Social Hiatus: Taking a Break From Facebook Friends

Quick Links

• What Is the “Take a Break” Feature on Facebook?
• How to Take a Break From Someone on Facebook
• How to Stop Taking a Break on Facebook

Key Takeaways

• Facebook’s “Take a Break” feature allows you to mute updates from a friend without unfriending them.
• You can prevent the friend’s posts from appearing on your feed while you take a break from them.
• You can stop the break by reversing the settings. The feature helps maintain connections while creating space.

Feeling overwhelmed by a friend’s constant updates? Facebook’s “Take a Break” feature lets you temporarily mute their updates without cutting them off entirely. Here’s what you need to know about the feature and how to use it.

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What Is the “Take a Break” Feature on Facebook?

The “Take a Break” feature on Facebook is a way to create some distance between you and another user. Unlike unfollowing someone, which only removes their posts from your News Feed but still allows them to see your activity, “Take a Break” works both ways—you’ll see less of their content, and they’ll see less of yours.

When you initiate a break, Facebook will not only limit how often their posts appear in your News Feed, but it will also remove their past posts from your feed. However, you’ll still be friends and you can view their profile or past posts by visiting their timeline directly.

There are several scenarios where you might want to take a break from someone on Facebook:

• After a breakup or falling out with a romantic partner who is also your Facebook friend.
• When you’re going through a difficult life event and need space from a friend’s constant updates.
• If you find yourself frequently irritated or triggered by a friend’s controversial posts or opinions.
• When you need to create some temporary boundaries with an oversharing or attention-seeking friend.

There are two key things worth noting about the Take a Break feature on Facebook:

• Facebook will not notify the individual you choose to take a break from.
• There’s no limit to how long you can take a break, so you’ll have to remember to manually revert the changes if you change your mind in the future.

By using the “Take a Break” feature, you can maintain friendships on Facebook while giving yourself a breather from their constant presence in your feed. This can be a useful alternative to unfriending orblocking someone on Facebook .

How to Take a Break From Someone on Facebook

Once you’ve made up your mind that you’ve had enough of someone’s posts, here’s how to go about taking a break from them:

1. On the Facebook app, tab on your profile photo in the top left corner to open your profile page.
2. On your profile page, scroll down and tapSee all friends to see a list of your friends.
3. On the next page, type the name of the friend you wish to take a break from into the search box.
4. Once the friend’s name comes up, tap through to their profile page.
5. On the friend’s profile page click on the button labeledFriends and then tap onTake a break .

From here on, we’ll represent the friend whom you want to take a break from with the letterX . On the Take a Break page, you’ll find some options that go with the feature.

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1. Tap on the first option that saysSee less of X’s Profile .
2. Tap onLimit where you can see X’s profile , and clickSave .

Close

The individual’s post (and post they’re tagged in) will no longer appear in your news feed. Also, Facebook will stop prompting you to message or tag them in your photo.

The next option is to limit what this friend can see on your profile. The idea here is to update your privacy settings to stop the individual from viewing your posts. To do this:

1. On theTake a break page, tapLimit what X’s profile will see.
2. Tap onHide your posts from X’s profile and clickSave.

Close

From there on, the user will be on the Restricted List. This means they cannot view or engage with posts you share with friends unless you tag them. However, all public posts will still be visible to the individual.

Next, return to theTake a break page and tap on the last option labeledEdit who can see past posts .

Here, you’ll find three options.

1. The first option doesn’t change anything.
2. The second option is labeledEdit individual posts —this option helps you to individually edit posts you are tagged in.
3. The third option is labeledEdit all my posts and posts that I’m tagged in. Use this option to untag yourself from every post you have in common with the friend you want to take a break from. To do this, simply tap on the option and then tapDone to save the changes.

If you’re using Facebook on the web, you can bypass navigating through menus by visiting theTake a Break Facebook page directly to access the feature promptly. If you’d love to take a more comprehensive approach to restricting interaction with friends, we’ve previously written a guide onhow to limit people from contacting you on Facebook .

You don’t have to maintain close interactions with all your Facebook friends. You can keep them at a safe distance without completely cutting them out of your digital life.

How to Stop Taking a Break on Facebook

If you decide it’s time to reconnect normally with your friend, you can reverse the “Take a Break” action. Here’s how to stop taking a break from someone on Facebook.

• Visit theTake a Break quicklink on Facebook .

• You’ll find the Take a Break search bar, type the name of the friend you previously took a break from.
• Click on the name of the friend.

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• You’ll find a menu with a list of actions you can take to stop taking a break.
• ClickEdit beside each action. Firstly, click onEdit next toYou’ve chosen to see less of X .

• SelectSee X’s profile anywhere on Facebook and click onSave .

• Click the back button in the top left corner of the Take a Break menu, and clickEdit next toLimit what X’s profile will see.
• SelectNo longer limit what X can see and clickSave .

• Click the back button in the top left corner once again, and clickEdit next toEdit who can see past posts.
• SelectKeep all posts as they are and clickSave . OrEdit all of my posts and posts that I’m tagged in to edit posts on an individual basis.

With that done, you’ve successfully stopped taking a break from the friend. You should now see their updates normally.

The Take a Break feature on Facebook provides a useful middle ground between staying friends and completely cutting someone off. It allows you to create some healthy distance and boundaries without burning bridges. By taking advantage of the feature, you can curate a more positive social media experience while still maintaining connections that matter.