You are on page 1of 5

3 ways to unfriend a Facebook friend without really unfriending them |... http://heresthethingblog.com/2013/02/04/facebook-tip-3-ways-unfriend-...

related
Facebook

3 ways to unfriend a F friend without really unf them


by ben patterson on february 4, 2013 in how-tos| privacy| social networks

an oversharing Facebook buddy who cant stop with the food p bringing you down with all his depressing updates, or a frenem

1 of 5

2013/02/23 05:30 PM

3 ways to unfriend a Facebook friend without really unfriending them |... http://heresthethingblog.com/2013/02/04/facebook-tip-3-ways-unfriend-...

your Facebook photo albums?

Well, you could always hit the unfriend button, but doing so hey, what if they find out?

Luckily, there are a few of ways to keep marginal Facebook pa them off altogether, starting with

1. Add chatterboxes to your Acquaintances

So, you added a long-lost friend you remember fondly from hig constantly peppering your news feed with random links about photos, and endless snapshots of their kids.

Its not that you want to slam the door on all their updates, min

Advertise

Privacy Policy

AdChoices

More from BlogHer iPhone tip: Paste multiple photos into an email or picture message Be Useful #10 of 55 things Ive learned in (almost) 55 years Are You Playing a Character, or Just Coaching Them? What I Wish I Could Say to the Young Me Who Knew Everything

Want to see a little less of a friend in your news feed? Just add them to your Acquaintance list.

subscribe
Get daily tips and how-tos from heres the thing delivered straight to your inbox.

Heres a quick, relatively painless solution: add your distant ye Acquaintances list.

Once you do, Facebook will automatically pare down the num receive from them to a bare minimum.

For example, you might still get notified that a far-flung Faceb landed a new job, but youll get sweet relief from the daily kitt

Indeed, putting an oversharing friend on your Acquaintance lis down their endless updates without silencing them altogether.

And dont worry: your friend will never know that you relegat To add a friend to your Acquaintance list, just

Hover your mouse over their name on their timeline or i When you see the pop-up window with their profile pho your mouse over that button to reveal a new pop-up men See the Acquaintances option? Go ahead and click it. Want a little more control over which updates youll see Acquaintances, click Settings, then start unchecking Comments and Likes).
2 of 5

2013/02/23 05:30 PM

3 ways to unfriend a Facebook friend without really unfriending them |... http://heresthethingblog.com/2013/02/04/facebook-tip-3-ways-unfriend-...

about ben

Oh, and one more thing: if you ever want to hide a post of you Acquaintances list, you can choose the Friends except Acqua selector (the pull-down menu that sits right next to the Post bu

2. Block downers from your news feed

Heres another scenario: you have a pal who just wont stop w stories, the I hate my job updates, the bitter diatribes against the off-color, not-so-funny jokes.

Welcome to heres the thing, your source for practical tips, advice, and how-tos about the gadgets you use each day. More >
Follow @benpatt

Find us on Facebook Here's the Thing


Like 2,442 people like Here's the Thing.

Its easy to block all of a friends updates from appearing in your news feed.

Now, maybe youre not quite ready to ban your bummer of a b you share with fellow Facebook friends.

That said, heres a pal whose name youd rather not see in you got a promotion, had a kid, or managed to eke out a good day.

Well, guess what: you can completely block updates from that clicks:
Facebook social plugin

Again, hover your mouse over the friends name on thei wait for the window with their profile photo to appear. When it does, hover your mouse over the Friends button Show in News Feed. Last but not least, enjoy the silence.

3. Banish a frenemy to your Restricted list

Say you foolishly added your conniving boss as a Facebook fri and now youre regretting it. Youre thinking twice about ever you post, but unfriending your boss isnt really an option. W

Had enough of a certain Facebook frenemy? Banish them

3 of 5

2013/02/23 05:30 PM

3 ways to unfriend a Facebook friend without really unfriending them |... http://heresthethingblog.com/2013/02/04/facebook-tip-3-ways-unfriend-...

to your Restricted list.

Try this: put him on your Restricted lista friend list for f this close to unfriending.

Once you banish someone to your Restricted list, their links, p your news feed at all (although you might see their name pop u moon).

Even better, theyll no longer see any of your updates, photos, least, nothing that you havent flagged as Public in your priv

In other words, putting a frenemy on your Restricted list is as c someone without actually unfriending them. Heres how you do it:

Once more, hover your mouse over their name in your n for the pop-up window to appear, then click the Friends Select Add to another list from the menu, scroll all the

Note: While Facebook wont notify a friend that youve put th eagle-eyed frenemy may well notice that theyre not seeing yo
Ads by Google

Facebook Account Facebook Unfriend Facebook Developers

Bonus tip

Want to see a list of all the friends whose posts are blocked fro

First, go to your news feed, hover your mouse over the N of the page, click the little pencil icon, then click Edit Se A pop-up window should appear, complete with the nam no longer appear in your news feed. Change your mind on any of them? Click the little X n Looking for more Facebook tips? Click here!

Note: This article was originally published in January 2012, a to account for Facebooks ever-changing privacy and sharing
Tweet Like 16 547
9

tagged as: facebook

Email This Article to a Friend Print Article

You might like:

4 of 5

2013/02/23 05:30 PM

3 ways to unfriend a Facebook friend without really unfriending them |... http://heresthethingblog.com/2013/02/04/facebook-tip-3-ways-unfriend-...

10 tacky things to avoid posting on Facebook

10 gotta-know iPad tips you need to try

7 essential iPhone typing tips

Facebook tip: How to view everything youve ever liked


Recommended by

1 comment

Discussion

Community

Share

Paul Woodman

6 days ago

I so need this,I friended a high school aquaintence,and now I get bombed with pictures & other odd stuff clogging up my news feed.
0

Reply

Share

Next post: iPhone tip: Why are my husbands apps showing up on my iPhone? Previous post: iPhone tip: Sync all your Calendar events, not just recent ones

5 of 5

2013/02/23 05:30 PM

You might also like