Updated on: September 2, 2024
Short on time? Here’s how to make your Facebook account private in 2024:
1. Go to Facebook’s Privacy Checkup tool. Click your profile picture → Settings & privacy → Settings. From there, click Privacy Center. Then, click Privacy Checkup. Use the tools here to adjust various privacy settings.
2. Choose who can see what you share. Decide who your birthday, friends list, posts, stories, and reels appear to, who can tag you in posts, who can see posts you’re tagged in, and who you want to block from seeing your profile.
3. Choose how you can be found on Facebook. Decide whether people should be able to find you using your phone number or email address. Then, choose who can send you friend requests. Finally, decide if your profile should appear in search engine results.
4. Check your login settings. Change your password if it’s not strong or unique and enable two-factor authentication (2FA) and login alerts.
5. Disconnect third-party apps & manage ad preferences. Use the Privacy Checkup tool to remove connections to any linked apps and to minimize the info that Facebook shares with advertisers.
Optional: 6. Use a good virtual private network (VPN). While not a Facebook setting, a top VPN (like ExpressVPN) can enhance your privacy across the web, especially when using public Wi-Fi or in regions with restricted access.
Making your Facebook account completely private is tricky, requiring lots of potentially confusing steps. But it’s very important to perform each one of these steps to make sure your profile is as private as possible. Don’t worry — I’m here to help!
I’ve created this guide to help you make your Facebook account completely private. By following these simple steps, you can stop getting friend requests from strangers, keep your photo albums and friends list private, control who sees your posts, reels, and more, and even outright block anyone you want. You can even use this guide to stop advertisers from using your personal information to target you with ads! I also recommend using a good VPN to further protect your privacy while you’re on Facebook.
Read on to learn how to make your Facebook account as private as possible right now. Editors' Note: ExpressVPN and this site are in the same ownership group.
A Brief Overview of Facebook’s Privacy Settings
It’s important to first understand the basics of Facebook’s privacy settings. Facebook offers several levels of privacy that allow you to control who can see your information and how people can find you — essentially, your “audience”. (If you already know all this, skip to Step 1.)
Here are the settings you’ll see most often:
- Public: Anyone on or off Facebook can see your posts and profile information.
- Friends: Only your Facebook friends can see your posts and information.
- Friends Except: Share with all friends except the specific ones you choose to exclude.
- Only Me: Your information is visible only to you.
- Custom: Choose specific people or lists to share your information with.
Knowing these options will help you make informed decisions as you adjust your settings in the guide.
That being said, changing your Facebook privacy settings will differ depending on what device you’re using. First, I’ll discuss changing your settings on a desktop or laptop computer, including Windows, Mac, or Linux. But if you want to make your Facebook profile private using your Android or iOS device, skip to these steps.
How to Make Your Facebook Account Private Using a Computer
There are 2 primary areas you’ll need to pay particular attention to (plus an extra one) to make your Facebook account as private as possible. The first area is called Who can see what you share?
Step 1. Go to Facebook’s Privacy Checkup Tool
- Log into Facebook in your computer browser as you normally would. Click on your profile picture in the top-right corner and select Settings & privacy → Privacy Center.
- Click Privacy Checkup under Privacy Center.
Step 2. Choose Who Can See What You Share
- In Privacy Checkup, click Who can see what you share.
- Read the information if you like, then click the blue Continue button.
- From here, you can choose who can see your birthdate, friends list, and the people, pages, and lists you follow. Then, click Next.
- Now, choose who can see your posts, stories, and reels. Additionally, you can change previous posts set to “Public” or “Friends of friends” to simply “Friends.” Remember, anyone tagged in these posts and their friends can still see them. Clicking Limit will change all such posts to “Friends” at once — and while this can’t be undone, you can manually adjust each post later if needed.
- In this next step, you’ll change various tagging options. First, choose who can see posts you’re tagged in on your profile, then choose who you want to add to the audience of the post if they can’t already see it. You can also review tags and posts you’re tagged in before they appear on your profile by toggling the respective switches.
- Lastly, you can block any Facebook user who you don’t want to have access to your profile. To do so, click Add to blocked list and begin typing their name.
Step 3. Choose How You Can Be Found on Facebook
The next piece of Facebook’s privacy puzzle involves managing how your profile can (or can’t!) be found.
- First, navigate through steps 1 and 2 from the previous section; then click How people can find you on Facebook instead of Who can see what you share.
- Click the blue Continue button.
- The first thing you can change is who can send you friend requests. You can either select Everyone or Friends of friends. You might already see Friends of friends. If that’s the case, you can keep it like that, as that’s the most private option.
- Choose who can find you using your phone number or email address. You’ll see a privacy option called “Possible Connections”, which includes people who have your contact information uploaded to Facebook and your friends of friends. You can also select “No one” to prevent your profile from being suggested based on your phone number or email address.
- Choose whether you want search engines to index (discover and serve) your profile in search engine results. I highly recommend keeping this button toggled off for maximum privacy.
Step 4. Make Sure Your Password Is Secure & Enable 2FA
Next up is login security — this involves making sure you’re using a strong password, turning on 2FA, and enabling login alerts. Compromising your Facebook account in any way can have serious consequences for your privacy.
Here’s how to secure your login information:
- Again, go through steps 1–2 here first, then click How to keep your account secure this time around.
- Click the blue Continue button.
- If you’re using the same password for your Facebook and other accounts, it’s time to change it. I suggest using a good password manager for creating and storing strong passwords. If you’re already using a complex and unique password, you can skip this step by clicking Next. Keep the screen open though, as you’ll need it for Step 10!
- To enable 2FA and request a login code sent to your phone via SMS, click Get Started.
- You’ll be prompted to visit Accounts Center to complete the action. Click Go to Accounts Center.
- First, click Password and security in the left sidebar, then click Two-factor authentication.
- Click your Facebook profile.
- Enter your password and click Submit. Alternatively, Facebook could send a verification code to the email address you provided when signing up.
- Choose your authentication method and click Next.
- Now, return to the screen where you see Get Started (Step 4) and click Next instead.
- Then, toggle the switch beside We’ll send you a Facebook notification to be notified if someone unauthorized signs into your profile from a place Facebook doesn’t recognize. Click Next, and you’re all done!
Step 5. Disconnect Third-Party Apps & Manage Ad Preferences
You might have used Facebook as a sign-in option for apps like Spotify, for example. I recommend removing all app connections and signing up again with a private email address for better security.
- Again, click on your profile picture and then Settings & privacy → Privacy Center → Privacy Checkup. Select Your data settings on Facebook.
- Click Continue.
- Click the Remove button beside any app you want to disconnect from Facebook. I recommend removing all connections, if possible.
- Check all the boxes, then click the blue Remove button again. Finally, click Next, and you’re all done!
- Next, it’s time to manage your ad preferences and make sure you’re giving Facebook and its advertising partners as little information about you as possible. Again, go to Facebook’s Privacy Checkup tool (Steps 1 and 2), then come back here and click Your ad preferences on Facebook. Then, click Continue.
- Carefully read through the documentation before clicking Next.
- Toggle off the 4 switches, then click Next. This will stop advertisers from seeing your relationship status, employer, job title, and educational background. Remember — you’ll still be shown ads, but the ads at least won’t be based on any of this information. (If you want to get rid of ads completely, I recommend installing a reliable ad blocker.)
- Change who can see your “social interactions” on Facebook. Social interactions include likes, follows, comments, shares, app usage, check-ins, recommendations, and events you’ve attended. Click Your Friends and change the setting to Only me if you want to keep these things private.
- Click Next, and you’re done!
Step 6. Use a Good Virtual Private Network (VPN)
The above steps cover everything you need to do to make your Facebook account private using a web browser. However, for added security, I strongly recommend using a VPN as well. A good VPN will encrypt your internet connection and protect your online activities from prying eyes.
VPNs are especially useful on public Wi-Fi networks, where your data is more vulnerable to hackers. Though there are many excellent VPN options, ExpressVPN is my favorite. It’s known for speed and reliability and for providing powerful privacy protection.
Editors' Note: ExpressVPN and this site are in the same ownership group.
How to Make Your Facebook Account Private Using a Mobile Device
You can adjust your privacy settings on your mobile device just like you can on your computer, whether you’re using Android, iPhone, or iPad. The steps are actually essentially identical, with one small difference.
- On Android, tap the 3 horizontal lines in the top-right corner of your main Facebook screen instead of your profile picture. If you’re an iOS user (iPhone or iPad), these lines will be displayed in the bottom right of your main Facebook screen. From here, you can select Settings & privacy, then Privacy Center.
- Now, you can follow the exact same steps as on a computer browser.
Why You Need to Regularly Update Your Privacy Settings
Keeping your Facebook privacy settings up-to-date is key to protecting your information. Facebook regularly rolls out new features, and your current settings might not automatically cover these changes, potentially leaving your data vulnerable. By regularly reviewing and adjusting your privacy settings, you can make sure your information stays safe from new privacy risks.
Many people set their privacy settings once and forget about them, but Facebook’s new features, like stories, reels, and app integrations, often have default settings that may share more than you’d like. Checking your settings regularly can help prevent your personal data from being shared with strangers or third-party apps.
I also recommend making use of tools such as Avast’s Privacy Advisor. The Privacy Advisor provides educational advice and simple step-by-step instructions to adjust and improve the privacy settings on dozens of popular platforms, including Facebook. It includes detailed guides that summarize what you can achieve on the relevant online account, and an estimate of how long it will take. These guides open the necessary settings in a new tab and provide on-screen instructions to help you complete the adjustments. By regularly using the Privacy Advisor, you can stay informed about new privacy settings and features introduced by platforms like Facebook, ensuring your privacy settings are always optimized to protect your personal information.
Other Important Privacy Tips for Facebook Users
There are other steps you can take to keep your account and personal information secure in addition to updating your Facebook privacy settings:
- Always log out of your Facebook account when using public computers. Make sure to never leave your computer unattended and unlocked in public places either. It only takes a few seconds for someone to access your account if it’s left open.
- Avoid using public Wi-Fi networks without protection. These networks are often unsecured and can expose your data to hackers. If you must use public Wi-Fi, consider using a VPN like ExpressVPN to encrypt your connection and protect your information.
- Use strong, unique passwords for each of your online accounts. Use a mix of letters, numbers, and special characters to create passwords that are difficult to guess. A good password manager like 1Password can help you generate and store these passwords securely, so you don’t have to remember them all.
Editors' Note: ExpressVPN and this site are in the same ownership group.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I make my Facebook fully private?
To make your Facebook account fully private, adjust your privacy settings to limit who can see your posts, personal information, and activity. Begin by accessing the Privacy Center via Settings & Privacy and use the Privacy Checkup tool to review your current settings. Restrict profile visibility, post audiences, and app permissions to “Friends” or “Only Me.”
Regularly updating these settings ensures new features don’t expose your data unintentionally. Additionally, consider limiting your friends list visibility and tagging options and be cautious about what you share. Using a VPN can further enhance your privacy by encrypting your online activity.
How do I hide my Facebook profile?
To hide your Facebook profile, adjust your privacy settings to control who can find and view your information. Under Settings & Privacy, navigate to the privacy section and restrict who can look you up using your email address or phone number to “Friends” or “No one.” Disable search engine indexing to prevent your profile from appearing in external search results.
You can also limit who can send you friend requests and view your friends list. Hiding your profile involves carefully managing these settings, ensuring that only trusted individuals can access your personal information and posts.
Who checks my Facebook profile?
If you don’t carefully manage your Facebook privacy settings, anyone with a Facebook account can view your profile. By default, parts of your profile — like your profile picture, cover photo, and some basic information — are publicly visible. Adjusting your privacy settings is crucial to control who can see your content.
To limit visibility, go to Settings & Privacy and update your privacy settings to restrict who can see your posts, photos, and personal information. You can choose to share information only with friends, specific people, or even just yourself, ensuring that your profile is only visible to those you trust.