How to Stop Facebook Emails
Facebook email falls into two buckets: notifications about activity (comments, tags, friend requests, group posts, event reminders) and account/security mail. The good news is that Facebook, unlike some platforms, gives you a near-master switch for the notification bucket. You just have to know where it lives.
The two layers that send you email
Understanding the split makes the settings obvious:
- Notification email — everything driven by activity: tags, comments, friend requests, group updates, Marketplace messages, event invites, birthday reminders, and "you have new notifications" digests. All of this is optional and controllable.
- Account and security email — login alerts, password resets, verification codes, and legal notices. This is transactional and stays on.
The steps below shut down the first bucket entirely. Some Facebook products — Marketplace, Groups, and any linked Instagram account — carry their own notification sections, so if you're deep in those, check them too.
Turn off Facebook email notifications
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Open your settings
On desktop, click your profile picture (top right), then Settings & Privacy → Settings. In the mobile app, tap the menu, then Settings & Privacy → Settings.
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Go to Notifications
In the settings menu, find and open Notifications. You'll see a list of notification types (tags, comments, reminders, and so on) and, separately, the delivery channels.
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Open the Email channel
Look for a section covering How you get notifications and choose Email. This is where Facebook controls what, if anything, it sends to your inbox.
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Choose what email you allow
You'll typically see options such as All notifications, Only notifications about your account, security and privacy, and Off / no email. Pick the most restrictive option you're comfortable with — see the next section for what each means.
Use "only about your account" mode
The setting labeled something like "Only notifications about your account, security and privacy" is the sweet spot. It stops the flood of social and promotional email — friend activity, group posts, Marketplace, event reminders, "people you may know," and marketing — while still letting Facebook email you about sign-ins, password changes, and policy updates.
What you can't turn off
These emails send no matter what, because they protect your account or are legally required:
- Login and security alerts — sign-ins from a new device or location, and two-factor codes.
- Account confirmations — password changes, email or phone changes, and recovery requests.
- Legal and policy notices — changes to the terms of service or your account status.
Don't try to suppress these with a filter — a hidden login alert is exactly the message you'd want to catch if your account were compromised.
The filter fallback for stragglers
If a linked product or a queued message still lands after you've set account-only mode, use a mailbox rule rather than hunting for another toggle. Facebook's notification and marketing email is sent from the facebookmail.com domain, which makes it easy to catch.
Create a filter that matches mail from facebookmail.com and archives it or drops it into a folder you check when you choose. Keep security alerts visible by leaving your inbox rule broad but not auto-deleting — you want to be able to find a login alert if you ever need it. Our guide to unsubscribing from emails walks through building these rules in Gmail, Outlook, and Apple Mail.
Frequently asked questions
How do I stop all Facebook email notifications at once?
Open Settings → Notifications → Email and choose the option to get email only about your account. That's the closest thing to an off switch — it stops activity and marketing mail while keeping security email.
Where are Facebook email notification settings?
On desktop: profile picture → Settings & Privacy → Settings → Notifications, then the Email channel. In the app: menu → Settings & Privacy → Settings → Notifications → Email.
What is the "only about your account" email option?
It limits Facebook email to essential account matters — security alerts, password changes, policy notices — while stopping friend-activity, group, and marketing emails.
Which Facebook emails can't be turned off?
New-device login alerts, password and email-change confirmations, two-factor codes, and legal notices. These are required and have no off switch while your account is active.
Why is Facebook still emailing me after I turned notifications off?
A separate product — Marketplace, Groups, or a linked Instagram account — may have its own notification settings, and some queued mail arrives for a day or two. Check each product, then filter mail from facebookmail.com for anything left.