What to Do if Blocked From Family on Facebook and Worried

(Originally published 2013, updated Nov 2019).

A relative of mine asked me, "What can I do if I don't want to see someone's updates on Facebook, but I'd rather not unfriend or block them?"

Hither's how to make it seem like you take unfriended a person.  Information technology's a two-step process.  First, you will foreclose their updates from showing up on your news feed (the page you encounter when you first log into Facebook). Then, yous can prevent them from seeing your updates.

There are ii ways to accomplish this:

1. The easiest way is to add together someone to your Acquaintances (Read instruction here for using the Acquaintances list for distancing yourself from a FB friend)
2. The other method is to united nations-follow a person and then add them to your Restricted Read on if you'd like to try this method.

Of course you could e'er go alee and united nations-friend someone – they will not be notified.  Simply information technology could create an awkward situation, depending on the person and your relationship.  So it'due south prissy to have this option.

Preclude a friend's updates from showing up on your Facebook Feed:

Desktop:

i. Go to your friend'southward timeline page by clicking on their name.  The "Following" push volition be checked, every bit shown, meaning that you currently follow the person (i.e. you see their updates on your News Feed).  Click the "Unfollow" option to unfollow them.

two.  The button will change to the word "Follow".

Mobile:

one.  In the Facebook app, first go to the friend'south timeline.  Click the small "Friends" button and you'll see the following choices – Post-obit, Block, and Friends.  Click "Friends".

two. You'll at present take the choices to Unfriend, Take a Break, Unfollow, or Edit Friends list.  Click "Unfollow".

Yous should no longer meet this friend'south updates on your News Feed.  You can still run into their updates if you visit their profile/timeline folio.

At present that yous take limited what you lot'll see about this person, go ahead and limit what they'll see about you.

Add your friend to your "Restricted" listing to prevent them from seeing what you lot share

Facebook provides a few built-in "Lists" for categorizing your friends.  You tin can use these lists to control who you share with.  One of the lists is called "Restricted".  When yous add someone to your "Restricted" listing they will merely be able to see your "Public" content or posts of yours that you lot tag them in".  It works like this:

Desktop:

1. Hover over theFriends button again and this time choose "Add to another list".

two. Select "Restricted".

3. If this person was in another list, select that list to un-check and remove them from the list.

Mobile:

1. Click on the "Friends" button again.  Cull Friends, and then "Edit Friend Lists" (yous might not see this, in which example just continue).

ii.  Y'all'll meet some possible lists – I accept a few custom lists, your screen might wait a scrap dissimilar.  Coil down and select "Restricted".

3. If this person was in another list, select that listing to un-bank check and remove them from the list.

Is this fool-proof?

No.  In that location are a few other settings that could expose some of your information to the friend you are trying to ditch.

For instance, if you have a mutual friend in common, and that mutual friend tags yous both, then your friend might run across that you've been tagged.

Or, if you and your "frenemy" both follow a public page on Facebook like…uh…expert example here….okay let's say you both follow that Star Trek guy George Takei, and you click "Like" on George's funny film, then your friend could potentially encounter that you've liked it.  That'south because she is also a fan of George and George'due south post are available to "Everyone".

And so while there is no guarantee of total erasure of this person from your Facebook life, this is about as close equally y'all can come to unfriending or blocking a person.

[Please notation – I take closed comments on this article; unfortunately this page is receiving a big number of spam comments.  And I am not able to personally troubleshoot each and every state of affairs! Please have a expect at the existing comments and replies to date, as your question might be answered hither.  You tin also accept a look at other Facebook tips, or search the Facebook help page.]

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Source: https://www.bewebsmart.com/social-media/facebook/distance-yourself-without-unfriending/

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