- What following someone means on Facebook
- Following versus being friends on Facebook
- Following a Facebook Page, and why businesses care
- How to follow someone on Facebook
- Putting followed people at the top of your Facebook Feed
- Who can follow you on Facebook
- What happens when someone follows you without being a friend
- What follow doesn't mean on Facebook
- If you can't find the Follow button on Facebook
- Frequently asked questions
On Facebook, follow means you may see updates from that person or Page in your Feed, and they can see that you're following them. It's different from friending: you automatically follow friends, but following someone doesn't make you their friend or show you friends-only posts.
You've seen the blue Follow button next to a name or a business Page and wondered whether it's the same as sending a friend request. It isn't, and the difference decides what you see in your Feed and what other people can see about you.
I use Facebook for my own work, so I get asked this a lot, especially by people setting up a Page for the first time. Here's what Facebook's help centre says, in plain English, plus the settings that go with it.
What following someone means on Facebook
According to the help centre, when you follow a profile or Page, you may see updates from that person or Page in your Feed. In other words, following is about what you see. It's a way of keeping up with someone's posts, not a connection between two people.
It also works in one direction. Facebook says that when you follow someone, they'll be able to see that you're following them. So following isn't secret, and it's worth remembering before you follow someone you'd rather not tell.
Following versus being friends on Facebook
Here's the bit that catches people out. Facebook says you automatically follow people you're friends with. So friends are followers by default. The reverse isn't true, because following someone doesn't make you their friend.
| Friend | Follow | |
|---|---|---|
| What you see | Their posts, according to your Feed | Updates from that person or Page in your Feed |
| Does it need approval? | Yes, a friend request has to be accepted | Not for Pages, and for people it depends on their settings |
| Can they see it? | Yes | They can see that you follow them |
The middle row comes from how Facebook describes the two features. Facebook says you can follow Pages, such as businesses, organisations and brands, and people who aren't your friend but allow everybody to follow them. If you want the friend route instead, my guide to adding friends on Facebook covers it.
Following a Facebook Page, and why businesses care
If you run a small business, followers are the people who've said they want to see your updates. Facebook's help centre confirms you can follow a Page from search: tap Search at the top of any Page on Facebook, enter the Page name, go to the Page and tap Follow.
For you as a business owner, the useful point is that a follower of your Page has asked to see your posts. It's worth making it easy to find your Page. My article on whether a Facebook Page comes with a QR code shows one way to send people straight to it.
Facebook also marks some accounts as verified. Its help centre says some Pages and well-known public people with large followings are verified by Facebook and have a blue badge next to their names, to help you know they're who they claim to be.
How to follow someone on Facebook
The help centre's steps for following a profile in the mobile app are short:
- Tap Search at the top of any Page on Facebook.
- Enter the name of the person and choose from the results.
- Go to their profile.
- Tap Follow.
For a Page, the steps are identical except you enter the name of the Page. If you send a friend request to someone who allows everybody to follow them, Facebook says you'll automatically follow their posts too.
Putting followed people at the top of your Facebook Feed
Facebook says you can make the posts of people and Pages you follow appear at the top of your Feed with Favourites. It also mentions a gentler option: to temporarily unfollow a person, Page or group, you can snooze them.
If you follow a lot of Pages for work, Favourites is the setting I'd use to make sure the handful that matter don't get buried.
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Who can follow you on Facebook
This part changes slightly over time, so I'll stick to what Facebook's help article says. When someone follows you, your posts may appear in their Feed. When you become friends with someone, they automatically start following you. If you turn on pro mode for your profile, people who aren't your friends can follow you.
Facebook also says the Public follower setting is being removed from default profiles gradually, so you might still see some profiles with public followers. If you have a default profile and allow friends and the public to follow you, you can keep letting anyone follow you on pro mode, or use a regular profile and only let friends follow you. To use extra pro mode features you must first enable ads, and you can turn pro mode off at any time.
To check your own setting on Android, tap Menu, then Settings and privacy, then Settings, scroll to Followers and public content and look at Who can follow me. Because Facebook is rolling these changes out in stages, your screen may show different options from mine.
What happens when someone follows you without being a friend
Facebook's help article adds a detail I'd flag. If you let people who aren't your friends follow you, people who send friend requests that you ignore or delete will automatically start following you. If you don't want someone to follow you, you can block them at any time.
So ignoring a request isn't the same as shutting the door. If someone is bothering you, block them. If someone is threatening you, report it to Facebook and, if you're in danger, contact the police.
What follow doesn't mean on Facebook
- It doesn't make you friends, and it doesn't let you see friends-only posts.
- It doesn't hide the fact from the other person, because they can see that you follow them.
- It isn't a guarantee you'll see every post. Facebook says you may see updates in your Feed, so use Favourites if you want priority.
- It doesn't tell you who's looking at your profile. Facebook doesn't let people track who views their profile.
If you can't find the Follow button on Facebook
Some people don't allow everybody to follow them, and the button only appears where following is allowed. On a friend's profile you already follow them automatically, so you won't see a separate button. If you want to stop seeing someone's posts without any drama, snoozing is the quietest route Facebook offers.
I keep every related walkthrough in the Facebook Help: 80 Guides to Pages, Groups, Ads, Stories and Fixes. To see who does not follow you back, use the free Instagram unfollowers checker.
Frequently asked questions
What does follow mean on Facebook?
Following a profile or Page means you may see updates from that person or Page in your Feed. Facebook says they can also see that you're following them.
Is following the same as being friends on Facebook?
No. Facebook says you automatically follow people you're friends with, but following someone doesn't make you their friend.
Will someone know if I follow them on Facebook?
Yes. Facebook's help centre says the people and Pages you follow can see that you're following them.
How do I stop seeing someone's posts without unfriending them?
Facebook says you can temporarily unfollow a person, Page or group by snoozing them. You can also use Favourites to put chosen accounts at the top of your Feed.
Who can follow me on Facebook?
Your friends follow you automatically. If you turn on pro mode, people who aren't your friends can follow you too. You can check the setting under Followers and public content.
