Who Unfriended Me on Facebook?

This article explains how to figure out if someone has unfriended you on Facebook. We also discuss what unfriending means, possible reasons for unfriending, and what to do next.

Only Seeing Public Posts

Facebook won't notify you if you've been unfriended. However, some clues may help you figure out whether you're no longer Facebook friends with someone. First, if you only see someone's public posts, they may have unfriended you.

Facebook posts have two primary privacy settings: Public and Friends. Public posts have a small globe icon. Facebook friends, followers, and anyone who happens across the person's Facebook profile page can read public posts.

Friends posts display a small icon of two people. Only people who are official Facebook friends with the creator can read these posts.

If you used to see all posts from someone but now see only public posts, it may be a sign that they unfriended you. However, this isn't definitive. The person may be sharing more public posts lately.

Search Your Facebook Friends List

To make sure someone is still a Facebook friend, manually check to see if they're on your Facebook friends list.

1. Navigate to your profile page on Facebook.com or within the Facebook app.

2. Select Friends to view your list of Facebook Friends.

3. Search for the person's name via the search bar. Search for the name they use on Facebook if it's different from their legal name. If they don't show up in the search results, they may have unfriended you.

Check Your Friend's Facebook Profile

Navigate to the individual's Facebook profile. If you don't see their profile, they may have deleted their Facebook account. If you see their profile and the Add Friend button is visible, you're currently not friends. If you suspect this was accidental, send a new friend request.

Understanding Unfriending and Blocking

When you unfriend a person, Facebook removes them from your friends' list. You can reestablish the Facebook friend relationship at any time when one person sends a new friend request and the other person accepts.

Blocking someone on Facebook is a drastic action. When you block someone, they can't message you, see your public posts, or view your profile page. They also can't send you a new friend request.

If you suspect you've been unfriended and you can't locate the person's Facebook profile page, the person may have blocked you.

Why Do Users Unfriend People?

There are many reasons users unfriend someone on Facebook. Here are some common examples:

• An offline falling out: If a friendship ended in the real world, it makes sense it would end online too.
• Negative posts: People may unfriend a user they find negative or with whom they disagree politically.
• Facebook purge: Facebook users commonly purge their friends' list of people with whom they're no longer in contact. A Facebook purge is a way to manage an unwieldy friends' list and usually isn't personal.
• They don't know the user: If someone is managing their Facebook friends' list and comes across a user they don't recognize or remember, they may unfriend that individual. If you changed your profile image to something ambiguous or changed your name, this may explain why a person unfriended you.

What to Do After Being Unfriended on Facebook

If you suspect that a user unfriended you accidentally, send them a new friend request. If this doesn't work, or if you know why the person unfriended you, it's best to move on and respect the person's decision.

Navigating online relationships can be tricky, and emotions can run high when it comes to topics such as politics or world events. Trying to communicate with someone who unfriended you after a disagreement is unwise at best. At worst, DMs and emails can be interpreted as online harassment, even if the sender has good intentions. Give the situation time and space, and it may resolve naturally.