Facebook is, by default, set to make all your information public. But what if you want to keep your profile private and have more control over what other Facebook users, who aren’t your friends, can see on your profile? Is it possible to change your account’s default settings?
Unfortunately, there’s no magic switch to make your profile completely private by default. However, if you know the correct settings to tweak, you can make your profile effectively 100% private.
If you’ve been wondering how to make your Facebook profile private, this article will walk you through the steps.
How to Make a Facebook Profile Private
If you want to make your Facebook profile private via a browser, here’s what you should do:
- Open the browser on your computer and go to the Facebook page.
- Log in to your account.
- Look for the arrow icon on the top right of the screen.
- Tap on “Settings.”
- Look at the menu on the left.
- Press “Privacy.” Doing so will open the “Privacy” tab on the right.
- You can now change your privacy settings for different features. For instance, choose who can see your posts, who can see your friends list, etc.
- Adjust the settings to suit your needs. To do this, tap on the blue “Edit” button next to the feature.
How to Make Your Profile Private on Facebook Mobile
Nowadays, many people usually only use Facebook on their phones. Fortunately, the process for those who want to make their profile private is reasonably easy. It is basically the same for both iPhone and Android devices. Simply follow the steps below:
- Launch the “Facebook” app on your phone.
- Tap on the three line menu. Depending on the phone, it’ll be in the top right side of the screen or the bottom right.
- Scroll down to “Settings and Privacy.”
- Tap on the “Settings” tab.
- Under “Privacy,“ click on “Privacy settings.”
- Tap on “Check a few important settings.”
- In “Privacy Checkup,” choose “Who can see what you share.”
- Tap “Continue.”
- Scroll down to “Friends and Following” and tap on the tab next to both options. Select “Friends.” Doing so means only your friends on Facebook will see your list of friends.
- Tap “Next.”
- Click on the buttons next to “Future posts” and “Stories” and change to “Friends.”
- Tap “Next.”
How to Make Your Future Facebook Content Private from Strangers
What if you want to hide your Facebook profile content from those who aren’t your friends? How can you do this? Simple, just follow these steps carefully:
- Log in to Facebook on your browser.
- Click on the arrow icon on the upper right part of the screen.
- Select “Settings and Privacy.”
- Choose “Settings.”
- Click on “Privacy” from the menu on the right.
- Under “Your Activity,” you’ll see “Who can see your future posts?”
- Tap on the “Edit” button next to it.
- Click on “Public” and select “Friends.”
You can also change this setting on each of your posts by tapping the three dots in the upper right-hand corner (of that post). Here, you can select who can see your status (public, friends only, private, custom, etc.).
Frequently Asked Questions
Online privacy is a big deal these days. Fortunately, Facebook offers its users many solutions to maintain their online anonymity. But, if you have more questions, or you want to learn more, keep reading.
If I set my profile to Private, can people still see my profile picture?
Yes. When you set your profile to private other users can still see your profile picture and a few key details about your account, but they can’t see your posts. If you want to make your profile picture private with your Facebook account, follow the steps above.
How do I see what my profile looks like to people who aren’t my friends?
One of the really neat features of Facebook is the ability to see what your profile looks like to others. You can follow these steps to view your profile as it appears to the public:
1. Open Facebook and tap on the arrow in the upper right-hand corner. If you’re using an Android device, tap on the three horizontal lines in the upper right. If you’re using an iPhone, it will be the three horizontal lines in the lower right. Go to your profile.
2. On your profile page, tap on the three horizontal dots to the right of Edit Profile.
3. Click or tap on View As.
Now, you can see your profile from the public view.
Can I make my profile picture private?
Unfortunately, no. If you upload a photo to use as a profile picture, anyone with a Facebook can see it. You can reset your profile image to Facebook’s default photo (the silhouette of a person on a blank background). To do this, navigate to your Profile Picture photo album, select your current profile picture, and click on the three-dot icon to delete the image.
You can also set your profile image to something nondescript, like a favorite superhero or symbol.
Maintain Your Facebook Privacy
Anonymity isn’t done in one click, but making your Facebook profile private is relatively simple. Simply follow the steps provided in this article, and you’ll have no issues. Do you have any tips, experience, or questions about making your Facebook profile private? Leave a comment in the section below!
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