How to stop seeing sad and upsetting news in your feed
You can see far less sad and upsetting news by muting or unfollowing the accounts that post it, turning off news alerts, and checking the news at a time you choose instead of all day. It won’t make the world less sad, but it puts you back in charge of when it reaches you.
Updated November 2, 2026Mute, snooze or unfollow
The quickest change is to stop following what wears you down. Muting is the gentle option: you still follow the account, it’s never told, and its posts stop appearing.
- X: click the three dots on a post and choose Mute. To hide a subject rather than a person, add words to your muted words. See how to mute words on X.
- Instagram: on the account’s profile, tap Following, then Mute, and choose posts, stories or both.
- Facebook: click the three dots on a post and choose Snooze to hide that person or Page for 30 days, or Unfollow to hide them for good.
- YouTube: on a video you don’t want, click the three dots and choose Not interested, or Don’t recommend channel.
On any of them, mark recommended posts you don’t want as “not interested”. It’s a nudge, not a rule, but it adds up.
Turn off news alerts
Breaking news alerts are made to interrupt you, and most of them can wait. In your phone’s Settings, open Notifications and turn them off for news apps, or keep one app and switch off its breaking news alerts in that app’s own settings. Do the same for social apps that send you trending stories.
Choose when you see the news
- Pick a time, like once in the morning, and let it go for the rest of the day.
- Read instead of scroll. A daily newsletter or summary tells you what matters and then ends. A feed never ends.
- Keep it out of bed. Bad news is hardest to put down late at night.
Our guide to news fatigue has more on staying informed without being worn down.
Add things that help
Feeds fill whatever space you give them. Follow a few accounts that make you feel better, like people you know, things you’re learning, or animals and nature, so there’s something else in there besides the news.
What this doesn’t fix
- Recommendations. Muting covers the accounts you follow. Suggested posts, Explore and For You feeds still bring in strangers’ posts about the latest tragedy.
- Muted words are literal. Sad news rarely uses predictable words, so a list of words can’t keep up.
- Some days every account covers it. After a disaster, it’s in everyone’s feed at once, even the funny accounts.
If the news is weighing on you more than usual, or staying with you after you put your phone down, it’s worth talking about it with someone you trust. If it’s affecting your sleep or your days, a doctor or therapist can help.
Filter out what drags you down
Remedy is a Chrome extension that filters your feeds as you scroll. Switch on its Sad or depressing category and it removes posts and stories about deaths, tragedies, disasters, grief and despair, on X, Reddit, YouTube, Instagram, Facebook and news sites you add. Everyday complaints and bad days stay.
The popup lists everything it took out, so you can see what it removed when you’re ready, and you can pause it for an hour. It works on a computer, in Chrome.
Questions
Is it OK to avoid sad news?
Choosing when and how much news you take in isn’t the same as not caring. Many people stay informed by checking once a day instead of all day.
Will muting someone tell them?
No. On X, Instagram and Facebook, muting or snoozing someone isn’t announced to them, and you still follow them.
Can I mute a topic instead of a person?
On X, muted words hide posts containing words you choose, and TikTok can filter video keywords, but both match words, not meaning. Elsewhere you mostly mark posts as not interested, one at a time.