Deleting Facebook friends can be a tedious and time consuming process, especially if you have hundreds of friends you want to remove. Thankfully, there are some tricks and tools you can use to speed up the process and delete Facebook friends in bulk.
In this guide, we’ll cover the quickest ways to delete Facebook friends on both desktop and mobile, using Facebook’s built-in tools as well as third party apps and browser extensions. We’ll also provide tips on how to identify which friends to delete and how to avoid common mistakes.
How to Delete Individual Facebook Friends
If you only need to remove a few friends from your Facebook account, the quickest way is to delete them one by one. Here’s how:
On Desktop
1. Log into your Facebook account on a desktop computer and navigate to your Friends page. You can access this by clicking on Friends in the left sidebar.
2. Hover over the friend you want to remove and click the Friends button that appears.
3. Select Unfriend from the dropdown menu.
4. Click Confirm when prompted to complete deleting the friend.
On Mobile
1. Open the Facebook app on your iOS or Android device and tap the Menu icon (three horizontal lines) in the top right.
2. Scroll down and select Friends.
3. Tap your friend’s name to open their profile.
4. Tap the Friends button below their cover photo.
5. Tap Unfriend and confirm your choice.
This process needs to be repeated for each friend you want to remove. As you can imagine, it can be extremely tedious if you want to delete hundreds of friends! That’s where bulk delete options come in handy.
How to Delete Facebook Friends in Bulk
If you need to remove a large number of Facebook friends, doing it one-by-one is not practical. The good news is there are faster ways to delete Facebook friends in bulk. Here are some of the best options:
Use Facebook’s Bulk Unfriend Tool
Facebook has its own tool that lets you remove multiple friends at once, although it is a bit hidden. Here’s how to access it:
1. Go to your Facebook Friends page on desktop.
2. In the left column, click Friends again underneath the main Friends menu.
3. You will see a list of your friends with checkboxes next to their names.
4. Check the boxes for each friend you want to remove.
5. Click Unfriend at the top above the list.
6. Confirm you want to remove the selected friends.
This allows you to remove up to 100 friends at once. It’s not the fastest method, but convenient if you want to delete a batch of friends quickly.
Use a Third Party App
For those looking to delete hundreds or even thousands of Facebook friends, third party apps are the best way to go. They allow you to bulk delete friends with just a couple clicks.
Some of the top apps include:
– **Social Book Post Manager** – Browser extension that lets you mass delete friends.
– **FacexVanish** – Delete up to 5000 friends at once.
– **Friend Audit for Facebook** – Analyze friends then delete in bulk. iOS and Android app.
These apps connect with your Facebook account and provide an interface for unfriending multiple friends simultaneously. Most paid versions allow removing 500+ friends at a time.
Use a Facebook Friend Remover Script
For the quickest way to delete Facebook friends in bulk, you can use a Facebook friend remover script. This is an automated script you run on your computer that removes friends from your account very quickly.
Some popular remover scripts include:
– FBRemover – Python script that deletes friends in bulk.
– FBFriendPurge – Windows app to purge thousands of friends fast.
– Social Book Post Manager – Has a remover tool to delete all friends.
To use a script, you’ll need to download it to your computer and run it while logged into Facebook. The script will automatically remove friends from your account, typically 500-1000 per hour.
Be cautious with scripts and only use reputable ones to avoid risks. But they offer the fastest way to mass delete Facebook friends.
Tips for Deleting Facebook Friends
Here are some tips to make your Facebook friend purge quicker and more effective:
Back Up Your Friends List
Before deleting friends, make a backup of your friends list. This allows you to retrieve any contacts you remove accidentally. You can export your friends to a .CSV file which stores all their info.
Sort Friends into Lists
Organize friends into lists like close friends, family, coworkers, etc. This makes it easier to delete entire lists instead of individually unfriending people.
Delete Friends You Don’t Interact With
A common criteria for removing friends is deleting ones you haven’t interacted with in years. These could be old classmates, distant relatives or friends of friends you added long ago. Prune these inactive friends first.
Look for Friends Who Don’t Post
Friends who rarely or never post updates are also good candidates for deleting. Chances are you won’t miss their content if they weren’t posting anyway.
Remove Friends Who Only Share Sponsored Posts
Some friends share nothing but sponsored ads and content to your News Feed. Delete these promotional friends to clean up your feed.
Avoid Deleting Family and Close Friends
Even if you don’t interact with them often, avoid deleting very close friends and family members. You don’t want to lose contact with important people.
Mistakes to Avoid When Deleting Friends
Be careful not to make these common mistakes when removing Facebook friends:
Accidentally Deleting Close Friends
As mentioned above, be cautious not to remove close friends and family in haste. Always double check before confirming any bulk delete.
Removing Friends Too Fast
Facebook has limits on how many friends you can delete per day. Trying to remove thousands too fast can trigger security locks on your account. Take it slow.
Forgetting You Deleted Someone
After deleting a friend, you may forget you removed them already when you come across them again later. This is why backing up your list is helpful.
Deleting Without Evaluating
Don’t randomly delete friends en masse without carefully evaluating who you want to keep. You may regret removing certain people.
Offending Friends by Deleting
Some friends may be offended if they discover you deleted them. Use your best judgement on whether to remove certain people politely.
Frequently Asked Questions
Here are answers to some common questions about deleting Facebook friends:
Does unfriending someone on Facebook notify them?
No, when you unfriend someone on Facebook they are not notified or alerted. They will simply disappear from your friends list and can no longer see your full profile and posts.
Can you undo unfriending someone on Facebook?
Unfortunately there is no built-in way to undo unfriending or re-add a deleted friend on Facebook. You would have to search and re-send them a friend request.
What happens when I delete a Facebook friend?
Deleting a Facebook friend removes them from your friends list. They will no longer show up in your feed and cannot see the private details of your profile that are limited to friends.
Is it better to unfollow or unfriend someone on Facebook?
Unfollowing preserves the friendship connection but stops seeing their posts in your feed. Unfriending completely removes the friendship. It depends on your intentions for that person.
Can someone still message me after I delete them as a Facebook friend?
Yes, deleting a Facebook friend does not block them from being able to message you on Messenger. You need to explicitly block someone for that.
Conclusion
Deleting Facebook friends can be a great way to tidy up your friends list and News Feed. While removing friends one by one is possible, bulk delete options make the process much faster.
Third party apps provide the quickest way to mass remove Facebook friends – some can delete thousands with just a click. You can also use Facebook’s built-in bulk unfriend tool, though it has a 100 friend limit.
Be thoughtful about which friends you delete. Avoid removing close friends and family in haste. Back up your list so you have a record of deleted friends.
With smart criteria and the right tools, you can easily purge inactive friends and clean up your Facebook fast. Just be patient and methodical in your friend removal approach.
Appendix A – Number of Facebook Users 2009-2023
| Year | Active Users |
| 2009 | 360 million |
| 2010 | 617 million |
| 2011 | 845 million |
| 2012 | 1.06 billion |
| 2013 | 1.23 billion |
| 2014 | 1.39 billion |
| 2015 | 1.55 billion |
| 2016 | 1.79 billion |
| 2017 | 2.05 billion |
| 2018 | 2.27 billion |
| 2019 | 2.5 billion |
| 2020 | 2.6 billion |
| 2021 | 2.91 billion |
| 2022 | 2.93 billion |
| 2023 | 2.96 billion (projected) |
Appendix B – Advantages and Disadvantages of Facebook
| Advantages | Disadvantages |
|---|---|
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