Feed.
- Any future friend requests from them will show up as “Add Friend” rather than “Confirm Friend.”
- You will no longer appear as friends in any mutual friends’ friends lists.
- You will no longer be able to tag them in posts or photos.
So while Facebook doesn’t directly notify someone when they’ve been unfriended, the lack of connection will become apparent to the person sooner or later.
Options for “unfriending” discreetly
If you wish to disconnect from someone on Facebook without them realizing they’ve been unfriended, you do have some options:
Unfollow
Rather than unfriend, you can simply unfollow the person. This means their posts and activity will no longer show up in your News Feed, but they won’t be alerted and the friendship connection remains intact. To unfollow someone:
- Go to the person’s profile page
- Hover over the Following button below their cover photo
- Select Unfollow
This will remove the posts from your feed without severing the friendship.
Adjust News Feed preferences
You can also use your News Feed Preferences to control what content you see from specific friends. Here’s how:
- Go to your News Feed
- Click on the three horizontal dots at the top right
- Select News Feed Preferences
- Adjust preferences for Prioritize who to see first and Unfollow people to hide their posts
This allows you to unfollow specific people without them knowing.
Restrict list
You can add the person to your Restricted list. This means they will remain a friend, but they’ll only be able to see your public posts and information. To do this:
- Go to their profile
- Click the Friends button
- Select Add to Restricted List
Acquaintances list
Similar to Restricted, you can add the person to your Acquaintances list. They will see less of your content than regular friends. To do this:
- Go to their profile
- Click the Friends button
- Select Add to Acquaintances
Change viewing settings
You can limit what a specific friend sees from your profile and posts by changing your viewing settings:
- Go to your Privacy Settings
- Click on Who can see my stuff?
- Type in the name of the friend you wish to limit
- Adjust settings for what they are able to view
This allows you to customize and limit visibility without completely unfriending the person.
Should you unfriend or disconnect?
If the person’s online presence is negatively impacting you, unfriending may be the right choice. But in situations where you simply wish to distance yourself, limiting their visibility with one of the above approaches may work better.
Things to consider:
- How close are you with this person offline? Completely unfriending may cause drama.
- Do you share mutual friends or belong to the same social circles? Unfriending could be awkward.
- Have you tried hiding their posts or limiting visibility? This may solve the issue without unfriending.
- Is there a risk of real-life confrontation or harassment if you unfriend? Safey should be the priority.
Everyone’s situation is unique. Evaluate your own circumstances and relationship when deciding how to disconnect on Facebook.
Conclusion
While there is no way to secretly unfriend someone on Facebook without them eventually finding out, you do have options to create distance from a connection discreetly.
By unfollowing, using feed preferences, adding to Restricted, adjusting privacy settings or limiting visibility, you can reduce someone’s presence without officially unfriending them.
Consider the pros and cons carefully, as completely unfriending may cause drama. In many cases, quietly fading out the connection may be better than officially severing it with an unfriend.