Where to find Facebook notification settings

Facebook notification settings live in one place: the Settings & Privacy menu. On a computer, click the downward arrow in the top right corner of any Facebook page, then select Settings & Privacy, then Settings. On a phone or tablet, tap the three horizontal lines (called the menu icon) in the bottom right corner, scroll down to Settings & Privacy, then tap Settings.

Once you are in Settings, look for Notifications in the left sidebar on a computer. On a phone, scroll down until you see it. This is where every notification choice lives — what you see, when you see it, and how Facebook tells you about it.

Key Takeaways

  • Facebook notification settings are in Settings & Privacy > Settings > Notifications, and the path is the same whether you use a computer or phone.
  • You can turn off notifications by type (messages, friend requests, comments) and by how Facebook sends them (push notifications, email, text message).
  • Push notifications are the alerts that pop up on your phone or computer; email and text notifications go to your inbox or phone number instead.
  • Turning off a notification type entirely is faster than managing each one individually, but you can also customize which specific events trigger alerts.
  • Changes take effect when ready — you do not need to restart Facebook or confirm anything.

Turning off notification types entirely

If you want to stop hearing about a whole category — say, all friend requests or all video recommendations — the fastest way is to find that category in the Notifications menu and turn it off. Open Notifications, and you will see a list of notification types: Friend Requests, Comments, Likes, Messages, Video Recommendations, and others depending on what you use Facebook for.

Next to each type is a toggle switch. Click or tap it to turn that notification type off. The switch will turn gray, and you will no longer receive alerts about that activity. You can turn it back on the same way. This does not delete past notifications — it only stops new ones from arriving.

Choosing how Facebook notifies you

Facebook can reach you in three ways: push notifications (alerts on your phone or computer), email, or text message. You can use one, two, or all three, or none at all. To set this up, look for Where You Receive Notifications in the Notifications menu.

You will see three options: Push Notifications, Email Notifications, and SMS (Text Message) Notifications. Each one has its own toggle. Turn on the ones you want to use, and turn off the ones you do not. For example, you might want push notifications on your phone but email turned off. That way, Facebook will only alert you through your phone, not your inbox.

If you turn off push notifications entirely, Facebook will not send alerts to your phone or computer — but it will still send email or text if those are on. If you turn off all three, you will not receive any notifications at all, though you can still see activity when you open Facebook.

Controlling notifications for specific people or groups

You can also mute notifications from a specific person without unfriending them. Go to their profile, tap the three dots next to the Message button, and select Mute. Choose whether to mute their posts, their stories, or both. You will not see notifications from them, but you can still visit their profile and see what they have posted.

For group notifications, open the group, tap the three dots in the top right, and select Notification Settings. You can choose to get all notifications, highlights only, or none at all. This is useful if you are in a group that posts frequently but you only want to hear about important updates.

Managing notification sounds and badges

On a phone, you can control whether notifications make a sound and whether they show a number badge (the red circle with a number on the Facebook app icon). These settings are usually in your phone's main settings, not in Facebook itself. Go to your phone's Settings app, find Apps or Applications, select Facebook, then look for Notifications.

From there, you can turn sound on or off, choose a notification sound, and control the badge. On an iPhone, this is under Settings > Notifications > Facebook. On an Android phone, it varies by manufacturer, but the path is similar. If you want Facebook notifications but without sound or badges, you can turn those off here while keeping notifications on in Facebook itself.

What to do if notifications are not changing

If you turn off a notification and it keeps arriving, the most common reason is that you are logged into Facebook on multiple devices. Changes made on one device do not always sync when ready to others. Log out of Facebook on all devices, wait a few minutes, then log back in on the device you use most.

Another reason is that your phone's notification settings are overriding Facebook's. Check your phone's main settings (not Facebook's settings) and make sure notifications are allowed for the Facebook app. On iPhone, go to Settings > Notifications > Facebook and make sure Allow Notifications is on. On Android, go to Settings > Apps > Facebook > Notifications and make sure notifications are enabled.

If notifications still are not working the way you want, try uninstalling and reinstalling the Facebook app. This clears out any stuck settings and usually fixes the problem. Your login information will stay the same — you will just need to log in again after reinstalling.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I turn off notifications but still see messages?

Yes. Messages are a separate notification type from everything else. Go to Notifications, find Messages, and turn it off. You will not get alerts when someone messages you, but the messages will still arrive in your inbox, and you can read them whenever you open Facebook.

What happens if I turn off all notifications?

You will not receive any alerts on your phone, computer, or email. However, you can still log into Facebook and see all your activity — comments, likes, messages, and friend requests will all be there. You just will not be notified about them automatically.

Do notification changes take effect right away?

Yes. When you toggle a notification setting on or off, the change happens when ready. You do not need to restart Facebook or confirm anything. If you are on multiple devices, it may take a few minutes for the change to sync across all of them.

Can I get notifications for only certain friends?

Not directly through notification settings. However, you can mute everyone except the people you want to hear from. Go to each person's profile, tap the three dots, select Mute, and choose what to mute. This way, you will only see notifications from the people you did not mute.

Why am I getting text message notifications if I turned them off?

Check two places: Facebook's notification settings (to make sure SMS is actually off) and your phone's settings (to make sure Facebook is allowed to send notifications). Also check whether you have Facebook Messenger installed separately — it has its own notification settings that work independently from the main Facebook app.