Last updated on January 31st, 2023 at 06:09 pm
Facebook is not just an ordinary social site.
Rather, it is a space where we interact with people of shared interests, express our opinions and ideas, become new members of groups and get access to the latest news.
However, at specific times, we encounter a friend on Facebook sharing disrespectful or inflammatory posts.
So, is there a way to stop accessing that friend’s post without using the delete or block button?
Absolutely, Facebook has a feature that will enable you to nicely “silence” other users, similar to Twitter’s mute.
This feature is called “Unfollow”. Once you unfollow on Facebook, it will limit offensive or unwanted posts from showing on your Facebook news feed.
In this article, we will explore the following;
- The easiest way to unfollow on Facebook in seconds;
- How to manage your Facebook friend list using your smartphone or PC;
- How to follow back Facebook friends you have previously unfollowed;
Unfollow a Facebook Page Vs Unfollow a Facebook Friend
Let me clarify that you can easily unfollow a Facebook page and unfollow a Facebook friend.
But the two do not have the same outcome. Here is the difference:
When you “unfollow” someone via the settings menu, Facebook will limit the person’s profile and posts from appearing in your news feed. This won’t “unfriend” the person.
However, when you unfollow a page on Facebook, it will lead to the page becoming “deleted” from your profile.
Note: If it seems “unfollowing” friends isn’t the perfect tool for you, then you can always use the “take a break” feature. There are also other options and tools that you can use to manage your friend list.
Block Vs Unfollow on Facebook: The difference
Is there a difference between unfollowing a Facebook friend and blocking them? Yes. We will look at three major distinctions between these features that you should take note of:
If you block a Facebook friend, they will be completely removed from your account; they will never be able to access your profile, chat with you or locate your account from their friend list.
Once you unfollow a Facebook friend, they won’t be notified. The person can still visit your profile and send you messages.
Your friend can’t figure out that you have unfollowed them.
However, if you block a friend, he can eventually tell that he has been blocked by checking your profile and being unable to send you a message.
Unfriend vs Unfollow on Facebook: The Difference
As you can tell, unfriend and unfollow on Facebook are not the same.
If you unfollow a Facebook friend, the person remains on your friend list. What happens is that their post won’t appear on your newsfeed.
However, when you unfriend a Facebook friend, their account is deleted from your friend list. This automatically limits their posts from showing up on your newsfeed.
When you unfriend or unfollow someone on Facebook, they won’t get any notification about the action.
Furthermore, it is a one-time action and will be updated across multiple platforms. Whenever you want, you can easily follow or add a friend to your friend list in the future.
How to Unfollow on Facebook
In this section, we will explore two easy methods to unfollow a friend on Facebook.
Method 1: Directly from your News Feed
The first thing to do is to sign into your Facebook account properly. The process of signing in is almost the same across all platforms.
Whether you are using an iPhone, Android or PC, you will be able to access your account by entering your email address and password.
- Access your news feed and identify a post from the Facebook user you wish to unfollow. This is a good opportunity!
- Next, simply select the three dots menu in the top right corner of the post.
You will find a drop-down menu with a list of options.
Choose “Unfollow”
At this stage, you have to select “unfollow” from the menu item. Whenever you see an offensive post and wish to unfollow the user, follow these steps.
The good thing is that Facebook won’t send a notification to the user that you have unfollowed them, and instantly, their posts will disappear from your news feed.
Please note that they will still be able to access your post from their news feed section.
Method 2: Access Their Profile Page and Unfollow
This method will require you to access the profile page of the user you wish to unfollow.
Don’t forget that you can simply access their profile page by selecting or tapping their profile photo.
For users of the Facebook smartphone application, you can easily get to the unfollow button from the menu bar located under the profile photo.
For Facebook web & PC users, you will find the unfollow button when you tap the “Friend” button beside “Message”.
Select the unfollow button in the upper right menu, and the “following” checkbox will instantly be removed.
You won’t see their posts on your timeline or be notified when they make changes to them.
How to Unfollow a Facebook Page
It is very easy to unfollow a Facebook page via the Facebook app or PC page. The steps below will guide you:
Locate the page you wish to unfollow
You can navigate to the page you wish to unfollow by tapping the hamburger icon (three horizontal lines) in the upper right corner of your screen.
Next, scroll down and tap “Pages”.
To unfollow any Facebook page, select the unfollow button. It is that easy.
Now you will stop seeing that boring, absurdly long Facebook page! However, you can always follow the page and its contents whenever you wish.
How to Manage Your Faebook News Feed Preferences
You can always update your follow options. To start, access your news feed preferences.
Tap News Feed Preferences
Access your profile page and check for the manage screen. If you are using the app, you have to select the hamburger icon (three horizontal lines) that is located at the lower end.
At this stage, it’s important to tap “News Feed Preferences”, as this will help you in managing unfollowed profiles.
Follow Back an Unfollowed Facebook Page or Friends
This menu gives you the choice of following your Facebook friends or ignoring them – It’s up to you.
If you follow someone once more, you will have access to their posts as they appear on your timeline.
So this is the easiest way to unfollow a Facebook page or friend. Fast, time-saving and hassle-free.
If you need more help on this topic, visit the Facebook Help Center for more details.
How to Unfollow on Facebook FAQs
When you unfollow someone, what happens to their posts and stories?
The major reason you should unfollow friends on Facebook is to limit their posts from showing up on your newsfeed.
Thus, unfollowing someone will prevent you from seeing their latest posts or stories.
But, if you access their profile, you’d view their old and latest posts if their privacy option is set to “public” or “friend”. You can always manually browse their posts if you wish.
Will friends who I have unfollowed access my posts and stories?
The answer is yes. Unfollowing on Facebook is a one-sided activity.
It won’t affect them. Your posts and stories will remain visible on their newsfeed as long as they are on your friend list.
However, you can always limit them from accessing your posts by using the privacy option.
Does your Facebook Friend know when you unfollow them?
No. Facebook won’t send them a notification when you unfollow their account.
Will likes and comments be affected when you unfollow someone?
No, it doesn’t affect likes or comments in any way. A “followed” Facebook friend will still be able to comment and like your posts.
You can also access their posts via their profile page.
Can you chat with someone if you unfollow them on Facebook?
Absolutely yes. You can send messages to them and vice versa.
Can you post on their timeline if you unfollow someone?
Yes. As long as you remain Facebook friends, you can still post on their timeline and vice versa. This is similar to likes and comments.
However, it depends on the privacy configuration of their timeline.
Can you unfollow the friend who tagged you?
Yes. And when you unfollow someone, it won’t stop them from tagging you and vice versa.
Who can you unfollow on Facebook?
Facebook allows you to unfollow pages, groups, non-friends and friends easily.
If you unfollow a Facebook page or group, what happens next?
Just as with profiles, unfollowing a Facebook group or page prevents their posts from appearing on your newsfeed.
However, it doesn’t stop you from being a member of the group.
Your membership in that group will continue, and you can manually access the group to check new posts.
Conclusion
The unfollowing feature on Facebook is an easy way to avoid offensive and annoying posts without necessarily truncating or terminating a “friend status” with someone.
This article has been helpful in explaining how to unfollow on Facebook.
Ensure you share it with your friends and loved ones via the share buttons below.
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