Basic Privacy Settings & Tools
Selecting an Audience for Stuff You Share
Over the next few months, we're updating how www.facebook.com looks. Learn more about how to switch between New and Classic Facebook. Click below to go to the directions for the version you're using.
You’ll find the audience selector most places you share content on Facebook, such as posts, photos and for some information on your profile.
To choose who you share content with:

New Facebook

  1. At the top of your News Feed or timeline, click What’s on your mind? From here, you can do things like post a status update, photo, video or check in to an event.
  2. Above your name, click the audience selector (example: Friends).
  3. Click the audience you’d like to see your content (example: Friends, Public or Only Me). Learn more about the audiences you can choose on Facebook.
Classic Facebook

  1. At the top of your News Feed or timeline, click What’s on your mind? From here, you can do things like post a status update, photo, video or check in to an event.
  2. To the right of News Feed, click the audience selector (example: Friends).
  3. Click the audience you’d like to see your content (example: Friends, Public or Only Me). Learn more about the audiences you can choose on Facebook.
The audience selector will also appear on things you've already shared, so you can see who you've shared each post with. After you've shared a post, you have the option to change who it's shared with.
When sharing on Facebook, keep in mind:
  • Some things you share on Facebook will always be public. For example, when you post or comment in a public group, your post or comment will be public and can be seen by anyone. Learn more about public information on Facebook.
  • When you select an audience for your post, the audience selector will use the same audience when you share a post again unless you change it. For example, if you choose Public for something you’re posting right now, your next post will also be Public.
  • When you change the audience on one device, the audience will update on all devices. For example, if you change the audience of your post on your computer, it will also change the audience of your post in your app.
  • When you post to another person's timeline, that person controls who can see the post.
  • When you post, people in the audience may be able to see it across the Facebook Products.
  • If you tag someone in a post, the tagged person’s friends may also see the post.
  • If you’ve chosen to lock your profile, your sharing choices are more restricted.
Other ways to manage who can see your content:
Learn more about who can see your posts in groups or on a Page, and how to choose who can see your story.
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Lists give you a way to share with a specific audience. You can use the audience selector to choose the list you want to share a post with.
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You can use the audience selector to change who can see things (example: posts and photos) you share on your timeline after you share it. Keep in mind, when you share something on someone else's timeline, they control the audience for the post.
To change the audience of things you've shared on your timeline:
  1. Go to your timeline by clicking your name or profile picture at the top left of Facebook.
  2. Scroll down to the post you want to edit.
  3. Click the audience selector next to the date or time on the post. The icon will be different depending on its current audience settings.
  4. Select a new audience from the options that appear (example: Public, Friends, Only Me).
Learn more about how to control what people can see on your profile and timeline.
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Here's an overview of who can see what's on your profile and tools you can use to control what you share on your profile and timeline.
Overview
  • To edit things like places you’ve lived or your family and relationships, click About below your cover photo, then hover over the info you’d like to change and click Edit. Use the audience selector next to this info to choose who you're sharing it with.
  • Anyone can see your public information, which includes your name, profile picture, cover photo, gender, username, user ID (account number), and networks (learn why).
  • Only you and your friends can post to your timeline. When you post something, you can control who sees it by using the audience selector. When other people post on your timeline, you can control who sees it by choosing the audience of the Who can see what others post on your timeline setting.
Tools
  • As you edit your info, you can control who sees what by using the audience selector.
  • Before photos, posts and app activities that you’re tagged in appear on your timeline, you can approve or dismiss them by turning on timeline review. Keep in mind, you can still be tagged, and the tagged content (example: photo, post) is shared with the audience the person who posted it selected other places on Facebook (ex: News Feed and search).
  • Set an audience for who can see posts you’ve been tagged in on your timeline.
  • To see what your profile looks like to other people, use the View As tool.
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Over the next few months, we're updating how www.facebook.com looks. Learn more about how to switch between New and Classic Facebook. Click below to go to the directions for the version you're using.
When you share something on your timeline, you can use the audience selector to choose who it's shared with. If you want to change who can see things you've already posted, you can:
  • Choose a new audience for one of your past posts.
  • Change who can see all of your past posts to Friends at one time with Limit Past Posts.
To choose a new audience for one of your past posts:
  1. Click your name or profile picture in the top left corner of Facebook.
  2. Scroll down to the post you want to edit.
  3. Click the audience selector next to the date or time on the post. The icon will be different depending on its current audience settings.
  4. Select who can see the post from the options that appear (example: Public, Friends, Only Me).
To change who can see all your past posts at one time:
If you'd like to limit who can see all of your past posts at one time, you can Limit Past Posts in your account settings. This will change all your past posts visible to more people than just your friends (example: posts shared with Public) to be visible to only your Friends.
New Facebook
  1. Click in the top right.
  2. Select Settings & Privacy > Settings.
  3. In the left column, click Privacy.
  4. Next to Limit the audience for posts you've shared with friends of friends or Public?, click Limit Past Posts.
  5. Click Limit Past Posts > Limit Past Posts to confirm.
Classic Facebook
  1. Click at the top right of any Facebook page and select Settings.
  2. In the left column, click Privacy.
  3. Next to Limit the audience for posts you've shared with friends of friends or Public?, click Limit Past Posts.
  4. Click Limit Past Posts > Limit Past Posts to confirm.
When you use Limit Past Posts to change the audience of all your past posts:
  • When you Limit Past Posts, you’ll change the audience of all your past posts to Friends. If you want to change the audience of your posts back to what they were, you'll need to change the audience of each individual post. Limiting the audience of your previous posts cannot be reversed in one click.
  • If you have shared a previous post with a custom audience, such as Friends except Acquaintances or Close Friends, Limit Past Posts won’t change the audience for those past posts.
  • If you tagged someone in the post, the audience of the post will still include the person you tagged and people they include in posts they're tagged in. Learn more about how to change the audience of a post to just your friends when you tag someone. You can also remove the tag.
  • Limit Past Posts only controls the audience for posts you've shared. If you've been tagged in someone else's post, they control the audience for their posts.
  • When you share something on someone else's timeline, that person controls the audience for the post.
Learn more about how to control what people can see on your profile and timeline.
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Manage Settings for How You Connect
Over the next few months, we're updating how www.facebook.com looks. Learn more about how to switch between New and Classic Facebook. Click below to go to the directions for the version you're using.
You can view and adjust your privacy settings at any time. To view and adjust your privacy settings:
New Facebook
  1. Click in the top right.
  2. Select Settings & Privacy > Settings.
  3. Click Privacy in the left column.
Classic Facebook
  1. Click in the top right of Facebook and select Settings.
  2. Click Privacy in the left column.
For other things you share on Facebook, you can select the audience before you share.
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Over the next few months, we're updating how www.facebook.com looks. Learn more about how to switch between New and Classic Facebook. Click below to go to the directions for the version you're using.
Your Privacy Shortcuts give you quick access to some of the most widely used privacy settings and tools.
To get to your Privacy Shortcuts:

New Facebook
  1. Click in the top right.
  2. Click Privacy Shortcuts to see shortcuts to your privacy settings.
Classic Facebook
  1. Click in the top right of Facebook.
  2. Click Privacy Shortcuts to see shortcuts to your privacy settings.
Some topics that privacy shortcuts helps you manage:
  • Privacy. Review things like your location settings.
  • Account Security. Update things like your password or alerts.
  • Ad Preferences. Review your ad settings and learn more about ads at Facebook.
  • Your Facebook Information. Review some of your information on Facebook using Access Your Information and your Activity Log.
  • Safety. Use the Safety Center to learn about safety at Facebook and find helpful information on topics like bullying.
  • Legal and Policies. Review our policies, including our Data Policy and our Community Standards.
Keep in mind, the shortcuts you find here may change over time to reflect the settings and tools that are most relevant.
Other ways to manage your privacy:
Learn more about how to control who can see what you share. From here, you can learn how to:
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Over the next few months, we're updating how www.facebook.com looks. Learn more about how to switch between New and Classic Facebook. Click below to go to the directions for the version you're using.
Privacy Checkup guides you through some of your privacy and security settings, so you can review your choices to help make sure that you’re sharing with who you want.
To go to Privacy Checkup:

New Facebook
  1. Click in the top right.
  2. Click Settings & Privacy > Privacy Checkup.
Classic Facebook
  1. Click at the top of any page on Facebook (example: your homepage).
  2. Select Privacy Checkup.
Things you can review in Privacy Checkup:
  • Who can see what you share. This section guides you through things like:
    • Choosing who can see certain information on your profile, like your phone number, email, birthday and relationship status.
    • Updating who can see your future and past posts.
    • Reviewing who you’ve blocked on Facebook. For example, you can add people to your blocked list. Learn more about what happens when you block someone on Facebook.
  • How to keep your account secure. This section will guide you through things like:
    • Updating your password. Learn more about creating a strong password.
    • Turning on alerts to help let you know if someone logs into your account from a place we don’t recognize.
  • How people can find you on Facebook. This section lets you choose who can:
    • Send you friend requests.
    • Look you up on Facebook by your phone number or email address.
  • Your data settings on Facebook. This section lets you review and remove recently used apps and websites from other companies that you’ve used Facebook to log into.
Note: Privacy Checkup isn't available everywhere right now. For example, Privacy Checkup may not be available on certain devices.
Other ways to manage your privacy:
Learn more about how to control who can see what you share. From here, you can learn how to:
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To change who can add you as a friend:
  1. Click from the top right of any Facebook page and click Settings.
  2. Click Privacy in the left column.
  3. Click Edit next to Who can send you friend requests?.
  4. From the dropdown menu, click Everyone or Friends of Friends.

To make it easier for your friends to find you on Facebook:
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Your current profile picture and cover photo are public, so they can be seen by anyone on or off Facebook. Learn more about adding or changing your profile picture or cover photo.
When you add or change your profile picture or cover photo, they can appear in a few different places on Facebook:
  • They'll be posted on your timeline and may show up in your friends' News Feeds.
  • Your profile picture will appear in your Profile Pictures album. Your cover photo will appear in your Cover Photos album.
  • A thumbnail version of your profile picture will appear next to your name in different places throughout Facebook. This helps friends identify your posts and comments on Facebook.
You can adjust the privacy settings for a photo you've used as a profile picture or cover photo in the past.
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Reviewing Stuff Others Tag You In
If you're having trouble finding the photo or post you'd like to hide, you can use your activity log to find it.
To remove a tag from a post:
  1. Go to the post.
  2. Click in the top right.
  3. Click Remove tag.

To remove a tag from a photo:
  1. Go to the photo.
  2. Hover over the photo and click Options in the bottom right.
  3. Select Remove tag.

To remove tags from multiple photos at once:
  1. From your News Feed, click your name in the top left to go to your profile.
  2. Click Activity Log in the bottom right of your cover photo.
  3. Click Photos and Videos in the left column.
  4. Click to check the box to the left of the photos you'd like to remove a tag from.
  5. Click Report/Remove Tag.
  6. Click to select your preferred option, then click Untag Photos to confirm.

When you remove a tag, keep in mind:
  • That tag will no longer appear on the post or photo, but that post or photo is still visible to the audience it's shared with.
  • People may be able to view the post or photo in places like News Feed or search results.
To remove the post or photo from Facebook, you can ask the person who posted it to take it down.
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Over the next few months, we're updating how www.facebook.com looks. Learn more about how to switch between New and Classic Facebook. Click below to go to the directions for the version you're using.
When a friend tags you in a post on Facebook, it automatically appears on your timeline. If you want to review all posts (including friends' posts) before they appear on your timeline, you need to turn on Timeline Review.
Keep in mind, if someone you're not friends with tags you in a post, you'll be prompted to review it to appear on your timeline, even if you don't have Timeline Review turned on.
To turn on Timeline Review or review your Timeline Review settings:

New Facebook
  1. Click in the top right.
  2. Select Settings & Privacy > Settings.
  3. In the left column, click Timeline and Tagging.
  4. Look for the setting Review posts you're tagged in before the post appears on your timeline? and click Edit to the far right.
  5. Select Enabled or Disabled.
Classic Facebook
  1. Click at the top right of Facebook and select Settings.
  2. In the left column, click Timeline and Tagging.
  3. Look for the setting Review posts you're tagged in before the post appears on your timeline? and click Edit to the far right.
  4. Select Enabled or Disabled.
Note: Timeline Review only controls what's allowed on your timeline. Posts you're tagged in may still appear in Search, News Feed and other places on Facebook.
Timeline Review for legacy contacts:
You can also choose to add a legacy contact to your account, who looks after your account if it's memorialized. Your legacy contact will be able to turn off Timeline Review so tagged posts can appear in the Tributes section. Learn more about what legacy contacts can do.
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Over the next few months, we're updating how www.facebook.com looks. Learn more about how to switch between New and Classic Facebook. Click below to go to the directions for the version you're using.
You can use tag review to approve or dismiss tags people add to your posts. When you turn on tag review, if someone tags something you posted, the tag won't appear until you've approved it.
To turn on tag review:

New Facebook
  1. Click in the top right.
  2. Select Settings & Privacy > Settings.
  3. In the left column, click Timeline and Tagging.
  4. Look for the setting Review tags people add to your own posts before the tags appear on Facebook? and click Edit to the far right.
  5. Select Enabled from the dropdown menu.
Classic Facebook
  1. Click at the top right of Facebook and select Settings.
  2. In the left column, click Timeline and Tagging.
  3. Look for the setting Review tags people add to your own posts before the tags appear on Facebook? and click Edit to the far right.
  4. Select Enabled from the dropdown menu.
When tag review is enabled, you’ll get a notification when you have a post to review. You can approve or ignore the tag request by going to the post.
Note: When you approve a tag, the person tagged and their friends may see your post. If you don't want your post to be visible to the friends of the person tagged, you can adjust this setting. Learn more about tagging and how it works.
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Over the next few months, we're updating how www.facebook.com looks. Learn more about how to switch between New and Classic Facebook. Click below to go to the directions for the version you're using.
To choose who can see posts you’ve been tagged in after they appear on your timeline:
New Facebook
  1. Click in the top right.
  2. Select Settings & Privacy > Settings.
  3. In the left column, click Timeline and Tagging.
  4. Look for the setting Who can see posts you're tagged in on your timeline? and click Edit to the far right.
  5. Select the audience of people (such as Friends) that you'd like to be able to see the posts you've been tagged in.
Classic Facebook
  1. Click at the top right of Facebook and select Settings.
  2. In the left column, click Timeline and Tagging.
  3. Look for the setting Who can see posts you're tagged in on your timeline? and click Edit to the far right.
  4. Select the audience of people (such as Friends) that you'd like to be able to see the posts you've been tagged in.
You can review photos and posts you're tagged in before they appear on your timeline by turning on timeline review.
Keep in mind, photos and posts you hide from your timeline are visible to the audience they're shared with other places on Facebook, such as in News Feed and Search.
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Over the next few months, we're updating how www.facebook.com looks. Learn more about how to switch between New and Classic Facebook. Click below to go to the directions for the version you're using.
When you turn your face recognition setting on, we’ll use face recognition technology to analyze photos and videos we think you’re in, such as your profile picture and photos you've already been tagged in, to create a template for you. We use your template to recognize you in other photos, videos and other places where the camera is used (like live video) on Facebook. Learn more about your template and how the face recognition setting works on Facebook.
Keep in mind, the face recognition setting is only available to people who are over 18. People under 18 won’t have the face recognition setting.
To turn this setting on or off for your account:

New Facebook
  1. Click in the top right.
  2. Select Settings & Privacy > Settings.
  3. In the left column, click Face Recognition.
  4. Go to Do you want Facebook to be able to recognize you in photos and videos? and click Edit.
  5. Select Yes or No to confirm your choice.
Classic Facebook
  1. Click at the top right of Facebook and select Settings.
  2. In the left column, click Face Recognition.
  3. Go to Do you want Facebook to be able to recognize you in photos and videos? and click Edit.
  4. Select Yes or No to confirm your choice.
When you turn this setting off:
  • Your Facebook experience won't include us recognizing you. Learn more about how the face recognition setting works.
  • We’ll delete your face recognition template.
  • We won’t use face recognition to suggest that people tag you in photos. This means that you’ll still be able to be tagged in photos, but we won’t suggest tags based on a face recognition template.
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