How to remove
A Friend on Facebook
from Windows

Hello. I wanted to ask if there is a way to remove Facebook friends without them knowing? I have one toxic social media friend that continuously shares disturbing pictures too frequently, and I want his posts to disappear from my feed. I do not want him to be notified when I remove him from my friends’ list. Suggestions?

It is possible to remove Facebook friends without them knowing. You can unfriend someone on Facebook very quickly, and the person won’t get notified about it. If you wish, you can block or report the person as well. However, remember that if you block someone on Facebook, you both won’t be able to access each other’s profiles until you unblock them. There are also methods that can help you to avoid content that they post without actually removing them from your friends’ list.

There are various techniques to get rid of an annoying Facebook friend, and you do not have to feel bad for doing so. Whether it is a distant relative who continuously checks what you’re doing and reports everything to other family members that you rarely encounter, a friend who likes to create rumours and talk scandals, someone who repeatedly posts their political opinion or negative thoughts, your ex, a braggart, or a self-lover who spams your feed with selfies taken from every possible angle, you do not have to force yourself to tolerate them. Even worse, if you feel that someone you added just pretends to be your friend but posts suspicious content and sends you strange links, block such profile because it is likely to be fake or affected by Facebook virus. Tips provided below will help you to make unwanted people disappear from your feed or your friends’ list without letting them know.

How to Remove a Friend on Facebook?

Method 1. Traditional way to unfriend someone on Facebook

1. Log into your Facebook account and go to that person’s profile.
2. Move your mouse over Friends button and click Unfriend.

This way, the person will be removed from your friends’ list, but he or she will be able to see that you are no longer on their friends' list as soon as they will try to visit your profile. If you wish to make them think that you disappeared from the social media platform (a.k.a. deleted your account), try method 2.

Method 2. Block someone on Facebook

Blocking someone on Facebook automatically removes them from your friends’ list. Follow these easy steps to prevent a person from seeing your profile ever again:

1. Go to that person’s profile and click on three dots (...) button next to Message button. Here, select Block.
2. You will receive a pop-up asking you if you really want to block that person. Confirm your choice if you want to unfriend them and prevent them from sending messages to you and visiting your profile. Or, you can choose to take a break from them (see Method 4).

Method 3. Add someone to your Restricted list

This method helps you to prevent a person from accessing all the content you share. Friends that you add to the Restricted list can message you, but all that they can see is just your public profile - in other words, the same thing they can see when you unfriend them, expect of that they still see themselves as your friends.

1. Go to that person’s profile and hover your mouse over Friends button.
2. When a drop-down menu appears, select Add to Another List… then, choose Restricted.

You might also want to see fewer posts from such people in your News Feed, so you can either Unfollow them (hover your mouse over the Following button while in their profile and select Unfollow (your friend’s name).

Method 4. Take a break from someone on Facebook

Facebook suggests a useful all-in-one feature called “Take a break,” which helps you to control the content you share with someone and also limit the content that reaches you from those people.

1. Log into your Facebook profile and then go to Facebook’s Take a Break page.
2. You will see a message asking you to select a person. Type in the name of the person that you are unhappy about and select him/her from the drop-down list.
3. Here, you will see all customizable options and things you can do in order to lower the interaction with that person to the minimum.

Quick tip: If you’re reading this page via your phone, instead of hovering a mouse over certain buttons, simply click them.