In today’s digital world, our life is completely covered and managed by social media. Facebook is one such social media service that has transformed how we communicate with people. However, there are times when we wish to block someone on Facebook. But blocking them on Facebook will block them on Messenger as well. Can we block someone on Facebook but not on Messenger? Let us try finding answers to those questions.
As a matter of fact, you cannot block someone on Facebook and have them message you on Messenger. That is because both Facebook and Messenger are closely integrated, and blocking someone on Facebook will block them on Messenger as well.
Can You Block Someone On Facebook but Not Messenger?
No, the straight answer is it is not possible to block someone on Facebook, but not on Messenger. When you block someone on Facebook, the profile is automatically blocked on Messenger. Even when you use Messenger as a separate app, it still works under Facebook as the parent app. The two are integrated closely, and thus, you cannot have someone message you when they are blocked on Facebook.
But don’t worry. There are ways where you do not need to block them completely on Facebook. If you want to retain them on Messenger, while you do not wish to have them on your Facebook profile, there are a few options that can make it possible.
Let us explore the ways where you can restrict someone on Facebook instead of blocking them and having them message you on Messenger.
Alternatives to Blocking Someone on Facebook
If you are looking to stay away from someone on Facebook but continue to receive messages from them on Messenger, the following methods and alternatives can be helpful.
Method 1 – Restrict them on Facebook
There are times when you want to have someone on your Facebook profile but do not want them to see your regular updates. It can be your boss or a nosy friend. In such cases, you need not block them, but you can restrict their access to your Facebook updates.
This will ensure that your Facebook contacts will continue to be able to message you even when they may not have access to your public updates and posts. That would mean you can continue to have them on Messenger without providing them any access to your Facebook profile (or just providing them restricted access to your Facebook profile).
Here is how you can give restricted access to a person on your Facebook profile:
- Launch your Facebook and go to the profile of the person concerned.
- Tap on the Friends option and then click on Edit Friend’s List
- Scroll down and select Restricted Access.
- Tap on Done
That will do it, and the profile will be given only restricted access to your profile.
A restricted profile will have access to the following on your Facebook profile –
- They can see your public posts and the posts that you have tagged them
- They will not be able to see posts marked as Friends or Private
- You will be able to visit their profile as usual.
With this configuration, the chosen profile will be able to message you in Messenger.
Method 2 – Use the Take a Break feature
Take A Break is an excellent option to avoid blocking someone on Facebook but avoid seeing their profile or messages. This is actually a temporary action, but you can have the feature enabled as long as you wish to.
This feature was introduced to break up with someone without blocking them. However, you can use it to continue receiving messages from a profile while avoiding them on Facebook.
To do this, you will follow the steps here below:
- Launch your Facebook and go to the profile of the person concerned.
- Tap on the Friends icon
- Tap on Take A Break
Follow the instructions to take a break from the particular profile.
When you take a break from a Facebook profile, the following changes happen:
- They will stop seeing your posts on your profile or the posts that you are tagged in
- They are automatically added to the restricted list.
- You will see less of them. Their posts will not be visible in your news feed.
This action will, however, let them message you on Messenger.
Method 3 – Unfriend them on Facebook
This is a kind of direct action. You can simply unfriend the profile. That way, they will not have access to your Facebook profile or any updates. However, they can message you. It may be noticed that Facebook Messenger lets anyone message you, irrespective of whether they are your friends or not.
However, it may be noticed that when you unfriend someone, they will come to know that you have unfriended them. If they check your profile, they will easily find out that you are no longer friends on Facebook. If you want to resume the friendship, you will need to send them a friend request again. That can sometimes be a little embarrassing.
When you unfriend someone on Facebook, they will have restricted access to your Facebook profile. Depending on your privacy settings, they would be able to have access to the following content on your profile.
- Your public posts, but no posts marked for Friends or Private
- You can view each other’s profiles, but locked profiles will not be accessible
They will be able to continue sending your messages on Messenger.
Why Can’t I Block Someone on Facebook?
Blocking someone on Facebook should be an easy task. However, if you are unable to block someone, it can have a few specific reasons.
Some of the reasons why you cannot block someone on Facebook include
- Your Privacy settings: Your privacy settings may not be allowing you to block someone. Check if your privacy settings are a reason.
- Blocking limit: Facebook limits how many people you can block over a certain period. You might have reached the limit. Wait for some time if you want to block someone.
- The person is already blocked: The profile in question may already be blocked.
- Facebook might have blocked the account: Facebook may have blocked the profile due to certain violations. If the profile is already blocked, you cannot block it
- It may be a technical glitch: It may also be a technical issue. Trying after some time may resolve it.
If you are unable to block someone, consider reporting the profile to Facebook. Though the action may not necessarily block the profile, it may make Facebook take action based on its guidelines.
Can You Block Someone on Messenger but not on Facebook?
Yes, blocking someone on Messenger will block the person on Facebook. If you are friends on Facebook, the person will be unfriended. Of course, they will not be blocked. So, blocking someone on Messenger will be akin to unfriending someone on Facebook.
Until a few years ago, blocking someone on Messenger did not affect the profile on Facebook. But, as we could find, blocking someone on Messenger will unfriend the person from Facebook as well.
Conclusion
Well, that was all on how to block someone on Facebook and continue getting them to message you on Messenger. As you can witness in the above discussion, blocking someone on Facebook will block the person on Messenger as well. Suppose you want to stay away from the person on Facebook but continue to have them on Messenger. In that case, you can choose any suitable alternative, such as unfriendling them or giving them restricted access.
FAQs
Can you reach out to the person who blocked you on Facebook?
No, when someone blocks you on Facebook, they vanish entirely for you. You will not be able to see their profile or interact with them in any way. You cannot reach out to them on Messenger as well.
Can you find out if you have been blocked on Facebook?
There is typically no way you can find if you are blocked on Facebook. If you know the profile personally, you may call up and make an enquiry. Otherwise, only a few signs can indicate that you are blocked. You would stop seeing their updates and even comments on Facebook. Even their profile will not be accessible to you.
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