Blocking someone on Facebook is easy. Unblocking them is too, but Facebook tucks the option in a section most people would not think to look. This guide walks through the exact steps for both desktop and mobile, plus the things Facebook does not warn you about (the 48-hour rule, what happens to your previous friendship, and whether the other person gets notified).
Quick answer: Settings & Privacy → Settings → Blocking → Unblock (next to their name)
The person does not get notified. You cannot re-block them for 48 hours.
Why people unblock someone
The most common reasons we hear from customers:
- Blocked someone in the heat of an argument and have since cooled off
- A family member or old friend reached out through another channel and you want to reconnect
- Blocked the wrong person by accident
- The situation that caused the block has changed
- Need to see someone’s profile for legitimate reasons (event coordination, work, family update)
- Want to send a Messenger message to someone you previously blocked
Whatever the reason, Facebook does not ask. It does not record why you are unblocking, and most importantly, it does not notify the other person. The unblock happens silently from their perspective.
How to unblock someone on Facebook (desktop)
Desktop / web browser
Open your Facebook settings
Log in to Facebook.com and click your profile picture in the top right corner. From the dropdown, choose “Settings & Privacy,” then click “Settings.”
Find the Blocking section
In the left sidebar of the Settings page, scroll until you see “Privacy,” then click “Blocking.” On some versions of Facebook, this may be labeled “Blocked users” or appear under a “Privacy & safety” subsection.
Locate the person in your blocked list
Scroll down to the “Block users” section. You will see a list of everyone you have ever blocked, in the order you blocked them. Find the person you want to unblock.
Tip: The list shows only the names that were on the accounts at the time of blocking. If someone changed their name, you may not recognize them. Cross-check with the profile photo if available.
Click “Unblock” next to their name
A confirmation dialog will appear asking whether you are sure. Click “Confirm” to complete the unblock. The action takes effect immediately.
How to unblock someone on Facebook (mobile app)
iOS and Android
Open the menu
In the Facebook app, tap the menu icon. On iOS, this is the three horizontal lines in the bottom right. On Android, it is usually the same three lines in the top right.
Go to Settings & Privacy
Scroll down and tap “Settings & Privacy,” then tap “Settings” from the submenu that appears.
Find “Blocking” under Audience and Visibility
Scroll to the “Audience and visibility” section in Settings. Tap “Blocking.” On some app versions, this option is found directly under “Privacy.”
Tap “Blocked users”
You will see categories like “Blocked users,” “Block messages,” “Block app invites,” and others. Tap “Blocked users” to see your list.
Tap “Unblock” next to the person
Find the person in your list and tap “Unblock” next to their name. Confirm when prompted. The unblock is immediate.
What happens when you unblock someone
This is the part Facebook does not explain clearly. Here is what changes and what does not after you unblock someone:
- They can see your profile again. The same content visible to anyone in your privacy circle is now visible to them.
- You can see their profile again. Same logic in reverse.
- They are not automatically refriended. If you were friends before the block, you will need to send a new friend request.
- Past messages are not restored. Anything they sent during the block period is permanently gone, not waiting in your inbox.
- They are not notified. Facebook does not send any alert that you unblocked them. They will only realize if they happen to search your name or notice your activity.
- Messenger contact resumes. They can message you again, and you can message them. Their previous messages on the Messenger thread reappear.
The 48-hour rule
Important: Once you unblock someone, Facebook will not let you block them again for 48 hours. This is intentional, to prevent block-unblock harassment cycles. If you unblock someone and immediately regret it, you have to wait two full days before blocking them again.
The clock starts the moment you confirm the unblock, not when they next interact with you. There is no workaround documented by Facebook. If you absolutely cannot wait 48 hours, your only options during that window are to restrict them (a softer setting that limits what they see without blocking) or to adjust your privacy settings so they cannot see most of your content.
Should you unblock someone? Things to think through first
Before you unblock, ask yourself a few practical questions:
- Why did you block them in the first place? If it was harassment, threats, or unwanted contact, unblocking exposes you to those again. Restrict instead, or stay blocked.
- What changed? A new conversation through another channel, a family event, a legitimate reason. Be specific. “I feel like it has been long enough” is not the same as “we had a productive conversation and want to move forward.”
- Will you be tempted to refriend or message them immediately? If yes, decide that beforehand rather than acting reactively after the unblock.
- Are your privacy settings still appropriate? Your posts, photo visibility, and tagging settings may need a refresh now that this person can see you again.
After you unblock: adjust your privacy settings
Most people unblock and stop there. Better practice is to take five minutes and review your Facebook privacy settings while you are already in the area. Specifically:
- Check who can see your future posts (Settings → Privacy → Your activity)
- Review your photo visibility (Settings → Privacy → Photos and videos)
- Check your tag settings, so you can review tags before they appear on your profile
- Confirm your friend list visibility, especially if it was set to Public
- Review which apps still have access to your Facebook account
If you are doing a broader audit of your online presence anyway, our guide on how to protect yourself when you use the internet covers Facebook privacy plus the rest of the digital landscape.
Troubleshooting common problems
I cannot find the person in my blocked list
A few possibilities. The person may have deactivated their Facebook account, in which case they will not appear in any lists. They may have changed their name, in which case the old name will still appear in your block list (use the profile photo to identify if available). Or you may have blocked their account through Messenger separately, which is a different list. Check both.
The Unblock button is grayed out or missing
This usually means you are still within a 48-hour cooldown from a previous unblock-and-reblock cycle. Facebook also occasionally has UI bugs where the button is hidden. Try refreshing the page (desktop) or force-closing and reopening the app (mobile).
I am sure I blocked someone but cannot find them anywhere
You may be thinking of “restricting” them or “snoozing” them rather than fully blocking. Those are separate features. Check Settings → News Feed Preferences and Settings → Privacy → How others can find and contact you for those alternative lists.
I accidentally unblocked the wrong person
If you are still within the 48-hour window, you cannot re-block them right away. You can restrict them in the meantime, which limits what they can see of your activity without notifying them.
What if you did not actually block this person?
Occasionally someone realizes their Facebook is doing things they did not authorize. Blocking people they never blocked. Sending messages they did not write. Posting content they never posted. This is almost always a sign that the account has been compromised.
If anything about your Facebook activity feels off, read our guide on what to do if your Facebook account has been hacked. The window to recover a hacked account is short, and the steps you take in the first 24 hours matter a lot.
While you are auditing what is happening with your accounts, our guide on how to find all accounts linked to your email helps you see the bigger picture of where you are signed up and what might have been compromised beyond Facebook.
Beyond Facebook: managing your full digital footprint
Blocking and unblocking is one tool in a much larger privacy toolkit. The fact that you can search someone’s name on Facebook and see their address, family members, and photos is just one of dozens of ways your information lives online. The same person who shows up in your Facebook search probably also has a public profile on Spokeo, Whitepages, BeenVerified, and dozens of other people-search sites, often with even more sensitive information than what is visible on Facebook.
If you are doing the work to manage your social-media privacy, the next logical step is to look at the broader broker-site ecosystem. Our guide on 8 steps to erase your digital footprint covers the methodical version. Or if your concern is more about how you appear in Google search results when someone looks you up, our comprehensive guide to repairing your online reputation walks through that side of the work.
Frequently asked questions
Does Facebook notify someone when you unblock them?
No. Facebook does not send any notification when you unblock someone. They may eventually notice if they search your name and your profile becomes visible again, but Facebook itself does not tell them. The unblock happens silently from their perspective.
How long does the 48-hour rule last after unblocking?
Exactly 48 hours from the moment you confirm the unblock. You cannot re-block the same person during that window. This is a deliberate Facebook policy to prevent block-unblock harassment cycles. There is no documented workaround. You can use Facebook’s “restrict” feature as a softer alternative during the cooldown.
Does unblocking someone refriend them on Facebook?
No. Blocking automatically unfriended the person if you were friends before. Unblocking does not undo that. If you want to be friends again, you have to send a new friend request, which they then have to accept.
Can I see what someone posted while I had them blocked?
Yes, you can see their posts going forward (subject to their privacy settings), and any of their public posts that occurred during the block period are also visible. Their direct messages to you during the block, however, are not stored. Those are permanently gone.
What is the difference between unblocking and unrestricting on Facebook?
Blocking is the strongest setting. The blocked person cannot see your profile or contact you. Restricting is softer. The restricted person can still contact you and see content shared with the Public audience, but they cannot see content shared only with Friends. Unblock restores the relationship to its pre-block state. Unrestrict simply removes the restriction.
Can I unblock someone without them knowing if we have mutual friends?
Yes. The unblock itself is silent. However, if you immediately like, comment on, or send a friend request, the person may infer that the block was lifted. If you want to unblock quietly, do not interact with their content right away.
If I unblock someone, can I see messages they sent me during the block?
No. Facebook does not queue messages from blocked users. Anything they tried to send during the block was either rejected or never delivered. Once unblocked, only messages from that point forward will appear.
How do I unblock someone on Facebook Messenger if they are blocked there separately?
Messenger has its own block list separate from main Facebook. To unblock in Messenger, open the Messenger app, tap your profile photo, tap “Privacy,” then “Blocked accounts.” Find the person and tap “Unblock.” You may need to unblock them in both Facebook proper and Messenger if they were blocked separately on each.
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