Turn off email notifications in your Facebook settings

Facebook sends email notifications by default when someone messages you, comments on your post, or tags you in a photo. You can turn off any or all of these emails without closing your account or changing how you use Facebook itself. The settings are in one place, and you control each type separately.

Go to Facebook on a computer or phone. Click the downward arrow in the top right corner, then select Settings and privacy, then Settings. On the left side, click Notifications. You will see a list of notification types with toggles next to each one. The section labeled Email shows every email Facebook can send you. Click the toggle next to any notification type to turn it off.

If you are on a phone, the steps are the same but the menu looks slightly different. Open the Facebook app, tap the three horizontal lines in the bottom right, scroll down to Settings and privacy, tap Settings, then tap Notifications. Look for the Email section and toggle off the notifications you do not want.

Key Takeaways

  • Email notifications are controlled separately from in-app notifications, so turning off emails does not affect alerts you see inside Facebook.
  • You can turn off all email notifications at once or pick and choose which types you want to receive.
  • The notification settings page shows you exactly what emails Facebook is allowed to send, and you can change these choices anytime.
  • If you unsubscribe from an email, Facebook may re-enable that notification type later, so checking your settings once a month keeps them where you want them.

Which email notifications you can control individually

Facebook groups notifications into categories so you do not have to turn everything off if you only want to stop certain emails. The most common ones are messages, comments, tags, friend requests, and group activity. You can keep emails about messages from close friends and turn off everything else, or turn off messages entirely and keep group notifications on.

The email section also includes notifications about events you are invited to, birthday reminders, and activity on your birthday. Some people want to know when someone comments on their post but not when someone likes it. Facebook lets you separate these. Scroll through the full list and toggle off only the ones that bother you.

Stop emails from specific people or groups

If one person or one group sends you too many notifications, you can mute them without unfriending or leaving the group. On a computer, go to that person's profile or the group page. Click the three dots in the top right corner and select Mute. Choose whether to mute posts, stories, or both. You can also choose how long to mute them — one day, one week, one month, or indefinitely.

Muting stops notifications from that person or group from showing up in your feed and in your email. It does not tell them you muted them, and you can unmute anytime. This is useful if someone posts constantly but you still want to be friends with them or stay in the group.

Unsubscribe from individual emails

Every email Facebook sends you has an unsubscribe link at the bottom. Click that link and you will be taken to a page where you can turn off that specific notification type without logging in. This is faster than going to settings if you only want to stop one kind of email.

Be aware that Facebook sometimes re-enables notification types after several months, so if you unsubscribe from an email and then start receiving it again weeks later, that is normal. Check your notification settings once a month if you want to keep them exactly where you set them.

The difference between email and in-app notifications

Facebook has two separate notification systems: emails and alerts that pop up inside the app or on your phone. Turning off email notifications does not turn off the bell icon notifications you see when you open Facebook. If you want to stop both, you need to change both settings.

To turn off in-app notifications, go to Settings and privacy, then Settings, then Notifications. Look for the section labeled In-App or Push Notifications depending on your device. Toggle off the types you do not want. This is separate from the email section, so you can have emails off but in-app alerts on, or the other way around.

What to do if you still receive unwanted emails

If you turn off a notification and still receive emails from Facebook, check whether the setting has been re-enabled. Log back into settings and verify the toggle is still off. Sometimes Facebook updates its system and resets notification preferences, so settings you changed months ago may have switched back on.

If the toggle is off but you still get the email, click the unsubscribe link at the bottom of that specific email. This creates a separate record that you do not want that notification type, which can override the account setting. If emails continue after both steps, the issue may be with your email provider filtering or a delay in Facebook's system updating.

Frequently Asked Questions

Will turning off email notifications affect my friends' ability to message me?

No. Turning off email notifications only stops Facebook from sending you emails. Your friends can still message you, and you will see their messages when you open Facebook. You just will not get an email telling you that a message arrived.

Can I turn off emails from Facebook but keep getting notifications on my phone?

Yes. Email notifications and phone notifications are controlled separately. You can turn off all emails in the email section of settings and keep phone notifications on, or vice versa. Check both sections to set them the way you want.

What happens if I unsubscribe from an email and then Facebook sends it again later?

Facebook sometimes re-enables notification types after updates or after several months have passed. If you receive an email you unsubscribed from, go back to settings and toggle it off again, or click unsubscribe on that email. Checking your settings once a month helps keep them stable.

Does muting someone stop their emails from reaching me?

Muting stops notifications about that person's posts and activity from showing up in your feed and in your email. However, if they message you directly or tag you in something, you may still receive an email about that. Muting affects feed activity, not direct messages or tags.