SALTZMAN: Here's how to see who unfriended you on Facebook

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No one wants to be unfriended on Facebook, but it happens.

Yes, even to you.

Whatever the reason – they don’t agree with your political posts, they’re annoyed by your summer “travel bragging,” or perhaps 20 photos of your avocado toast is just too much – you may lose some Facebook “friends” from time to time.

But here’s the rub: you may not even know if you’ve been unfriended.

In fact, with how often Facebook changes how it delivers and prioritizes your news feed, you may not have a clue if someone you were connected with is no longer a Facebook connection, whether you were unfriended or unfollowed (which is not the same thing).

If you really want to know if someone is distancing themselves from you on Facebook, read on.

How does Facebook let you know if someone has unfriended you?

While there are ways to find out, Facebook doesn’t tell you if someone has unfriended you on its popular social media platform.

“One of the reasons that Facebook makes it increasingly difficult to see who unfriends you is that there were ongoing complaints that making this information public was an invasion of privacy,” explains Amber Mac, a Toronto-based tech expert, keynote speaker, and author the book Power Friending: Demystifying Social Media to Grow Your Business.

“In other words, you should be able to unfriend someone without worrying about them getting a notification or easily finding out that you took that action,” Mac adds.

Mac, who also hosts The AmberMac Show podcast on SiriusXM’s Canada Talks, agrees it could be hurtful to find out you’ve been unfriended, “you might want to respect that person’s boundaries and just accept that it is a decision that person has made.”

“Perhaps if you’re close to that person and there was no reason they would unfriend you, it might be a good idea to have a phone call to find out what happened,” she suggests.

How to see who unfriended you on Facebook

Whether you use the Facebook app or website, there are two easy ways to see who unfriended you on Facebook.

Check your friends list 

1. Go to your Facebook profile and tap or click on your Friends list.
2. Search for the person you suspect unfriended you.
3. If they are not in your list, they have either unfriended you or blocked you altogether.

Check their profile 

1. Go to the person in question’s Facebook page.
2. If you see the “Add Friend” button, it means they have unfriended you.
3. If you can’t access their profile at all, they may have blocked you or deactivated their Facebook account.

Third-party tools

While Facebook has been clamping down on these unofficial add-ons over the past couple of years, some may work to alert you to someone unfriending you.

“Facebook has blocked many of these apps from today’s primary app stores because they violate Facebook’s policies, which aim to keep unfriending as private an act as possible,” confirms Mac.

“While you might still find some of these apps online, there is a chance that they are not reliable or accurate, so proceed with caution.”

Some apps or web browser extensions that may work (with mixed success) include FB Purity, Who Deleted Me, and Still Friends – Who Deleted Me.

Can you see if someone has unfollowed you on Facebook?

Just like unfriending, you won’t be notified if someone unfollows you on Facebook – but there is an way to find out.

First, a clarification of the difference: “Unfriending” removes the connection entirely, while “unfollowing” prevents you from seeing the other person’s posts in your news feed but keeps you connected as friends.

So, it’s a more, er, gentle way of disconnecting yourself from someone.

“When you unfollow someone, you can still be friends with someone to exchange messages, as one example, but you will no longer see their posts in your Facebook feed,” explains Mac.

Yes, you can see who is currently following you on your main Facebook profile page, but there isn’t a way to actively track who has unfollowed you.

Conversely, if you want to unfollow someone on Facebook, the person will not be notified that you’ve unfollowed them.

Can you see if someone has blocked you on Facebook?

While there are ways to find out, no, Facebook will not notify you if you’ve been blocked by someone.

You’ll have to look for someone specifically, as there is no way to see a list of people who blocked you.

To find out, type in someone’s name in the Search window and if you can’t find them or their profile page is inaccessible, it’s possible they’ve blocked you.

Sometimes people don’t use their real (or full) name on Facebook, or perhaps they use an abbreviated name (like “Jamine S.”) or a maiden name, so make sure you’ve exhausted those options, too.

Also, if you know they’re on Facebook – maybe if a mutual contact can confirm they’re still connected to them as Facebook friends or can view their page – then maybe they’ve blocked you or excluded you in their smaller circle of Facebook friends.

If you were Facebook friends at some point, you can also check if their “Likes” and comments on your posts are still visible or if you can still tag them.

– Based in Toronto, Marc Saltzman is the host of the Tech It Out podcast and author of 17 books, including Apple Watch For Dummies (Wiley)