Ethan Brooks
How To Unblock People on Facebook App: The Complete Guide
Unblocking someone on Facebook’s mobile app is a thing you might need to do if you’ve accidentally blocked someone, or maybe you just changed your mind after a cooling-off period. Honestly, it’s usually pretty straightforward, but sometimes the app acts up or you can’t find the right menu. That’s when it gets a bit frustrating. This guide will help walk through the process for both iOS and Android, with some extra tips based on real-world experience. Expect to rediscover how quick it is to regain these connections once you know your way around the settings—because of course, Facebook’s menu navigation isn’t always the clearest.
How to Unblock Someone on the Facebook App
Accessing the Blocking Settings (the part where things get tricky sometimes)
First off, make sure your app is the latest version because Facebook loves rolling out updates that sometimes hide or change menu paths. On your device, open the Facebook app. Head to Menu (that’s usually the three lines icon at the bottom right on iOS or top right on Android). From there, scroll down and tap on Settings & Privacy, then select Settings. Then, under Audience and Visibility (which, honestly, is a bit of a vague label), look for Blocking. This is where all your blocked folks hang out in list form. If you don’t see it right away, it’s usually a hidden submenu—sometimes you’ll need to go into Privacy Settings first or back out and double-check your app version.
Unblocking Someone in the List
Once you’re in the Blocking menu, you’ll see your blocked list. Scroll through or search by name if you’re lazy, and find the person you want to unblock. Tap on Unblock next to their name. At this point, Facebook will pop up a confirmation warning—kind of like, “Are you sure? This will let them see your profile again.” Because of course, Facebook has to make it harder than it should be.
Confirm and Finalize
Tap on Unblock once more to confirm. After that, they’re unblocked, and everything goes back to default—meaning they can see you, comment, whatever unless you’ve set strict privacy rules. Sometimes, on certain devices or app versions, this process can be weird—like, it takes a second to update or refresh. If the list doesn’t update right away, try closing and reopening the app or even logging out and back in. It’s a small annoyance, but it’s worth a try because this step isn’t always seamless.
Important Things to Keep in Mind
If you decide to block them again after unblocking, there’s a mandatory waiting period of 48 hours. Yep, Facebook wants to prevent spammy back-and-forth blocking. Also, once someone’s unblocked, they can see your profile right away—they won’t get any notification, but they can see everything unless you’ve got privacy settings that restrict that. So if you don’t want that, check your profile privacy options separately.
Extra Tips & Common Pitfalls
In case this process doesn’t work the first time, here’s what else might help:
- Make sure your Facebook app is up to date—go to the app store and check for updates.
- Verify your internet connection; a flaky Wi-Fi or mobile data can cause the menu to refuse to load properly.
- If it’s still being stubborn, try logging out and then logging back in. Sometimes, a quick restart of the app fixes the weird glitches.
- Check Facebook’s official help docs or even visit their Help Center if things are really odd.
Wrap-up
Unblocking people on Facebook isn’t too complicated once you get the hang of the menu navigation. Sure, the app can be a little clunky — it’s Facebook, after all — but following these steps usually restores your connections without too much fuss. Just remember, app updates can change menu labels or paths, so if something looks off, double-check those version notes or try cleaning the app cache.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I unblock someone immediately after blocking them again?
Nope. Facebook enforces a 48-hour wait if you want to block the same person again. This isn’t random; it’s to stop abuse of the system.
Will the unblocked person get notified?
No, Facebook keeps this stuff pretty quiet. They won’t send any alert, so it’s kind of like unblocking happens behind the scenes.
Once unblocked, can I see their profile again?
Yep, once you unblock someone, they can access your profile unless you’ve set stricter privacy controls. So, it’s a good idea to review your privacy settings if you want to keep certain parts hidden.