Facebook privacy settings are the controls that decide who can see your posts, photos and profile details, who can find or contact you, and how well your account is protected from hackers. The 10 most important options are: Facebook Privacy Checkup, the audience for future posts, limiting past posts, profile information, friend and search controls, tags and timeline review, profile lock (where available), blocking and the Restricted list, app and ad data controls, and two-factor authentication. This guide explains each one in plain language, with steps you can finish in about 15 minutes.
Last updated: October 2026. Meta renames and moves menu items from time to time, so if a label looks slightly different on your phone, open Settings & privacy and use the search box at the top.
Quick Answer: What Are the Best Facebook Privacy Settings?
If you only have five minutes, change these five things first:
- Run Privacy Checkup and follow its prompts for posts, profile details and security.
- Set your future posts to Friends instead of Public.
- Limit past posts so old public posts are no longer visible to strangers.
- Turn on two-factor authentication so a stolen password is not enough to get into your account.
- Review tags so other people cannot add posts to your profile without your approval.
How to Open Facebook Privacy Settings
Facebook spreads its controls across a few menus, which is why many people never find them. Here is the quickest route on the mobile app:
- Open the Facebook app and tap the menu icon (three lines, or your profile picture).
- Scroll to Settings & privacy and tap it.
- Tap Settings to see categories such as Audience and visibility, Profile and tagging and Accounts Center.
On a computer, click your profile picture in the top-right corner, then choose Settings & privacy and Settings. Meta also keeps a central hub called the Privacy Center, and you can read the official explanations in the Facebook Help Center.
1. Start With Facebook Privacy Checkup
Facebook Privacy Checkup is a guided tool that walks you through your most important settings one step at a time. It is the safest place to start because it explains each choice before you make it.
How to run Privacy Checkup
- Go to Settings & privacy.
- Tap Privacy Checkup.
- Work through each topic and review the current choice before you tap Next.
The tool has covered topics such as who can see what you share, how to keep your account secure, how people can find you, and your data settings, including apps you logged into with Facebook. Facebook also offers a direct page for the Privacy Checkup tool if you are signed in on a browser. Repeat the checkup every few months, because new features sometimes add new defaults.
2. Choose Who Can See Your Future Posts
This answers one of the most common searches: who can see my Facebook posts? The answer depends on the audience you pick, and you can set a default so you do not have to think about it each time.
How to set the default audience for new posts
- Open Settings & privacy > Settings.
- Tap Audience and visibility.
- Under Posts, tap Who can see your future posts.
- Choose your preferred audience.
| Audience | Who can see the post | Best for |
|---|---|---|
| Public | Anyone on or off Facebook | Pages, creators, announcements |
| Friends | Only your Facebook friends | Most personal posts |
| Friends except… | Friends minus the people you exclude | Hiding posts from certain contacts |
| Specific friends | Only the friends you pick | Small group updates |
| Only me | Just you | Drafts and personal notes |
You can still change the audience of any single post using the audience button on the post itself. For everyday sharing, Friends is the safest default.
3. Limit Who Can See Your Past Posts
Changing the default only protects new posts. Old posts you shared publicly years ago may still be visible to anyone. Facebook has a bulk tool for this.
- Go to Settings & privacy > Settings > Audience and visibility.
- Under Posts, tap Limit past posts.
- Confirm that you want older posts shared with the public or with friends of friends to be limited to Friends.
Be aware that this is a bulk change. If you later want a particular old post to be public again, you have to edit that post individually. Also remember that people who were tagged in a post, and their friends, may still be able to see it.
4. Review Your Profile Information
Your profile can reveal your phone number, email address, birthday, workplace, school, city and relationship status. Each of these has its own audience button, and many people leave them on Public without realising.
How to check profile details
- Go to your profile and tap Edit profile (or Edit public details).
- Open each section, such as contact info, work and education, and places lived.
- Tap the audience icon next to each item and choose Friends or Only me.
Some details, such as your name, profile picture and cover photo, are always public. Because of that, avoid using a photo that shows your house number, school uniform, workplace badge or any other identifying detail. To see what strangers can see, open your profile, tap the three dots and look for View as (if it is available on your account).
5. Control How People Find and Contact You
Privacy is not only about what you post. It is also about who can reach you. Under Settings & privacy > Settings > Audience and visibility, look for the section on how people find and contact you.
- Who can send you friend requests: choose Everyone or Friends of friends. The second option cuts down on random requests.
- Who can see your friends list: set it to Friends or Only me so scammers cannot copy your friends to create fake profiles.
- Who can look you up using your email address or phone number: limit it to Friends or Only me if you do not want strangers to find your profile from a number.
- Search engine linking: turn it off if you do not want Google or Bing to show your profile in results.
Fake friend requests are a common starting point for scams. If someone you already know sends a second request, contact them by another channel before accepting.
6. Manage Tags, Mentions and Timeline Review
Other people can place your name on photos and posts. Facebook lets you approve or reject these tags before they appear on your profile.
- Open Settings & privacy > Settings and tap Profile and tagging.
- Set who can post on your profile and who can see what others post there.
- Turn on the option to review posts you are tagged in before they show on your profile.
- Turn on the option to review tags people add to your own posts.
This is especially useful after weddings, parties or trips, when friends may upload photos you would prefer not to display. Manual review keeps you in charge of your own timeline.
7. Lock Your Facebook Profile (Where Available)
Some regions have a feature that lets you lock your Facebook profile with one tap. A locked profile limits what people who are not your friends can see, including full-size photos and posts, and it adds a shield badge to your profile. It is not available in every country, so you may not see it.
How to lock your profile
- Go to your profile and tap the three dots next to Edit profile.
- If you see Lock profile, tap it.
- Read the summary and tap Lock your profile to confirm.
If you do not see the option, you can get a similar result by setting future posts to Friends, limiting past posts, hiding your friends list and tightening profile details.
8. Use Block, Restricted List and Unfollow
Different situations need different tools. Facebook gives you three levels of control.
- Block: the person cannot see your profile, message you or add you. Go to Settings & privacy > Settings > Blocking and add the profile. Use this for harassment or stalking.
- Restricted list: a quiet option for people you cannot avoid, like a boss or relative. They stay on your friends list but can only see things you share publicly.
- Unfollow or snooze: you stop seeing their posts, but you stay friends and they are not told.
You can also block messages from a person, certain apps, events and Pages. If someone repeatedly bothers you, take screenshots and use the Report option on the profile or message as well.
9. Review Apps, Websites and Ad Data
Over the years you may have used Facebook to sign in to games, shopping sites and other apps. Each connection can share information about you. Remove the ones you do not use.
- Open Settings & privacy > Settings and find Apps and websites (it may be listed under permissions).
- Review the list and remove anything old or unfamiliar.
- Open Accounts Center > Ad preferences to limit how your activity is used for ads.
- Look for Activity off Meta technologies (previously called Off-Facebook activity) to see and clear data other businesses shared with Meta.
Also check your phone’s own settings. Set location access for Facebook to While using the app or Never. Our guide to Android phone tips shows how to use the Privacy Dashboard to see which apps have recently used your location.
10. Turn On Facebook Two-Factor Authentication
Strong privacy settings mean little if someone else can log in as you. Facebook two-factor authentication adds a second step, such as a code from an app, so a stolen password alone will not work.
How to turn on two-factor authentication
- Go to Settings & privacy > Settings > Accounts Center.
- Tap Password and security, then Two-factor authentication.
- Select your Facebook account and choose a method: an authentication app (recommended), a text message, or a security key.
- Save your backup codes in a safe place.
Extra security steps
- Open Where you’re logged in and sign out of devices you do not recognise.
- Turn on login alerts so you are notified about unfamiliar logins.
- Use a unique password stored in a password manager. Our essential Windows software guide includes password manager options.
- Never share login codes. Meta does not ask for your password in a direct message.
For general safety advice that applies to every account, see the U.S. government’s Secure Our World tips and our overview of account privacy settings.
Facebook Privacy Settings Checklist
| Setting | Recommended choice | Where to find it |
|---|---|---|
| Privacy Checkup | Run every few months | Settings & privacy > Privacy Checkup |
| Future posts | Friends | Audience and visibility > Posts |
| Past posts | Limit to Friends | Audience and visibility > Limit past posts |
| Friends list | Friends or Only me | Audience and visibility |
| Tag review | On | Profile and tagging |
| Profile lock | On, if available | Profile > three dots |
| Apps and websites | Remove unused | Settings > Apps and websites |
| Two-factor authentication | Authentication app | Accounts Center > Password and security |
Facebook Privacy Settings for Teens and Parents
Meta has been rolling out Teen Accounts, which place younger users into stricter defaults for who can contact them, what content they see and how much time they spend. Parents should still sit down with their child and walk through the same ten steps above. Check that the child’s audience is set to Friends, that friend requests are limited, and that location sharing is off. Talk about not accepting requests from strangers and about telling a trusted adult if anything feels wrong. Organisations like Internet Matters publish free parent guides for popular apps.
Frequently Asked Questions About Facebook Privacy Settings
Can you make a Facebook account private?
Facebook does not have a single “private account” switch like Instagram. Instead, you combine several settings: set future posts to Friends, limit past posts, hide your friends list, review tags, and lock your profile if the option is available in your country.
How do I see what my Facebook profile looks like to the public?
Open your profile, tap the three dots and choose View as if it is offered. This shows your profile the way a non-friend would see it, so you can spot details you want to hide.
Does Facebook tell people when I view their profile?
No. Facebook does not notify people when you look at their profile or timeline. However, people can see when you view their Story, so be careful with that feature.
How do I stop strangers from sending me friend requests?
Go to Settings & privacy, then Settings, then Audience and visibility, and set who can send friend requests to Friends of friends. You can also block repeat offenders and report fake accounts.
How do I hide my friends list on Facebook?
Open Audience and visibility in Settings and change who can see your friends list to Friends or Only me. Note that mutual friends may still appear on other people’s profiles in some cases.
Can people find me on Facebook using my phone number?
They can if you allow it. In the settings for how people find and contact you, change who can look you up using your phone number or email to Friends or Only me.
What is the difference between blocking and restricting someone?
Blocking removes all contact and visibility between you and the person. Adding them to your Restricted list keeps them as a friend but limits them to seeing only your public content, and they are not told.
How do I know if my Facebook account has been hacked?
Warning signs include login alerts from unknown places, posts or messages you did not send, and changes to your email or password. If this happens, go to facebook.com/hacked, change your password, sign out of all devices and turn on two-factor authentication.
How often should I review my Facebook privacy settings?
Review them every three to six months, or after any major app update. Run Privacy Checkup each time, because Meta often adds features and changes defaults.
Is Facebook safe to use?
Facebook can be used safely if you control your audience, accept only people you know, avoid sharing sensitive details such as your address, and protect your login with two-factor authentication. No platform is risk-free, so regular reviews matter.
Related Guides
- Instagram privacy settings
- WhatsApp privacy settings
- TikTok privacy settings
- YouTube settings
- Technology tutorials
Final Thoughts
Good Facebook privacy does not mean deleting your account or hiding from friends and family. It means making deliberate choices: pick who sees your posts, clean up your old content, control tags and requests, and lock down your login with two-factor authentication. Spend 15 minutes going through the ten options above, then set a reminder to run Privacy Checkup again in a few months. Small changes today can prevent scams, identity theft and unwanted attention later.
Tip: Share this guide with parents and grandparents who use Facebook. They are often the most targeted by scammers.
