Will I still see someone’s posts if I unfriend them?

Social media has become a big part of our lives. Platforms like Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter allow us to stay connected with friends, family, coworkers, brands we like, celebrities, and more. With a quick tap or click, we can see updates from those we choose to connect with online.

But what happens when you no longer wish to see someone’s posts in your feed? On most social networks, you have the option to “unfriend” or “unfollow” another user. This allows you to control what content you see from connections in your network. Though the terminology varies by platform, the effect is essentially the same.

Unfriending Versus Unfollowing

On Facebook, unfriending someone completely removes them from your friends list and severs the connection. This means their posts and updates will no longer appear in your News Feed. You will also disappear from their friends list. It’s as if you never became Facebook friends in the first place.

With unfollowing on platforms like Twitter and Instagram, you remain connected but their posts won’t automatically populate in your feed. You have to specifically visit their profile page to see what they’ve posted. They can still see your public posts and interact with your content unless you block them.

Unfriending on Facebook

When you unfriend someone on Facebook, it severs the connection entirely on both sides:

• Their posts and updates will disappear from your News Feed.
• Your posts and updates will no longer appear in their News Feed.
• Any future content shared by either of you will not be visible to the other.
• You will each disappear from each other’s friends lists.
• Conversations and group chats with that person will be removed from your inbox.
• You will no longer be notified about major life events they post.

Essentially it will be like you were never Facebook friends to begin with. The only way to see each other’s posts again is if one person sends a new friend request and the other accepts it.

Unfollowing on Instagram

Unfollowing works a bit differently on Instagram:

• Their photos will no longer automatically appear in your main Instagram feed.
• Any posts you share will still be visible to them in their feed unless they unfollow you back.
• You will remain Instagram followers of each other.
• Either person can still access the other’s full profile to see all posts.
• Your past conversations will still be in each other’s Instagram Direct message inbox.
• You can still interact with (like, comment on) any public posts.

Unfollowing prevents seeing someone’s posts in your main photo feed. But it doesn’t completely remove the connection like unfriending does on Facebook.

Unfollowing on Twitter

Twitter works similar to Instagram when it comes to unfollowing:

• The person’s tweets will disappear from your Twitter timeline.
• They will still see your tweets in their timeline unless they unfollow you back.
• You will stay Twitter followers.
• Either of you can visit the other’s full Twitter profile to see all tweets.
• You can still interact with (retweet, like, reply to) their tweets by going to their profile.

Again, unfollowing just prevents seeing someone’s posts in your main Twitter feed. But it doesn’t remove the follower connection itself.

When to Unfriend or Unfollow

Most people eventually unfriend or unfollow someone on social media for similar reasons:

• An acquaintance you no longer wish to keep up with online.
• A friend who posts too much or too frequently.
• Someone who shares views you disagree with.
• An ex-partner after a breakup.
• A person who has hurt you or violated your trust.
• Someone who posts a lot of negative content.
• A friend who mostly just promotes their business, blog, etc.
• A person you never interact with anymore.

You may feel hesitant since unfriending or unfollowing can sometimes offend the other person or spark conflict. But you ultimately control what content you see from connections in your social media feeds. If someone’s posts no longer bring value to your experience, unfollowing or unfriending can create a more positive space.

When to Unfriend

In most cases, unfollowing is sufficient to prevent seeing someone’s posts. But in some situations, the more permanent act of unfriending may be warranted:

• After a bad romantic breakup where you need total separation.
• If the person bullied, harassed, or threatened you.
• If you suspect the account is fake or spreading misinformation.
• If the person shared private data, photos, or conversations without consent.
• If you believe the account is promoting hate speech or illegal activity.

Unfriending is the only way to fully remove someone from your digital life and social media interactions. In extreme cases like those above, it may feel needed for your privacy, safety, and wellbeing.

When to Unfollow

Unfollowing is often the better initial option if someone’s posts are cluttering your feed or making you unhappy. Some common cases where you may want to unfollow but not completely unfriend include:

• An old high school friend or college roommate you no longer interact with.
• A chatty extended family member who posts constantly.
• A coworker who shares too many work updates.
• An online friend or influencer whose content has declined in quality.
• A celebrity whose posts are no longer interesting to you.
• A friend who mostly posts about their small business.
• Someone you’re taking a temporary break from while remaining friendly.

In these situations where you merely want to clean up your social feed, unfollowing is less emotionally-charged than unfriending. It keeps the connection intact in case you change your mind later.

How to Unfriend or Unfollow

The process for unfriending or unfollowing someone is straightforward on all major platforms. But the specific steps vary slightly by each social network:

Unfriending on Facebook

To unfriend someone on Facebook:

1. Click on the person’s profile or cover photo anywhere you see it.
2. On their profile page, click the Friends button below their name.
3. Select Unfriend from the pop-up menu.
4. Confirm you want to unfriend when prompted.

That will instantly sever your Facebook friendship and remove all connections.

Unfollowing on Instagram

To unfollow an Instagram user:

1. Go to the profile page of the person you wish to unfollow.
2. Tap the Following button below their bio.
3. Select Unfollow on the screen that appears.

Their posts will immediately disappear from your Instagram feed without removing the follower connection.

Unfollowing on Twitter

To unfollow someone on Twitter:

1. Go to their Twitter profile page.
2. Tap the Following button next to the Follow button.
3. Choose Unfollow on the menu.

This will instantly prevent their Tweets from appearing in your timeline. You’ll remain followers.

What Happens When You Unfriend or Unfollow

Here is what happens on each platform when you unfriend or unfollow someone:

On Facebook

• Disappears from your friends list and you disappear from theirs.
• Posts no longer appear in your News Feed or theirs.
• No future notifications about their activity.
• Can’t see any of their content unless you send a new friend request.

On Instagram

• Their posts no longer show up in your Instagram feed.
• Any posts you share will still appear in their feed.
• Can still see their posts by visiting their profile.
• They may be notified you unfollowed them.

On Twitter

• Their Tweets no longer automatically appear in your timeline.
• They will still see your Tweets unless they unfollow you too.
• Can still find and interact with their Tweets by going to their profile.
• They may be notified you unfollowed them.

The effect ranges from totally severing the online connection (Facebook unfriending) to simply filtering someone from your main feed (Instagram and Twitter unfollowing).

What They Can See if You Unfollow

Whether someone is aware they were unfollowed or unfriended depends on the platform:

• Facebook: They receive no notification when unfriended. Your profiles simply disappear from each other’s friends lists.
• Instagram: They may be notified via an automatic alert that you no longer follow them.
• Twitter: They may also be alerted that you no longer follow them.

On Instagram and Twitter, someone could realize they were unfollowed if they remember your previous follower count. But Facebook provides no notice whatsoever if you unfriend someone.

Seeing Their Posts After Unfollowing

Can someone still see your posts after they unfollow you? Here is what’s visible to each party after unfollowing on major platforms:

Platform	What they see of your posts	What you see of their posts
Facebook	Nothing – profiles are disconnected	Nothing – profiles are disconnected
Instagram	All posts unless they block you	Nothing in main feed unless you visit their profile
Twitter	All tweets unless they block you	Nothing in timeline unless you visit their profile

In summary:

• On Facebook, unfriending removes all access to posts.
• On Instagram and Twitter, unfollowing just filters someone’s posts from your main feed.

Should You Notify Them?

Since being unfollowed or unfriended can feel socially awkward, you may wonder if you should give the person a courtesy notice. Some things to consider:

• On Facebook, no notice is necessary since unfriending provides no alerts.
• If it’s a close friend, it may be kind to say you need to unfollow for a social media break.
• In toxic situations like harassment, no notice is needed.
• With casual acquaintances, they likely won’t be concerned or notice.
• A simple “Hey, just looking to tidy up my feeds, I’ll still see you in person” note can smooth things over.

In general, if it’s someone you care about and want to maintain a friendship with, a polite DM can avoid hurt feelings. But for distant connections, most people won’t be strongly affected or even aware.

Should You Unfriend or Unfollow?

When deciding whether to unfriend or unfollow someone, consider these factors:

• Unfriend for toxic connections you want to remove entirely.
• Unfollow for annoying but harmless accounts just to clean up your feed.
• Unfollow to take a mental break from a friend’s constant posts.
• Unfriend ex-partners after an especially bad breakup if needed.
• Unfollow casual high school or college friends you’ve lost touch with.

The context of your relationship and reason for removing their content should guide whether to take the more permanent action of unfriending or temporary fix of unfollowing.

Pros and Cons

Unfriending and unfollowing both have certain advantages and drawbacks depending on the situation:

Pros

• Removes annoying, irrelevant, or negative posts from your social feeds.
• Limits content from people you barely interact with anymore.
• Creates distance from toxic connections causing you stress or harm.
• Frees up more space to see posts from closer, more caring friends.
• Makes social media more enjoyable by tailoring it to your interests.
• Allows focusing social channels on current priorities rather than past connections.

Cons

• May cause hurt feelings, confusion, or offense.
• Can seem passive aggressive if done secretly without explanation.
• Permanently ends a Facebook friendship if you unfriend.
• May be seen as cutting someone out of your life entirely.
• Contacts may take it personally that you hid their content.
• Ex-partners or past friends may notice the social media shift.

In general, the pros tend to outweigh the cons when thoughtfully unfollowing or unfriending to curate your social space. But it still requires tact and discretion to avoidsocial fallout.

Conclusion

Unfriending and unfollowing both allow limiting social media posts from someone in your network. Unfriending completely disconnects profiles on Facebook, while unfollowing simply mutes their posts from your main feeds on platforms like Instagram and Twitter.

In most cases, unfollowing is the first step to create distance from annoying or irrelevant content without completely removing a social media friendship. But unfriending can provide a clean break for toxic relationships or failed connections. Just be cautious of potential social consequences and consider a polite notification for close friends and family.

With some wise discernment about when to unfollow versus unfriend, you can craft the most positive social media experience full of supportive voices that enrich your life.