How To Make Facebook Private

Facebook is a great way to stay in touch with friends and family, but it’s important to protect your personal information online. Many people don’t realize how much of their data is visible to others on Facebook. This guide will show you how to control who sees your content and personal details on the platform.

Privacy on Facebook means deciding what you share and with whom. It’s about keeping your personal life private while still enjoying the social aspects of the site. By adjusting your privacy settings, you can choose who sees your posts, photos, and profile information.

This guide will walk you through the steps to make your Facebook account more private. We’ll cover how to change your settings on both computers and phones. You’ll learn how to limit who can see your posts, hide your friends list, and control who can find you on Facebook. We’ll also share tips on keeping your account secure.

Let’s get started on making your Facebook experience safer and more private.

Understanding Facebook Privacy Settings

Facebook offers several key privacy settings to help you control your online presence. Let’s break them down:

Profile Details:

This setting covers basic personal details such as your date of birth, place of origin, and your contact details. You can select who can view this information: everyone, friends, or only me. It is advisable to avoid disclosing such information to anybody to avoid being harassed or inconvenienced by those who may wish to know the information.

Posts and Stories:

Facebook lets you decide who can see what you share. You can set your posts to be visible to everyone, just friends, or a custom group. The same goes for stories. This control helps you share freely with the right people.

Finding You on Facebook:

You can manage how people find you on the platform. This includes settings for who can send you friend requests or look you up using your email or phone number. Adjusting these settings can help reduce unwanted contact.

Blocking:

If there is someone you do not want to interact with, you can block them. In Facebook, you can restrict the interactions with some people by blocking them therefore they cannot view your profile or even communicate with you. A very helpful resource in addressing harassment or being bothered by someone.

Reviewing Your Settings:

It is recommended to pay attention to and adjust these settings regularly. Facebook tends to tweak its policies concerning the privacy of users’ data quite frequently, so it is wise to occasionally go through your privacy settings and verify that your data is still secure.

Step-by-Step Guide to Making Facebook Private

A. Desktop Version

Accessing Privacy Settings

To get started with making your Facebook private, follow these steps:

Navigate to Privacy Settings:

1. Click on the arrow in the top right corner of Facebook.

2. Select Settings & Privacy, then click Settings.

3. Choose Privacy Checkup from the left-hand menu.

Overview of the Privacy Checkup:

On the Privacy page, several settings let you decide who can view your posts, who can send you a friend request, and who can look for you on Facebook.

Changing Default Sharing Settings

It’s important to set your default post visibility to ensure your future posts are only seen by the people you want. Here’s how:

Set Default Post Visibility:

1. In the Tools and Resources under Settings and Privacy, find the section Default Audience Settings.

2. Select Custom Audience and click Next.

3. Next to Who can see your future posts?, click Edit.

4. Choose Friends or Only Me to limit who can see your posts.

Making Your Friends List Private

To keep your friends list private, follow these steps:

Adjust Friends List Visibility:

1. Go to your profile and click Friends.
2. Click on the three dots to manage your friend’s list. Choose Edit Privacy.

3. Set Who can see your friends list? to Only Me or another preference.

Adjusting Profile Information Visibility

You can hide personal details like your birthdate and contact information:

Hide Personal Details:

1. Go to your profile and click About.
2. Click the icon next to the information you want to hide.

3. Choose Edit and set the visibility to Only Me.

Limiting Audience for Past Posts

To limit the visibility of your old posts:

Limit Old Posts:

1. Click on the Posts under Audience and Visibility.

2. Next to Limit the audience for posts you’ve shared with friends of friends or Public?, click Limit Past Posts.

3. Confirm your choice to change all past posts to Friends only.

Setting Privacy for Photo Albums

You can make your photo albums private by following these steps:

Make Photo Albums Private:

1. Go to your profile and click Photos.
2. Select Albums and open the album you want to make private.
3. Click the three dots and choose Edit Album.

4. Set the audience to Only Me or another preference.

These steps will help you control your privacy on Facebook, making sure your information is only shared with those you trust.

B. Mobile Version

Accessing Privacy Settings on Mobile

Managing your Facebook privacy settings on mobile is easy. Here’s how to do it on both Android and iOS:

Open the Facebook App:

1. Tap the three horizontal lines (menu) in the top right corner (Android) or bottom right corner (iOS).

2. Scroll down and select Settings & Privacy.

3. Tap Settings and then choose Privacy Settings.

Using the Privacy Checkup Tool

The Privacy Checkup tool helps you review and adjust your privacy settings quickly:

Using Privacy Checkup:

1. In the Privacy Settings menu, look for Privacy Checkup.
2. Tap Privacy Checkup and follow the prompts.

3. The tool will guide you through key privacy settings, including who can see your posts, your profile information, and how people can find you.

Adjusting Privacy Settings for Posts and Profile Details

To control who can see your posts and profile details on mobile:

Set Post Visibility:

1. Go to Privacy Settings.
2. Tap Who can see your future posts? and choose Friends or Only Me.

Hide Profile Information:

1. Go to your profile and tap Edit Profile.

2. Select the information you want to adjust.

3. Tap the audience selector and choose Only Me or another preference.

Managing How People Find and Contact You

You can limit how people find and contact you on Facebook:

Control Friend Requests:

1. In the Privacy Settings menu, find How People Find and Contact You.

2. Tap Who can send you friend requests? and choose Friends of Friends to limit requests.

Limit Search by Email or Phone Number:

1. In the same section, tap Who can look you up using the email address you provided? And who can look you up using the phone number you provided?
2. Select Friends or Only Me for both options.

Following these steps on your mobile device will help you manage and protect your privacy on Facebook, ensuring your information stays secure.

How to Lock Your Facebook Profile

Locking your Facebook profile is a simple way to ensure that only your friends can see your posts, profile pictures, and other details. Here’s how to do it:

1. Click your profile picture or name to navigate to your profile page.
2. Click the three dots next to Edit Profile.
3. Select Lock Profile.

4. Follow the prompts to confirm and lock your profile.

5. Only your friends can see the photos and posts on your profile.

Additional Privacy Tips

Using the “View As” Feature

The “View As” feature allows you to see how your profile looks to others:

View Your Profile as Public:

1. Go to your profile page. Click on the three dots.

2. Select View As to see your profile as the public does.

3. This is how your content is visible to others.

Managing Activity Status and Blocking Users

You can control who sees when you’re active and block unwanted interactions:

Hide Your Activity Status:

1. Open the Messenger.

2. Click on the three dots at the top right corner.

3. Toggle to Active Status and set the status to On or Off.

Block Users:

1. Go to Settings & Privacy > Settings.
2. Select Blocking.

3. Enter the name of the person/page/app you want to block and click Block.

Checkout Free Tool to Block Someone On Facebook Group

Securing Your Account

Keep your account secure by following these steps:

Enable Two-Factor Authentication:

1. Go to the Accounts Center.
2. Select Password and Security.
3. Scroll to Two-Factor Authentication and follow the prompts to set it up.

Regularly Update Your Password:

1. In the Security and Login section, click Change password.

2. Enter your current password, then your new password twice.

3. Save changes to update your password.

Set Up Security Alerts:

1. In Security and Login, find Get alerts about unrecognized logins.

2. Choose how you want to receive alerts (e.g., email, notifications).

3. Follow the prompts to enable these alerts.

These additional tips will enhance your Facebook privacy and security, ensuring your account remains protected from unwanted access and interactions.

Also, check out How to make Pinterest Private in 3 simple ways.

Conclusion

It is very important to learn how to adjust your settings on Facebook in order to gain a certain level of privacy. By being in charge of your privacy settings, you limit the people who can view your posts, and profile information and who can message you. This reduces the risks of encountering any danger online.

Always do a routine check on your privacy settings and adjust them when necessary to avoid compromise. So, do not forget to remain active in safeguarding your privacy and securing your Facebook profile.

Frequently Asked Questions