Facebook privacy settings: How to make your Facebook private

Access Facebook privacy settings

Managing your privacy settings is one of the best ways to keep your personal info from ending up in the wrong hands. Facebook gives you the tools to decide who sees what, but it's up to you to use them. Below are the steps to access and adjust those settings so you can better protect your data:

1. 1.Open the privacy settings by clicking your profile picture in the top right on a desktop computer or Android, or the bottom right on an iPad or iPhone. 
2. 2.Scroll and select “Settings & privacy.”
3. 3.Open “Settings.”
4. 4.Scroll to “Audience and visibility.”
5. 5.Select the privacy setting you want to change and update it.

Once you’re in there, you can adjust profile details, location data, and ad preferences. Available settings may differ based on your profile type. 

Restrict Facebook profile visibility

Facebook offers four levels of profile privacy: public, friends, friends of friends, and only me. Each setting provides varying levels of restrictions. 

• "Public" allows you to share your profile with anyone, even those without a Facebook account.
• "Friends" restricts visibility to only people on your friends list, though you can also block specific friends from seeing a post.
• "Friends of friends" makes a profile visible to your friends and anyone who shares a mutual friend with you.
• "Only me" makes the profile completely private, visible only to you. For a high level of protection, this option is recommended whenever possible.

You may not be able to view all of Facebook’s privacy settings from a mobile device. Use the desktop version to access more privacy tools. 

Limit who can send you friend requests

If you’d like to adjust your profile’s privacy restrictions by reviewing who can send you friend requests, follow these steps: 

1. 1.Select your profile picture in the top right on a desktop computer or Android or the bottom right on an iPad or iPhone. 
2. 2.Click “Settings & privacy” and select “Settings.”
3. 3.Scroll down to “Audience and visibility” and tap “How people find and contact you.”
4. 4.Use the dropdown menu and select “Everyone” or “Friends of friends.”

The “Friends of friends” setting means you must have a friend in common for users to send you a friend request, so this step eliminates friend requests from total strangers. 

Control who can look you up using your email address or phone number

Facebook allows people to find your profile by entering your email address or phone number in the search bar — unless you change that by choosing a different privacy option.

• Everyone: Anyone on or off Facebook can look you up using your email address or phone number.
• Friends of friends: Only people who are friends with someone on your friends list can find you this way.
• Friends: Only people you’re already friends with can use your email or phone number to find your profile.
• Only me / No one: Your profile won’t appear in search results if someone enters your email address or phone number.

Once you choose the privacy option that fits your needs, follow these steps to update who can look you up using your email address and phone number: 

1. 1.Tap “Settings & privacy.” For Android, find it at the top right, for desktop, click on the profile picture, and for iPhone or iPad, click the bottom right. 
2. 2.Select “Settings.“
3. 3.Click “How people find and contact you” in the “Audience and visibility” category. 
4. 4.Open “People with your phone number” and make your choice of possible connections, friends of friends, friends, or no one. Tap “People with your email address” to also update this field. 

Disable search engines from finding your Facebook profile

Default settings allow your profile to be indexed, meaning your account will be visible on search engines like Google or Bing. You can disable this setting if you don’t want your Facebook profile to appear in search engines. 

Follow these steps to stop search engines from finding your Facebook profile: 

1. 1.Find “Settings & privacy.” For Android, find it at the top right, for desktop, click on the profile picture, and for iPhone and iPad, click the bottom right. 
2. 2.Open “Settings” and in the “Audience and visibility” section, choose “How people find and contact you.”
3. 3.Click the toggle button next to “Do you want search engines outside of Facebook to link to your profile?” You can toggle it on or off. 

Decide who can message you

Facebook lets you decide who can send you message requests through Messenger. To adjust these settings, use the Facebook Messenger app on your iPhone, iPad, or Android device.

You can choose whether to receive message requests from:

• Friends of your Facebook friends.
• People using Messenger who aren’t on Facebook.
• Others on Facebook or Messenger who aren’t connected to you.
• People who have your phone number saved in their contacts.
• (If you’re 18 or older) Members of the same Facebook groups as you.

Follow these steps to change your message request settings on Messenger: 

1. 1.Open your Messenger app. 
2. 2.Select “Menu” and tap “Settings.”
3. 3.Click “Privacy & safety.”
4. 4.Tap “Message delivery.”
5. 5.Tap the group for which you want to control messages. 

Limit Meta's data collection about you

Facebook’s feature, Off-Facebook Activity, also called Off-Meta Activity, allows you to monitor and control the information that websites and apps share with Facebook. The Off-Facebook Activity feature essentially informs you of what Facebook knows about you and what it’s using for personalized advertising or analytics. To limit this data collection:

1. 1.Go to “Settings & privacy” and select “Settings.”
2. 2.Select “Your Facebook information.”
3. 3.Tap “Off-Facebook activity.”
4. 4.From there, you can view your activity, disconnect specific sites or apps, or clear all past activity.
5. 5.To stop future tracking, select “Manage future activity” and turn it off.

Turning off this feature can reduce how much personal data Meta uses to tailor your experience — especially when it comes to ads.

Unfriend contacts you don’t trust 

One way to protect your Facebook account is to keep your friends list updated. That means unfriending anyone you don’t know and not accepting friend requests from strangers and people you vaguely remember. 

Facebook friends can jeopardize your privacy without you even knowing it. They can tag you in inappropriate content and send scam messages to you if their accounts get hacked. 

To avoid this altogether, you can periodically review your friends list and delete anyone you don’t know or trust.  

Make your friends list private

By default, your Facebook friends list is visible to everyone, but you can change who’s allowed to see it. The options include:

• Public.
• Friends.
• Specific friends.
• Only you.
• Custom.
• Close friends.

When updating this feature, keep in mind that you can only manage who sees your friends list on your profile. Your friends on Facebook can also manage who sees their friends list on their profile. 

For example, if you update your friends list to “Only me,” only you can see your friends list on your profile. If your Facebook friend has their friends list set to “Public,” then everyone can see that you are friends. 

Here’s how to update who can see your friends list:

1. 1.Click “Menu.” For Android users, find it at the top right. For desktop users, click on the profile picture. For iPhone or iPad users, click the bottom right. 
2. 2.Scroll to and select “Settings & privacy,” then select “Settings.” 
3. 3.Swipe down to “Audience & visibility” and click “How people find and contact you.”
4. 4.Click “Who can see your friends list?”
5. 5.Choose the audience of people (such as “Only me” or “Specific friends”) you want to be able to view your friends list. 

Limit who can see your posts

Controlling the visibility of your Facebook posts helps keep your personal life private. Whether you're posting something new or reviewing older content, you can decide who gets to see it.

Use the audience selector tool to choose who you share your content with. Tap the box near your profile picture to create a post on your device. When “Create post” pops up, look for the audience selector below your name. Tap the audience selector and set it to public, friends (+ friends of anyone tagged), only me, and custom. Then tap “Done.” 

For one post

To edit who can see your past posts on Android, iPad, or iPhone, tap “Menu” at the top right of the page and click your name. Find the post you want to edit, tap “...*” at the top right of the post, and select “Edit privacy.” Choose who can see the post from the audience selector. 

To edit who can see your past posts on a computer, click your profile picture on the top right. Select your name and go to your profile. Find the post you want to edit and select the audience selector next to the time or date on the post. Choose who can see the post from the audience selector options.  

For all past posts 

To update who can see all your past posts at once, click your profile picture in the top right. Choose “Settings & privacy” and select “Settings.” On the left, tap “Posts.” Find “Limit who can see past posts” and select “Limit past posts” to confirm.

Make your Facebook photos private

Posting photos on Facebook shares a window into your life. If you’re posting in real time, people will know where you are and whether you’re home or not, and posting your address is always a no-go. However, you can take steps to adjust the privacy settings for each device and the photos you upload: 

• On a computer, select your profile picture in the top right and click your name to go to your profile. 
• On an Android, click “Menu” in the top right and select your name. 
• On an iPhone, click “Menu” on the bottom right and choose your name. 
• On an iPad, tap your profile picture at the top of your feed. Scroll down and tap “Photos,” then tap “Photos” again. Select “Uploads” and tap a photo to open it, and tap the three dots and “Options” at the top right. Select “Edit post privacy,” select who can see your photo, and click “Done.”

Manage posts and photos tagging

Controlling who can see posts and photos you’re tagged in helps protect your privacy and keeps your profile looking the way you want. By managing these tags, you can avoid unwanted content appearing on your timeline.

• On an iPad or iPhone: Select “Menu” in the bottom right and click your name. Tap the three dots “...” beneath your profile picture and select “Activity log.” Choose “Category, " click “Activity you’re tagged in,” and click the content you’re tagged in. Choose the “...” three dots in the top right and select “Remove tag.”

• On an Android: Select “Menu” in the top right and click your name. Tap the three dots “...” beneath your profile picture and select “Activity log.” Select “Your Facebook activity.” Look below “Activity you’re tagged in” and click “Manage your tags.” You can filter the content by clicking “Filters,” then “Categories,” and “Dates.” Choose the date range you wish to review, and you can remove one or multiple tags by tapping the square next to the content you’d like to untag. Select “All” if you’d like to remove all tags. Select “Remove tags” to remove them. 
• On a computer: Click your profile picture in the top right. Choose “Settings & privacy,” then select “Activity log.” A menu appears on the left, then click “Your Facebook activity.” Select “Activity you’re tagged in” and click the three dots “...” next to the content you want to untag. Then click “Remove tag.” Select “Remove.” 

Keep your location data private

Facebook collects users’ location data using GPS data from their phone or device. Social media platforms use this data for advertising purposes, such as targeted ads. While you can’t block them entirely from seeing location data, you can restrict access. 

• On an iPhone: Open the phone’s Settings. Select “Privacy & security.” Select “Location services” and “Facebook.” Then, click either “While using the app” or “Never.”
• On an Android: Open the phone’s Settings and select “Location.” Click “App permissions” and “Facebook.” Tap “Allow only while using the app” or “Deny.” 

Location settings vary by phone and may be under a “Permissions” menu on older devices. If you have an older version of Android, you might not have the “Only while using the app feature.” If this feature isn’t available, find the “Background location” setting in the Facebook app that offers the same features. 

Turn off activity status

Turn your active status on or off on any device to control whether people can see when you’re online. It’s a simple way to keep your privacy and avoid unwanted messages.

• On an Android, iPhone, or iPad: Click “Menu” in the bottom right. Scroll and click “Settings & privacy” and click “Settings.” Look under “Audience and visibility” and click “Active status.” Tap the “Toggle button” to “Show when you’re active” to turn your “Active status” on (or use it to turn it off). 
• On a desktop computer: Click “Messenger” in the top right. At the top, find “Chats” and select “Options.” Select “Active status: On” or “Active status: Off.” Tap the “Toggle’ next to “Active status” to turn it on or off and hit “Save.”

Change ad preferences

On Facebook, it’s not possible to hide all ads. Instead, the “Ad preferences” page allows you to control the ads you see on Facebook. It enables you to update ad settings to oversee the information Facebook can use to show ads to its users. 

• On an Android, iPhone, or iPad: On an Android, select “Menu” at the top right, and for iPhone or iPad, find it in the bottom right corner. Select “Settings & privacy,” then click “Settings.” Find “Permissions” and click “Ad preferences.” You can choose to “Customize ads” or “Manage info.”
• On a computer: Select your profile picture in the top right. Click “Settings & privacy,” then open “Settings.” Select “Accounts center,” then choose “Ad preferences.” From here, view and adjust all ad preferences. 

Enhance your Facebook account security

Social media platforms like Facebook are susceptible to hackers, which makes it important to use strong login credentials. Create a strong password and use two-factor authentication (2FA) to protect your profile. 

How to turn on and manage 2FA

Two-factor authentication (2FA) adds an extra layer of security to your Facebook account by requiring a second form of verification when you log in. Follow the steps below to turn on and manage 2FA on your device.

• On an Android, iPhone, or iPad: On Android, select “Menu” at the top right, and on an iPad or iPhone, find it at the bottom right. Scroll until you see “Settings & privacy” and hit “Settings.” Click “Account settings” and select “Security and login.” Scroll and then tap “Use two-factor authentication” and enter your password. Select the security method you want to use and turn it on. 
• On a computer: Select your profile picture in the top right and click “Settings and privacy.” Click “Settings,” then select “Account settings” and click “Password and security.” Select “Two-factor authentication” and click on the account you want to update. Choose your preferred security method and follow the instructions. 

Facebook "Privacy checkup" tool

Facebook’s “Privacy checkup” tool allows users to review their privacy and security settings. It’s easy to forget to update your profile’s security, and this tool makes it easy and simple to review what you already have in place, or what’s missing. 

The tool walks you through settings you can update to make your profile more secure. It also shows you what’s currently visible to others. 

Here’s how to visit the Privacy Checkup tool: 

• On an Android, iPad, or iPhone: On Android, click “Menu” on the top right, and on an iPad or iPhone, select it on the top right. Scroll and tap “Settings & privacy” and click “Settings.” Select “Privacy checkup.” 
• On a computer: Select your profile picture in the top right and head to your profile. Select “Settings & privacy” and choose “Privacy checkup.”

Facebook privacy concerns

Some people wonder if they can tell when someone is checking their profile on Facebook, but unfortunately, Facebook doesn’t offer a way to see who’s been looking at your page. If you’re worried about privacy, you can block specific people or adjust your settings so that only certain people can see your posts and profile. While this won’t let you know who’s been checking you out, it gives you more control over who can see your stuff.

Another big question is whether Facebook can use your photos to train their AI systems. In the U.S., unfortunately, there’s no way to opt out of having your data used for AI training. However, if you're in the UK or EU, you can fill out a request to stop Meta from using your shared data in that way. If you're in the U.S. and don’t want Facebook using your photos, the best thing to do is make everything private or remove anything you’re uncomfortable sharing. It won’t guarantee your data won’t be used, but it’ll definitely limit what’s out there.

Facebook has faced significant privacy and data-selling scandals in the past, but the company has made efforts to improve. Recently, they’ve rolled out more privacy features, giving users more control over their data. While some concerns remain, these changes show that Facebook is becoming more privacy-conscious.

Final thoughts

Facebook offers a range of privacy settings to help you control who sees your information and how your data is used. While it requires some effort to review and adjust these settings, taking the time to do so can greatly improve your online security and privacy. Regularly updating your preferences and staying informed about new features will help keep your Facebook experience safer and more personal. Remember, protecting your digital footprint starts with you.