How to Add, Tag, Unfollow, Remove, and Block Facebook Friends

Learn how to manage your Facebook friends

By
Elise Moreau
Elise Moreau
Elise Moreau
Freelance Contributor
  • University of Ontario
  • George Brown College
Elise Moreau is a writer that has covered social media, texting, messaging, and streaming for Lifewire. Her work has appeared on Techvibes, SlashGear, Lifehack and others.
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Updated on March 11, 2021
Facebook

What to Know

  • Add friends: Enter name in search bar > People > select Add Friend icon next to person. Facebook sends a friend request.
  • Tag in a post: Type @ followed by friend’s name. Tag in a photo: Select Tag Photo under picture > select friend.
  • Unfollow or remove: On their profile, select Friend icon > Unfollow or Remove. To block, select three dots on profile > Block.

Knowing how to add friends on Facebook is essential to using the world's largest social network. Before you get started, you should also know how to unfollow, block, and remove Facebook friends.

Instructions in this article apply to Facebook.com, but you can also manage your friends with the Facebook mobile app.

How to Add a Friend on Facebook

To find and add friends directly on Facebook:

  1. Enter the person's name in the search bar at the top of Facebook and select the magnifying glass.

    Magnifying glass in the search bar at the top of Facebook

  2. Select the People tab to filter out everything else except personal profiles.

    People tab in Facebook search

  3. Scroll through the results to find the person you know and select Add Friend next to their name. A friend request is sent to that person.

    Add Friend on Facebook

Once they confirm that they actually are friends with you, they show up on your list of Facebook friends. You receive a notification after they accept your friend request.

Privacy settings might limit your ability to see the Add Friend link for some users. If they don't want to be added by anyone who isn't a mutual friend of theirs, you might have to message them first and ask them to add you.

Find Old Friends to Add on Facebook

To get you started, Facebook suggests friends based on the information in your profile. For example, if you indicate that you attended a particular high school or college, Facebook might suggest other people on Facebook who went to that same school. If you want to find old friends on Facebook, be sure to list your schools and graduation years.

If you changed your name and want to be found by your old friends who knew you by your old name, there's an option to be searchable by your previous name. On your profile page, go to About > Details About You and select Add a nickname.

Add a nickname on Facebook

You can designate how much each person sees about you by creating friend lists and setting privacy restrictions to make your Facebook photos private.

How to Tag Friends in Photos and Posts

To tag Facebook friends in your posts, type the @ symbol followed by the first few letters of their name. Facebook suggests friends you can choose from a drop-down list.

To tag a friend in a photo, select Tag Photo under to picture and choose anyone from your friend's list. When you tag someone, they receive a notification, and it might show up on their profile (depending on their timeline settings).

Tag Photo on Facebook

How to Unfollow Facebook Friends

Facebook has a handy option that allows you to unfollow friends. That way, you stop seeing their posts in your News Feed without having to unfriend them. When you unfollow someone, they aren't notified about it, so they're none the wiser.

To unfollow a friend, go to their profile, hover the mouse over Following on their cover photo and select Unfollow.

Unfollow on Facebook

How to Remove Facebook Friends

If you want to remove someone from your friend's list, go to their profile, hover the mouse over Friends on their cover photo and select Unfriend.

Unfriend on Facebook

How to Block Friends or Other Facebook Users

If you want to block someone from seeing your profile or contacting you altogether, block them. Users are not notified when you block them, and you can't access blocked users' profiles once they've been blocked.

To block someone on Facebook, go to their profile, select the three dots in the lower-right of their cover photo, and then select Block.

Block on Facebook

You can block friends and users who aren't your friends. To unblock them, go to your Settings and select Blocking to manage your list of blocked users.

How to View Your Friendship Page for a Facebook Friend

Friendship pages display photos and posts that are associated with you and a specific friend. You share a friendship page with every friend, whether you have shared photos and posts or not.

To view a friend's friendship page, go to their profile, select the three dots in the lower-right corner of their cover photo, and then select See Friendship.

See Friendship on Facebook
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