Here’s how to make your Facebook profile private

Facebook is the world's largest social network, but it stores more personal information than you might think.

However, you can control your privacy on Facebook.

If you don’t wish to put yourself out there and like to keep your relationship status and other personal details confidential from strangers, follow this step-by-step guide and learn how to make your Facebook account private.

How do you create a Facebook account?

Before diving into how to make an account, it’s important to address the basics – how to create an account.

Creating a Facebook account is super easy. After a few simple steps, you’ll be logged in and ready to share pictures, join groups, and message friends and family. Here’s how.

• Go to Facebook's home page, and select “Create new account.”
• Enter your information in the form and click “Sign Up.”
• You'll receive a text message or email from Facebook to verify your new account.
• Click the link you received, which automatically redirects you to your profile or the login page.
• Log in to your account and start using Facebook!

How to make your Facebook profile private in 8 easy steps

Facebook’s sign-up process requires a lot of personal data, such as your contact information, birthday, and gender. But after logging in, Facebook asks you to add your job, relationship status, and other sensitive information – these are optional. But even if you wish to add this information, you may want to secure your account against a data breach.

Here’s how.

From your iOS or Android device

1. Open the Facebook mobile app, and log in to your account.
2. Tap the three stacked lines in the top-right corner of the screen.
3. Scroll to the bottom of the page, and tap “Settings & privacy.”
4. You’ll see a drop-down menu. Tap “Privacy shortcuts” next to a lock icon.
5. Under “Privacy,” look for the three dots, and click “See more privacy settings.
6. Change your preferences under “Your Activity” and “How people find and contact you.” You can make posts, Stories, and Reels visible to the public and your friend list or customize content to exclude specific friends.
7. If you want to make your profile exclusively viewable to you, tap “See More” and “Only me.”
8. Facebook will change and save your settings.

From your desktop

1. Open Facebook on your browser and log in to your account.
2. Click your profile picture in the upper-right corner.
3. Choose “Settings & privacy.” from the drop-down menu. Then, click “Settings.”
4. On the left side of the screen, look for “Privacy.” Tap this.
5. Change your privacy preferences by editing the options next to “Your Activity” and “How people can find and contact you.”
6. Make changes by clicking “Edit” next to each option.
7. Facebook automatically saves your changes.

How to make friend lists private on Facebook

By default, Facebook keeps friend lists public, which means anybody can see who’s on there. But with a few steps, you can easily make the list private in the settings or your profile page.

From the settings menu

1. Open Facebook on your mobile or desktop.
2. Head to the “Privacy” screen, and look for “How people can find and contact you.”
3. Select “Edit,” which you’ll find next to “Who can see your friends list?”
4. Choose “Friends” or “Only me” to make your friend list private.

From your profile (browser-only)

1. Go to your Facebook profile page, and select the “Friends” tab from the menu under your cover photo.
2. Click the three dots next to “Find Friends” on the right-hand side of the screen and choose “Edit Privacy.”
3. Select an audience next to “Friends list,” “Following” and “Followers.”
4. Hit “Save” once you’re done.

How to make your posts private

There you go! Your friend list is now confidential. But did you know you can also make Facebook posts private? This way, you can choose who sees your posts and who doesn’t. It also hides the posts people tag you in and the pages you follow.

1. Log in to your Facebook account, head to “Settings & privacy,” then “Settings.”
2. Select “Privacy” on the left, and go to the "Your Activity" section.
3. Click and edit "Who can see your future posts?" to change the settings for Facebook posts you share from now on.
4. Select "Who can see the people, Pages, and lists you follow?" to edit the Facebook users allowed to see your following list.
5. Clicking "Review all your posts and things you're tagged in” opens a new page called the “Activity log,” where you can change the settings for posts you’re tagged in.
6. Clicking “Limit the audience for posts you've shared with friends of friends or Public?" allows you to “Limit Past Posts,” which means you can change the audience for previous posts you’ve shared.
7. All done! Those are your four privacy options for Facebook posts. You can always go back and change your settings.

FAQs about other privacy settings on Facebook

Now you know how to make your profile, posts, and friends list private on Facebook. But we'll review a few more nuanced settings below to clarify your doubts.

How do I hide my likes on Facebook?

Visit your Facebook profile page, and select “More.” Tap “Likes” from the drop-down menu. Click the three-dot menu, and choose “Hide Section” or “Edit the Privacy of Your Likes.”

How do I hide my online status on Facebook?

Log in to your account, and go to Facebook Messenger, which you’ll find in the top-right corner of your screen. Select settings, and turn off your “Active Status.”

How do I see what other Facebook users see on my profile?

Head to your profile page, and click the three dots on the right. Select “View As” to see how your profile appears. Click “Exit View As” to return.

How do I send private messages on Facebook?

Open the Facebook app on your mobile, go to the profile you want to message, and click “Message.” Facebook’s Messenger app will open the user’s chat, and you can send them a private message. If using a desktop, click the speech bubble icon in the screen's upper-right corner and draft a new message.

How do I make comments private on Facebook?

Go to “Settings & privacy,” and click “Settings.” Then, select “Privacy,” and head to “Public posts.” Click “Public post comments” to edit your audience.

How do I make photos private on Facebook?

Visit your Facebook profile page, and click “Photos.” Then, select “Albums.” Click the three dots of the album you want to edit, and choose “Edit album.” An expanded album view will pop up. Click the button below “Edit album” in the top-left corner, and change the privacy settings. Finally, click “Save.”

How do I make Facebook private on my iPhone?

The same process applies to iOS and Android devices. Select the three lines in the top-right corner, scroll to the bottom, and tap “Settings & privacy.” Then, choose “Privacy shortcuts” and “Privacy.” Tap the three dots and “See more privacy settings.” You can edit privacy settings for your profile, posts and friends list from here.

Learn all about Facebook with Linktree

We hope this guide keeps your Facebook life safe, secure, and under your control! If you want to learn more about the world's biggest social media platform, head to The Linktree Blog.

It's a fantastic educational resource where you can learn how to schedule Facebook posts,use Facebook Ads, and share links with friends and family.

While you’re at it, don't forget to claim your free Linktree URL, which lets you connect your socials, including Instagram, Twitter, and TikTok – all in one place.