Are you trying to change the privacy settings for your Facebook account and posts? You can easily do so from the Facebook website or mobile app. There are a variety of options for limiting who can see your posts and who can message you through Facebook Messenger. This guide shows you how to make your Facebook posts, profile, or account private using your iPhone, Android, or computer.
How to make your Facebook profile and posts private
Follow these mobile and desktop methods to adjust your privacy settings and limit visibility of your content and profile.
Method 1: Make your posts private (mobile)
- Tap the Menu icon in the Facebook app, located in the bottom-right corner on iPhone or top-right on Android.
- Scroll down and tapSettings & privacy.
- TapSettings.
- Scroll to the Audience and visibility section.
- TapPosts and adjust these options:
- For future posts, select Friends, Specific friends, Friends except, or Only me.
- Limit past posts to Friends only.
Method 2: Make your profile private (mobile)
- Tap the Menu icon.
- Scroll down and tapSettings & privacy.
- TapSettings.
- Scroll down and tapProfile details.
- Tap the pencil icon or Edit next to a section, then select Friends, Only me, or a custom friend list.
- TapProfile and tagging:
- Set who can post on your profile to Only me.
- TapWho can see what others post on your profile? and choose Friends, Specific friends, Friends except, or Only me.
- In the Tagging section, set options to Friends or Only me.
- Under Review, turn on both options to approve posts and tags.
- TapHow people find and contact you:
- Set friend requests to Friends of friends.
- For email and phone lookup, choose Friends, Friends of friends, or Only me.
- Set friends list visibility to Friends or Only me.
- SelectNo for search engine indexing.
Method 3: Make your posts private (desktop)
- Click your profile picture in the top-right corner.
- ClickSettings & privacy.
- ClickSettings.
- ClickPrivacy (lock icon) in the left panel.
- In the Your activity section:
- ClickEdit next to Who can see your future posts? and select Friends, Specific friends, Friends except, or Only me.
- ClickLimit past posts.
- ClickEdit next to Who can see the people, Pages, and lists you follow? and select Only me.
Method 4: Make your profile private (desktop)
- Click your profile picture in the top-right corner.
- ClickSettings & privacy.
- ClickSettings.
- ClickPrivacy (lock icon).
- In the How people find and contact you section:
- Adjust Who can send you friend requests?, friends list visibility, email/phone lookup to Only me or Friends.
- SelectNo for search engines linking to your profile.
- ClickProfile and tagging in the left panel.
- Adjust posting permissions:
- Set who can post on your profile to Only me.
- Set Who can see what others post on your profile? to Friends, Specific friends, Friends except, or Only me.
- In Tagging, set to Friends or Only me.
- Turn on both Review switches.
- Go to your profile by clicking your profile icon.
- ClickEdit profile.
- Scroll down and clickEdit your about info.
- Click the pencil icon next to each item and set to Only me or Friends.
Making your Facebook profile and posts private protects your personal information from strangers, reduces unwanted interactions, and prevents content from appearing in public searches. This is especially important in an era of data breaches and online harassment, where public profiles can expose you to risks like identity theft or stalking.
By limiting visibility to friends or even just yourself, you maintain control over your digital footprint and enjoy a safer social media experience. These changes also help curate a more intimate online presence, focusing interactions with trusted connections only.
