How to Make Facebook Private
Facebook has no single private switch. These are the settings that decide what strangers can see, in the order that makes the biggest difference.
By Siddharth ShankarUpdated October 18, 2026Start with Facebook’s Privacy Checkup. Set future posts to Friends, use Limit Past Posts for old public posts, hide your friends list, and stop people finding you by your email or phone number. Remember that your name, profile picture and cover photo are usually public. Then view your profile as a stranger to check the result.
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Unlike some apps, Facebook does not have one setting that makes your whole account private. Privacy is spread across several places, and some things, such as your name and profile picture, stay public whatever you do. Here is what to change and why.
Facebook moves its menus around from time to time. The setting names below are the ones Facebook uses in its own privacy settings help. If a menu looks different, search for the setting name in your Facebook settings.
The settings that matter most
1Run Privacy Checkup
Facebook’s Privacy Checkup walks you through who can see your posts and profile details, how people can find you and your account security. It is the fastest way to cover the basics.
2Set future posts to Friends
Choose Friends as the default audience for new posts instead of Public.
3Limit your past posts
Use Limit Past Posts to change everything you once shared publicly or with friends of friends to Friends only, in one step.
4Hide your friends list
Your friends list can reveal family, workplace and location. Set who can see it to Only me or Friends. See Facebook’s friends list help.
5Stop lookups by email and phone
Under how people can find and contact you, limit who can look you up with your email address or phone number. This stops strangers matching your account to details from a data breach.
6Turn off search engine links
Choose whether search engines outside Facebook can link to your profile.
7Review your profile details
Hide or remove your birthday year, hometown, workplace, school and relationship details if you do not need strangers to see them.
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What stays public anyway
Even with tight settings, your name, profile picture and cover photo are generally visible. Choose a profile picture you are comfortable with anyone seeing, and avoid photos that show your house, car registration or children’s school uniform.
Some countries also offer profile locking, which limits what non-friends see in one step. Facebook explains it on its lock your profile page. If you do not see the option, it is not available where you are.
Why this matters for your digital footprint
Public Facebook details are some of the easiest for others to collect. Friends lists, tagged photos and birthdays can be used to answer security questions, guess passwords or make scam messages more convincing. See what strangers can find about you online and whether someone can find your accounts from your email.
Clean up what is already out there
1Review photos you are tagged in
Remove tags from photos you do not want linked to your profile, and turn on tag review so new tags need your approval.
2Check your About section
Look at every field, from phone number to family members, and set each one to Only me if it does not need to be shared.
3Review apps and websites
Remove third-party apps and games that you no longer use. They may have had access to your profile data.
4Download your information
Facebook lets you download a copy of your data. It is a good way to see what you have shared over the years.
Who can send you friend requests and messages
You can also limit who can send you friend requests, for example to friends of friends, and filter message requests from people you do not know. This cuts down on fake accounts and scam messages, which often start with a friend request from a stranger or a copy of someone you know.
Do the same on your other accounts
Instagram is separate, even though Meta owns both. See how to make Instagram private. For work profiles, read LinkedIn privacy settings.
Sources
- Facebook Help Center: View and adjust your privacy settings (where privacy settings live)
- Facebook Help Center: Privacy Checkup (guided privacy review)
- Facebook Help Center: Who can see your Friends section (friends list audience)
- Facebook Help Center: Lock your Facebook profile (profile locking, availability varies)
Frequently asked questions
Can I make my whole Facebook account private?
Not with one switch. You need to change post audience, friends list visibility and lookup settings separately. Profile locking does this in one step where it is available.
Can strangers see my profile picture?
Usually yes. Facebook treats your name, profile picture and cover photo as public.
Does Limit Past Posts change everything?
It changes posts you shared publicly or with friends of friends to Friends. Posts you were tagged in on other people’s timelines keep their own audience.
How do I stop people finding me by phone number?
In the settings for how people find and contact you, limit who can look you up with your phone number and email address.
Is my Facebook profile on Google?
It can be. Turn off the option that lets search engines outside Facebook link to your profile.
See if your email has already leaked
- Checks your email against known data breaches
- Shows which sites leaked it, when, and what leaked
- We do not store the email you check
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