Having a notification on Facebook that won’t go away can be annoying. The constant little red notification bubble nagging at you whenever you open the app. Luckily, there are a few things you can try to make that pesky notification disappear for good.
Quick Answers
Here are some quick things to try first:
- Click on the notification bubble – this will take you to the notification so you can deal with it
- Mark all notifications as read – look for the “Mark All as Read” option
- Log out and log back in – a refresh may help clear stuck notifications
- Update the Facebook app – an outdated version could cause notification issues
- Restart your phone – a device reboot resets temporary glitches
Determine the Notification Source
To properly get rid of a stubborn Facebook notification, you first need to figure out what’s causing it. The notification bubble shows up whenever you have some kind of unattended notification. Here are some of the most common sources:
Friend Request
If you have pending friend requests, these will trigger the notification bubble. To clear it:
- Go to your Facebook Friends page
- Respond to all outstanding friend requests by accepting or deleting them
Unread Messages
Unread messages in your Facebook inbox will also cause a persistent notification. To dismiss it:
- Open your Facebook Messages
- Read or delete all unread messages
Group Invites
Being added to Facebook groups can spawn notification bubbles. Take care of these by:
- Going to your Notifications page
- Looking under Invites and responding to any outstanding group invitations
Page Notifications
Pages you’ve liked can send you notifications. Manage these by:
- Clicking the Page notification under the bubble
- Unsubscribing from further notifications if desired
Events
Event invites and reminders can also trigger persistent notifications. Fix these by:
- Going to your Facebook Events page
- Responding to any outstanding event invites
- Indicating you’re Going or Not Going to dismiss reminders
Comments
Notifications for post comments you’ve received could be the culprit. Clear all these by:
- Checking posts you’ve interacted with recently
- Reading new comments and replying if desired
Reactions
New reactions to your posts or comments will also spawn notifications. Remove these by:
- Checking your recent posts and reactions
- Reading any new reactions you’ve received
Shares
Your posts being shared by others can trigger notifications too. Manage these by:
- Looking at your recent posts
- Seeing if others have shared them
Messages
As mentioned earlier, unread Facebook messages are a prime cause of lingering notification bubbles. Double check that you’ve read all new messages.
Use Facebook’s Notification Settings
If you’ve dealt with all possible notification sources but the bubble still won’t leave, try adjusting your Facebook notification settings:
- Go to Settings & Privacy > Settings
- Click Notifications on the left
- Review your notification settings
- Turn off any unnecessary notifications
This will stop non-important notifications from bugging you going forward.
Troubleshoot Common Notification Issues
Here are some common fixes for stubborn Facebook notifications that refuse to be dismissed:
Log Out and Back In
Logging out and back into Facebook essentially refreshes the app and clears any stuck notifications. To log out:
- Click the down arrow at the top right
- Choose Log Out
- Log back into Facebook after a minute
Update the Facebook App
An outdated version of the Facebook app could be responsible for your notification woes. Update to the latest version:
- On your phone, open the App Store/Google Play Store
- Search for Facebook
- Update to the latest version of the app
Restart Your Phone
If all else fails, restart your phone. This clears out temporary glitches and resets all your apps and services:
- Hold down the Power button on your iPhone/Android
- Slide to power off
- After a minute, power your phone back on
Clear App Data/Caches
Clearing cached data and app data for Facebook also helps resolve stubborn notification issues:
- iPhone – Go to Settings > General > iPhone Storage > Facebook > Offload App
- Android – Go to Settings > Apps > Facebook > Storage > Clear Data/Clear Cache
Prevent Future Notification Spam
Once you’ve finally gotten rid of that pesky Facebook notification, here are some tips to stop it from happening again:
- Adjust notification settings – Turn off non-essential notifications
- Leave unimportant groups/pages – Less sources means less notifications
- Check notifications frequently – Don’t let them pile up
- Mute conversations – Use the mute option for overly active threads
- Unsubscribe from emails – Opt out of Facebook email updates
- See less posts – Snooze or unfollow friends who post too often
Conclusion
Persistent Facebook notifications you can’t get rid of are annoying. However, a few simple troubleshooting steps should clear them up:
- Figure out what’s causing the notification
- Respond to and clear all notifications
- Adjust notification settings
- Log out and update the Facebook app
- Restart your device
- Clear Facebook’s cached data
Staying on top of your notifications and limiting unneeded ones will prevent this issue going forward. With a bit of diligent maintenance, you can keep Facebook’s notifications under control.