I need to block a person on Facebook who keeps sending me unwanted messages and commenting on my posts. I’m confused by the different options like unfollow, unfriend, restrict, and block, and I want to make sure they can’t see my profile, message me, or interact with me at all. Can someone walk me through the exact steps and any privacy settings I should also check so I’m fully protected?
Facebook makes this confusing, so here is the simple version.
What each option does
Unfollow
You stay “friends”.
You stop seeing their posts in your feed.
They still see your posts.
They still message you and comment.
Unfriend
You remove them from your friends list.
They still find your profile.
They still see public posts and posts you share to “Public”.
They still message you, unless you block messages separately.
They still comment on anything you post as Public or in shared groups.
Restrict
You stay “friends”, but you limit what they see.
Anything you share to “Friends” will not show to them.
They only see things you post as “Public” or where you explicitly include them.
They still message you.
They still comment on posts where they have access, like public posts or shared groups.
Block
This is the hard stop.
They cannot see your profile, tag you, invite you, message you, or add you.
Their old comments stay unless you remove them, but they lose access to most of your stuff.
You also stop seeing their profile and messages.
This is what you want.
How to fully block on Facebook app (phone)
- Open the profile of the person.
- Tap the three dots on their profile.
- Tap “Block”.
- Confirm on the popup.
- Go back again, make sure it says “Unblock” now. If it does, the block is active.
How to block from Messenger app
Sometimes blocking needs both steps.
- Open Messenger.
- Open the conversation with that person.
- Tap their name at the top.
- Scroll to “Block”.
- Tap “Block on Facebook” and confirm.
- Also tap “Block messages and calls” and confirm.
That double block stops messages and profile access.
Extra privacy steps
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Set your future posts to “Friends” only.
Profile → three lines menu → Settings & privacy → Settings → Audience and visibility → “Posts” → “Who can see your future posts” → choose “Friends”. -
Limit old posts.
Same “Posts” menu → “Limit past posts” → confirm.
This changes all old “Public” and “Friends of friends” posts to “Friends”. -
Check your block list.
Settings → Audience and visibility → “Blocking”.
Confirm their name appears there.
Common mistakes
• Only unfollowing. They still interact with you.
• Only restricting. They still message you and might still see some posts.
• Blocking only on Messenger but not on Facebook, or the other way around.
• Leaving many posts as “Public”. They still see those if they log out or use another account.
Quick checklist for your case
You want:
• No messages from them.
• No comments from them on your posts.
• Minimal visibility of your profile.
So do this:
- Block them from their profile.
- Block them in Messenger.
- Change your future posts to “Friends”.
- Limit past posts.
- Delete or hide any old comments from them that still bother you.
That setup locks them out as much as Facebook allows from one account. If they use new fake accounts, the only fix is to block those too and keep your posts restricted to “Friends”.
What @chasseurdetoiles wrote is solid, but I think they slightly oversell “block and forget” as if that solves everything forever. It’s close, but there are a few gaps you’ll want to plug so this person actually stops being able to bug you.
You already know you want block, not unfollow / unfriend / restrict. Quick sanity check of those in your specific situation:
- Unfollow: only controls what you see. Useless for dealing with harassment.
- Unfriend: better, but they can still DM and comment on public stuff.
- Restrict: nice for nosy coworkers & relatives, not for someone crossing boundaries.
- Block: the only one that actually breaks contact.
Where I’d go a bit further or slightly different than @chasseurdetoiles:
-
Use the “Block messages” shortcut first if they’re spamming
If your main pain is messages, stop those instantly:
- In Messenger, hit their chat, tap their name, choose “Block messages and calls.”
- This works even before you fully block their profile.
That buys you peace immediately while you decide how hard you want to go.
-
Consider “Block this person across Facebook and Instagram”
Facebook has been quietly rolling out cross‑blocking:
- When you block someone, look for wording like “Block on Facebook and Instagram.”
- If you see it, use it. People who harass on FB often slide into IG too.
-
Use “Manage blocking” instead of only profile-blocking
Going only through their profile is fine, but:
- Settings & privacy → Settings → Blocking
- Use “Add to blocked list” and type their name or email/phone if you have it.
Why this matters: if they change their display name slightly, searching via that page is sometimes easier than hunting their profile again.
-
Prevent them from immediately remaking contact with a friend-request
After blocking, double check:
- Settings → How people find and contact you
- Tighten “Who can send you friend requests” to “Friends of friends” at least.
No, it will not stop a determined stalker with 50 burner accounts, but it does cut the casual repeat nonsense.
-
Lock down comments from randoms
Even blocked, they can sometimes still see public stuff while logged out or from other accounts. So:
- Settings → Audience and visibility → Followers
- Set “Who can follow you” to “Friends” and “Public post comments” to “Friends” or “Friends of friends.”
That way, even if they pop up on a new account, they cannot talk under your posts unless they sneak into your friends list again.
-
Use the “Take a break” / “Limit interaction” style tools if you’re unsure
If you are on the fence about a full block:
- There is a “Take a break” option on some profiles, which quietly reduces what you see from them and what they see from you without the drama of unfriending.
- Personally, for someone harassing you, I skip this and go straight to full block, but it’s an option if you worry about social fallout.
-
Document things if it feels even slightly threatening
People always skip this part:
- Screenshot creepy / threatening messages before blocking.
- Keep dates, URLs of posts, and any pattern of behavior.
If it escalates, you can report to Facebook or, if it’s serious, to local authorities. Blocking is for your peace of mind, but evidence is for your safety.
-
Double check from another view
Slight disagreement with the “if it says Unblock, you’re done” idea. Usually true, but FB glitches:
- Ask a trusted friend to search your profile and see if that person still appears in comments, tags, etc.
- Also search your own posts for their name and clean up old comments you don’t want to keep.
TL;DR version of the safest combo for your case:
- Block in Messenger first so the messages stop right away.
- Block on Facebook, ideally with the FB + IG option if it shows.
- Lock your posts/comments audience to Friends and limit past posts.
- Adjust who can send friend requests and who can comment on public posts.
- Screenshot anything that was over the line before it disappears.
That setup goes a bit beyond what was already suggested and makes it much harder for that person to keep poking at you from the same or lightly-edited account.
Quickly building on what @voyageurdubois and @chasseurdetoiles already nailed:
-
Where I slightly disagree
They both treat “block” as the clean nuclear option, which is mostly true. The catch: blocking can sometimes trigger drama because the person notices instantly (disappearing chat, failed profile view). If this is a coworker, family member, or someone you must see offline, consider a short phase of “Restrict + tighter privacy + block messages” first, then full block later, so the shift looks more like “I’m not active here anymore” rather than “You are cut off.” For persistent harassment though, I would not delay the full block. -
One thing they did not emphasize
Meta has been experimenting with cross‑platform controls. When you start the block flow, always read the fine print on that dialog. If you see an option to apply the block across Facebook and Instagram, use it. People who harass on Facebook often pivot to Instagram the moment they lose access. -
Think about where they reach you
The standard profile block will not touch:
- Group interactions where you are both members under a different account they control
- Events run by third parties where they may still see you if they attend offline
For groups, consider: - Leaving groups that are “their turf”
- Muting notifications from posts where they might appear
- Asking admins to ban them if they violate group rules
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Silent control over future comments
After you block, go a bit further than what was suggested: change comment controls so that only “Friends” can comment on your public‑facing stuff. That way, even if they remake a new account and cannot get into your friends list, they cannot start commenting under widely shared posts. -
Emotional side that features nowhere in Facebook’s menus
Expect a brief period where you keep checking if they have found a way around it. That is normal. To cut that cycle:
- After blocking and privacy cleanup, log out on all devices and log back in once, so you feel like you “reset” everything.
- Mute your own comment and message notifications for a day or two if the anxiety spike is high. You can always re‑enable once things go quiet.
- “Product” talk in plain language
You are basically trying to use Facebook’s blocking as if it were a single, beautifully designed tool. In reality it is a messy bundle of controls spread across profile, Messenger, groups, comments, and follower settings. The “pros” of this built‑in system:
- Free and integrated with your existing account
- Stops most direct interactions from one specific account
- Lets you tune visibility without deleting your profile
The “cons”:
- Requires multiple menus and checks, as @voyageurdubois and @chasseurdetoiles clearly showed
- Does nothing against new burner accounts
- Can create social fallout if this is someone in your offline circle
Because of those cons, the real “proper” block is not just pressing Block. It is:
- Full block on their account
- Tightened privacy and comments
- Group and follower cleanup
- Screenshots of anything that felt threatening, kept privately
Do that once, slowly and methodically, and you should not need to revisit all these menus again unless they come back with a new account.