How to Make Facebook Profile Private: Complete Privacy Guide
In today’s digital age, protecting your online privacy is more important than ever. If you’re wondering how to make Facebook profile private, you’ve come to the right place. This comprehensive guide will walk you through every step to lock down your Facebook account, control who sees your information, and maintain your privacy on the world’s largest social network. Whether you’re concerned about employers, strangers, or simply want more control over your digital footprint, these privacy settings will help you secure your profile.
Table of Contents
- Why You Should Make Your Facebook Profile Private
- Basic Privacy Settings to Adjust First
- How to Lock Your Facebook Profile
- Controlling Who Sees Your Posts
- Protecting Your Personal Information
- Managing Tagging and Timeline Review
- Limiting Your Search Visibility
- Third-Party App Privacy Settings
- Additional Privacy Protection Tips
Why You Should Make Your Facebook Profile Private
Before we dive into how to make Facebook profile private, let’s examine why this is so important:
- Identity protection: Prevents strangers from accessing your personal information
- Security: Reduces risks of identity theft and social engineering attacks
- Professional reputation: Controls what employers or colleagues can see
- Personal safety: Protects your location and daily activities
- Data control: Limits how Facebook and third parties use your information
Basic Privacy Settings to Adjust First
Start with these fundamental privacy settings to begin securing your Facebook account:
Accessing Privacy Settings
- Click the downward arrow in the top-right corner of Facebook
- Select “Settings & Privacy” then “Settings”
- Choose “Privacy” from the left menu
Key Settings to Change
- Who can see your future posts? Set to “Friends”
- Who can see your friends list? Set to “Only Me”
- Who can look you up using your email/phone? Set to “Friends”
- Do you want search engines to link to your profile? Turn this off
How to Lock Your Facebook Profile
Facebook’s Profile Lock feature provides an extra layer of privacy:
- Go to your profile page
- Click the three dots next to “Add to Story”
- Select “Lock Profile”
- Confirm your choice
When locked, non-friends will only see:
- Your profile picture and cover photo
- Your name
- No posts, friends list, or other personal information
Controlling Who Sees Your Posts
Default Post Privacy
Set your default audience for new posts:
- Go to Settings > Privacy
- Under “Your Activity,” find “Who can see your future posts?”
- Select “Friends” (or a more restrictive option)
Changing Visibility of Past Posts
To limit old posts:
- In Privacy Settings, find “Limit the audience for posts you’ve shared”
- Click “Limit Past Posts”
- Confirm the change
Protecting Your Personal Information
Review these critical information sections:
Profile Information Privacy
- Work and education: Set to “Friends” or custom
- Places you’ve lived: Consider limiting visibility
- Contact info: Set phone/email to “Only Me”
- Birthday: Hide year or set to “Friends”
About Section Settings
- Go to your profile and click “About”
- For each section, click the edit icon
- Adjust the audience selector for each piece of information
Managing Tagging and Timeline Review
Control what appears on your profile when others tag you:
Tagging Settings
- Go to Settings > Privacy > Timeline and Tagging
- Enable “Review posts you’re tagged in before they appear on your timeline”
- Set “Who can post on your timeline?” to “Friends”
Photo Tagging
- Enable “Review tags people add to your posts”
- Set “Who can see posts you’re tagged in?” to “Friends”
Limiting Your Search Visibility
Reduce how easily people can find you on Facebook:
- Go to Settings > Privacy
- Under “How people can find and contact you”:
- Set “Who can send you friend requests?” to “Friends of Friends”
- Adjust “Who can look you up using your email/phone?”
- Disable “Do you want search engines outside Facebook to link to your profile?”
Third-Party App Privacy Settings
Many apps request access to your Facebook data. To review:
- Go to Settings > Apps and Websites
- Remove any unused or suspicious apps
- For active apps, click each to adjust permissions
- Consider turning off “Apps, Websites and Games” completely
Additional Privacy Protection Tips
For maximum privacy