Facebook shows different parts of your profile to different people, and you control most of it
Facebook lets you set who sees each post, your profile information, and your friend list separately. You can make some things visible to everyone, some to friends only, and some to nobody but yourself. The settings are scattered across different pages, so checking them all takes about 10 minutes. Start by opening Facebook on a computer — the mobile app hides some privacy controls.
Your privacy choices matter because Facebook also shares data with advertisers, apps, and data brokers. Tightening who sees your posts does not stop Facebook from collecting information about you, but it does limit what strangers and old acquaintances can learn by visiting your profile directly.
Key Takeaways
- Check your post visibility by opening Settings and Privacy, then Privacy, and reviewing your default audience — this controls who sees new posts unless you change it for each one.
- Your profile information (birthday, phone number, email, work history) has separate privacy controls in the About section, and many of these default to visible to everyone.
- Your friend list is visible to everyone by default; you can hide it entirely or hide it from specific people in the Privacy section of Settings.
- Posts you made years ago keep their original privacy setting unless you change them, so old public posts remain public even if you later change your default.
- Blocking someone prevents them from seeing your profile, posts, and friend list, but unfriending them does not — they can still see anything you marked public.
Check who sees your new posts
When you write a new post, Facebook shows a small icon next to "Post" that indicates who will see it. That icon reflects your default audience setting. To see and change your default, go to Settings and Privacy, then Settings, then Privacy on the left menu. Look for "Who can see your posts?" — it usually defaults to "Friends" or "Public" depending on your account age.
Click that setting and choose from Public (everyone on and off Facebook), Friends (people you have friended), Friends except (friends minus specific people you exclude), Specific friends (only people you name), or Only me (nobody but you). This default applies only to new posts. Old posts keep whatever setting you gave them when you posted.
You can also change the audience for a single post after you write it. Click the audience icon on the post itself (it looks like a person, two people, or a globe) and pick a new audience. This overrides your default for that one post only.
Review what information appears on your profile
Your profile contains more than just posts — it shows your name, profile picture, cover photo, bio, birthday, phone number, email address, work history, education, relationship status, and hometown. Each of these has its own privacy setting. Go to your profile by clicking your name at the top of Facebook, then click the "About" tab below your cover photo.
Scroll through each section (Work and Education, Places, Contact Information, Basic Information, Family and Relationships). Next to each item, you will see a small icon showing who can see it — usually a globe (public), two people (friends), or a lock (only you). Click that icon to change it. Birthday and phone number often default to public or friends-only; if you do not want people to see them, change these to "Only me."
Pay special attention to your email address and phone number. If these are set to public or friends, anyone can use them to find you on other platforms or sell them to data brokers. Set both to "Only me" unless you have a specific reason to share them.
Hide or limit who sees your friend list
Your friend list is public by default, meaning anyone can see everyone you are friends with. Go to Settings and Privacy, then Settings, then Privacy on the left. Find "Who can see your friends list?" and click it. Choose from Public (everyone), Friends (your friends only), or Only me (nobody but you).
If you want to hide your friend list from most people but keep it visible to close friends, there is no middle ground in Facebook's settings — you have to pick one audience for everyone. Some people choose "Only me" and then tell close friends they can ask directly. Others set it to Friends so at least strangers cannot see their network.
You can also hide your friendship with a specific person without hiding your whole list. Go to that person's profile, click the three dots next to "Friends," and choose "Edit friendship visibility." This hides that one friendship from your timeline and their timeline, though it does not remove them from your friend list.
Check what third-party apps and websites can see
Apps you have logged into using your Facebook account can see some of your information. Go to Settings and Privacy, then Settings, then Apps and Websites on the left. Under "Active," you will see every app and website you have connected to Facebook. Click each one to see what information it can access — usually your name, email, friend list, and sometimes birthday or work history.
If you do not recognize an app or no longer use it, click it and select "Remove." This cuts off its access to your Facebook data. You can also click "Edit" on any app to see exactly what it can see and remove permissions for specific information (like your friend list or email).
This is separate from your post privacy settings. Even if your posts are set to friends-only, an app you have connected can still see your friend list and profile information if you gave it permission.
Understand the difference between unfriending and blocking
Unfriending someone removes them from your friend list, but they can still see anything you marked public. They can also see your profile picture, cover photo, and name. If you want to prevent someone from seeing your profile at all, you need to block them instead.
Blocking prevents someone from finding your profile, seeing your posts, viewing your friend list, or messaging you. They cannot see that you have blocked them, but if they try to visit your profile or search for you, they will not find you. You can unblock someone later if you change your mind.
To block someone, go to their profile, click the three dots in the top right, and select "Block." To see your block list, go to Settings and Privacy, then Settings, then Blocking on the left. You can unblock people from that same page.
Know what Facebook shares beyond your privacy settings
Your privacy settings control who sees your posts and profile, but they do not stop Facebook from collecting data about you. Facebook tracks your activity on and off the platform — what you click, what you search for, what you buy, what websites you visit — and uses that data to build a profile of your interests and sell ads based on it.
You cannot turn off this tracking entirely, but you can limit it. Go to Settings and Privacy, then Settings, then Apps and Websites, and remove any apps or websites you do not actively use. You can also go to Settings, then Ads, and see the categories Facebook has assigned to you based on your activity. You cannot delete these categories, but you can see what Facebook thinks it knows about you.
Facebook also shares data with data brokers — companies that buy and sell personal information. Tightening your Facebook privacy settings does not stop this. If you want to limit what data brokers can collect about you, you will need to take separate steps with those companies, which is why you arrived at this article from the data broker guide.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can people see my old posts if I change my privacy settings?
No. Old posts keep the privacy setting you gave them when you posted. If you posted something public five years ago and later change your default to friends-only, that old post stays public. You have to change each old post individually. Go to the post, click the three dots, select "Edit privacy," and choose a new audience.
Does hiding my friend list stop people from knowing we are friends?
Partially. If you hide your friend list, people cannot see it on your profile. But if they visit your friend's profile and your friend's friend list is public, they can still see you listed there. The only way to fully hide a friendship is to unfriend the person or block them.
What happens if I block someone and then unblock them?
When you unblock someone, they can see your profile and posts again, but Facebook does not automatically re-add them to your friend list. You will have to send them a friend request again if you want to be connected.
If my post is set to friends-only, can Facebook still show it to advertisers?
Facebook does not show the content of your posts to advertisers, but it uses information from your posts (what you like, what you comment on, what you search for) to figure out what ads to show you and other people. Your post privacy setting controls who sees the post itself, not whether Facebook analyzes it.
Why does Facebook keep resetting my privacy settings?
Facebook sometimes changes privacy defaults when it updates its platform, and some settings revert to default after major account changes. Check your settings every few months, especially after Facebook announces a new feature. You can also turn on login alerts in Settings and Security so you know when someone accesses your account.