Facebook has been a huge social media platform since it was first made public in 2006.
If you are old enough to have had a Facebook account since its inception, you are sure to have amassed a large number of Facebook friends, from your elementary school study buddies to that group of kids you met at a college party and even an old coworker or two (or ten).
But what if you want to clean up your account a little? In this article, we’re going to look at exactly how to unfriend someone on Facebook, and some factors for you to consider.
Why unfriend someone on Facebook?
Over time the people who you have added as friends on Facebook may have grown apart from you and can have many differences in opinion, which might not align with the kind of content you would like to be seeing on your Facebook feed.
There are many reasons for wanting to unfriend someone on Facebook, you might find yourself not wanting or needing that many friends on Facebook.
You may find yourself asking why you added a certain person in the first place and if you have a friend who is a constant poster, it can get annoying.
There are many reasons for wanting to unfriend someone on Facebook, which is why it’s important to know how to unfriend someone if and when it’s necessary.
Is it better to block, hide or unfriend someone on Facebook?
Choosing to block or unfriend someone all depends on what you feel is necessary.
If you are seeing something you don’t like or agree with or are experiencing behavior from someone that is offensive it might be best to block that person altogether, If you do not wish to go that far, unfriending them should do.
Facebook now has great features that allow you to hide parts of your profile or posts in case there is someone on your friend’s list that you don’t want to see your posts or profile information.
In this way, you can have some privacy but still, keep them on your friend’s list. Only you can know which option is best for you.
In case you feel it necessary, this guide covers how to block someone on Facebook.
How to unfriend someone on Facebook on Desktop
If you have made the decision to unfriend someone on Facebook, here is how you unfriend them on a desktop computer:
- Log into your Facebook account and search for the name of the person you would like to unfriend.
- Go to the person’s timeline.
- Click the “Friends” button, a menu should appear.
- Click the “Unfriend” button, a pop-up will appear, click confirm.
How to unfriend someone on Facebook on Mobile
If you have made the decision to unfriend someone on Facebook, here is how you unfriend them on a mobile device:
- Open the Facebook app and search for the name of the person you would like to unfriend.
- Go to the person’s timeline.
- Click the “Friends” button, a menu should appear.
- Click the “Unfriend” button, a pop-up will appear, click confirm.
Final thoughts on how to unfriend someone on Facebook
After reading this article, you should have a better idea of how to unfriend someone on Facebook.
If you’re not sure whether or not it’s the right decision for you and your relationships with others, think about why you may want to do so: privacy concerns, stalking worries, etc.
Whatever the reason is that compelled you to read through this post in search of an answer, I hope that this has helped make things clearer.
FAQs
Will someone know if I unfriend them on Facebook?
The person you choose to unfriend will not be notified that you unfriended them on Facebook, but there is a chance that they will go to search your name and find that you have unfriended them.
You can avoid this by unfollowing them, which is a feature that allows you to keep the connection but not see any of that person’s posts or updates.
This guide covers how to unfollow someone on Facebook.
If you choose to block that person, they will no longer be able to search your name at all.
How do you politely unfriend someone?
When you unfriend someone on Facebook, that person might not take it very lightly, and although there is not really a polite way to go about unfriending someone you can make it easier by not announcing it to your Facebook friends and if you happen to see this person in real life and they choose to ask you about it, don’t deny it.
You can just simply and politely explain that you no longer saw the need to keep them on your friends list.
Why is there no unfriend button on Facebook?
Facebook’s goal is to connect people around the world and Facebook wants to keep these connections intact even though people change over the years.
The unveiling of the unfollow button, which allows you to unfollow a certain person’s content, but still remain friends, gives Facebook users more options to keep their Facebook “friends” without having to completely sever the tie.
It is beneficial for Facebook to know who you know, or who you’ve known and this becomes apparent with updates such as the removal of the unfriend button.