Social networks, such as Facebook, mirror the physical world. In both, you meet people, make new friends, and lose contact with certain people. This makes your social circle evolve over the years. Therefore, your contact list changes over time, so you won't always follow the same people, and others can stop following you.
Facebook lets you follow friends, family members, and acquaintances. You can also follow celebrity accounts, groups, or pages related to topics of interest, companies, or various associations. When you grow tired of someone or a certain group or page, you can stop following them. Easy, right?
Moreover, you might find someone on Facebook who is rude or annoys you with their messages. In such a case, you can block that person to forget about them and prevent them from viewing your Facebook profile. Let's see how to do this.
How to unfollow someone on Facebook to stop seeing their posts
Your Facebook feed displays posts from the people you have in your contact list, groups and pages you follow, and other accounts you follow. If, at some point, you've had enough and want to stop seeing somebody's posts, one way to do so is to stop following that person. Here's how to do it:
How to unfollow someone on Facebook
- Open the Facebook app.
- Search for the profile you want to unfollow.
- Once inside, click on the Friends button.
- Now tap Stop following.
- You can follow that person again by repeating these steps.
Generally, if you follow someone it is because they are on your friends list. But you do not need to remove them from this list. You can simply stop following them. When you unfollow someone, you will no longer see their posts in your feed but that person will still be your friend.
How to unfollow groups or pages on Facebook
Just as you can follow and unfollow someone, you can also follow Facebook groups and pages. Likewise, unfollowing them is the best solution if you grow tired of seeing their posts but don't want to leave the group or page. These are the steps to follow:
How to unfollow groups and pages on Facebook
- Open the Facebook app.
- Search for the group or page you want to unfollow.
- Once inside, tap the You are a member button. This only works in groups.
- Now tap the Stop following group button.
- If it is a page, tap the Following button.
- And then tap the Stop following button.
How to block someone on Facebook
Unfollowing someone means not seeing their posts on Facebook. But what if we want to do the opposite? That is, to prevent anyone from viewing our posts. If this is what you want to do, you must block that Facebook profile or account. To do this, follow these steps:
How to block someone on Facebook
- Open the Facebook app.
- Search for the profile you want to block.
- Tap the button with three horizontal dots.
- Select Block.
- The app will explain what it means to block someone.
- Tap Block to confirm your decision.
- Or, if you no longer want to block that person, tap Cancel.
To view your list of blocked Facebook profiles, do this:
- Open the Facebook app.
- Tap the dropdown menu at the top right.
- Go to Settings and Privacy.
- Open Settings.
- Scroll down until you reach Blocked Users. You'll find this option under Audience and Visibility.
- From here, you can unblock whoever you have blocked.
- You will also be able to block them.
- Just tap the Add to the Blocked List button.
- Tap Block. Now, tap Block again to confirm your decision.
What happens when I block someone on Facebook: do they know I have blocked them?
According to the Facebook Helpdesk, “If you block someone's profile on Facebook, they will no longer be able to tag your profile or see what you post on it, among other actions.” Also, that person cannot send you messages or add you to their friend list. This is the best way to get rid of annoying or rude profiles.
It is also good to know that “profiles do not receive notifications when blocked”. And if you regret it “after you unblock that user, you will have to send them a new friend request”. So you can block someone peacefully if that person deserves it. It is not advisable to abuse this option.
How to report someone on Facebook
If someone bothers you or is aggressive towards you on Facebook, blocking them will prevent them from bothering you further. However, there is another case to consider. Like any social network, Facebook has rules and regulations. They explain what you can and cannot do, according to the laws governing the countries where Facebook has a presence.
So if a Facebook account breaks the law or has posted something you consider illegal, you can report that user. Facebook has employees who review whether posts and profiles comply with its standards. But there is so much content that they may miss something.
How to report someone on Facebook
To report someone on Facebook, follow these steps:
- Open the Facebook app.
- Search for the profile you want to report.
- Tap the button with three horizontal dots.
- Select the Report profile option.
- Follow the instructions.
- You may have to write an explanation to describe the reason for the complaint.
- When finished, tap on Done.
You can report something you think is wrong with the profile, a specific post, or the profile as a whole. To do so, check the options you consider appropriate. The app offers several options to choose from to properly describe the specific cause that has led you to report that account. Reasons include nudity, harassment, violence or hate speech, fraud, impersonation, defamation, etc.
The complaint will reach Facebook. An employee will review your complaint and take the appropriate actions. However, this can take several days. When the time comes, you will receive a reply informing you of the decision taken. The account in question may or may not be deleted depending on the judgment of Facebook's moderation team.
