How do I unfriend / remove a friend on Facebook?

Hi Dave! A while back you wrote an article about how to unfriend someone on Facebook (see How to remove a Facebook friend connection), which is useful, but Facebook's changed. Can you update your instructions for the new Facebook interface?

Dave's Answer:

One of the greatest challenges with having an archive of tech support for Web-based properties like Facebook is that things change with an alarming regularity. Facebook has actually been relatively slow in its interface tweaks, but for too many sites what works this month will be obsolete next month as they keep tweaking and modifying their interfaces.

It was in the autumn of 2008 that Facebook unveiled its rather dramatic redesign, offering lots more tabs, lots more customizability (is that a word?) and lots of additional features, but at the cost of everything looking different and working differently.

And so, I'll unfriend my friend Klaus Holzapfel to show you how it's done in the new Facebook 2.0 interface.

First off, the easiest way to find one of your friends (or, in this case, former friends, based on what you're asking me) is to search for them in the search box on the top right corner of your Facebook home page. As you start typing it'll show you possible matches:

When I choose that entry, I get to Klaus' profile page. He has lots of links and elements on his page, but what we want is way, way down on the left side, pages and pages from the top:

Click on "Remove from Friends" and you'll be asked to confirm the action:

Assuming you're sure that you no longer want to be friends, click on "Okay" and after a moment or two that connection is broken and the two of you are no longer friends.

Important: Your former friend will not receive any notification that you have unfriended them.

You can now tell that they're no longer friends with you because immediately under their photograph on the left of their profile you'll now see:

And that's how you do it. Hope that's helpful!

Tip: I'd also like to let you know that I have quite a bit of Facebook help here on the site and that I also have an Ask Dave Taylor Facebook Fan Page that I invite you to join.

Categorized: Facebook Help (Article 8609, Written by Dave Taylor)
Tagged: facebook, friends, social networking
Previous: How can I create a "search Google" button on my Web page?
Next: How do I identify individuals in a photograph on Facebook?

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Comments

Is there a way to find out if someone has unfriended you?

Posted by: Kennie at April 18, 2009 8:17 AM

In Facebook's new layout, you can't search for "friends" to unfriend. I had to go through my whole list in order to have the X button to remove them. This X is gray, and to the right of "add to list".

Posted by: Arfy at May 8, 2009 7:30 AM

Hi Dave,

I have another question about removing friends from facebook. Instead of going to their page and using the link there to remove them, I selected "Remove Connection" which is located on my friend's list (there is an "x" beside each friend's name). This DID remove the person from my list of friends; however, I am still listed in their list of friends. Why is that? Can they still access my profile even though I can't access theirs?

Posted by: Chris at September 24, 2009 10:05 AM

Hi,

This is brilliant info. I came here from google, I was in real need of this information

Posted by: Azam at January 5, 2010 11:03 AM

Thank u. This works like a charm

Posted by: Andy at February 3, 2010 12:37 AM

thank you very much...it really works

Posted by: ayra at March 6, 2010 11:03 PM

This was not helpful..you can see that facebook has updated its inteface again and again...so the one you posted above is obsolite.

Posted by: KHmer at June 6, 2010 11:56 PM

hi..can u help me.. somebody try to hack my fb account..and i cant remove her from my friend list..
when i look at her profile.. i cant find any sign of remove friend >.<

Posted by: nessa andretti at June 13, 2010 5:09 AM

KHmer, not sure what you're talking about. Just tested it (June 13, 2010) and it's still exactly what I show in this article. Are you looking at the *bottom* of the profile page for your soon-to-be-axed friend, or just immediately below the photo?

Posted by: Dave Taylor at June 13, 2010 1:29 PM

Dear Friend,

Thanks for the direction. It really assisted me in removal one of my friends.

Best, hakim

Posted by: hakim at June 22, 2010 1:27 AM

i no longer want to b listed on facebook, personal reasons.

Posted by: arlethia.jones at July 12, 2010 9:40 AM

Hi!
Could use a little help regarding deleting a friend on facebook. My girlfriend is deleting a friend on her facebook page. He was a prior boyfriend that she had a relationship a few years ago. It was by our mutual agreement. He is no longer part of her life. Also, he could see exactly what she was up to in her daily life which made no sense. He could comment on her wall since he has a facebook page and they could e-mail messages privately since that is an option on her facebook page. The question is this: Now that he is removed, can they still send private messages to each other? Thanks! George

Posted by: George at September 6, 2010 9:30 PM

yes anyone can send a message to anyone on facebook regardless of if they are a friend or not. you will just have to trust your girlfriend to be honest. The only way for you to have piece of mind is if she didnt have facebook :) But If you make a huge deal out of it she might not be your girlfriend for too much longer. hope this helps

Posted by: tom at September 10, 2010 3:05 PM

thanks. i finally removed one nasty name from my list.

Posted by: qualifox at September 24, 2010 4:21 PM

Thank you so much. Im new at facebook and not a teenie bopper but trying to keep up. Something that seems so easy to one person is frustrating for the next. Some of these reply bloggers are scary. Cursing and embrassing not necessary. Your instructions were simple and easily understood. completed my task and I thank you very much.....

Posted by: judy mccracken at March 4, 2011 9:10 PM

This does not help me. I have to use my smartphone and my menus don't look anything like this.

Posted by: Roger at June 23, 2011 7:27 AM

for god sake how do i get rid of friends

Posted by: Maxine Clint at July 7, 2011 11:42 AM

when i remove a friend from my friends list does it remove my comments and posts from thier page as well?

Posted by: lisa at August 6, 2011 10:18 PM

Didnt work looser! Email me on mail! :p

Posted by: Hussnain Zaidi at October 31, 2011 6:56 AM

I have something to say, now that you mention it, but ...

I do have a lot to say, and questions of my own for that matter, but first I'd like to say thank you for all your efforts on this Web site by buying you a cup of coffee!

I do have a comment, now that you mention it!