Whether Facebook friends can see the apps you’ve connected to your Facebook account is a common question many users have. The short answer is maybe. It depends on your privacy settings and the permissions you’ve granted each individual app.
What Apps Can See About You
When you connect an app to Facebook, you are generally prompted to authorize what information the app can access. This usually includes basic profile info like your name, profile photo, gender, networks, username, user ID, list of friends, etc. However, some apps may request extended permissions to access more of your data and activity on Facebook.
For example, a gaming app might ask to access your News Feed posts, groups you’re in, and more in order to work properly. A shopping app may request access to your likes, events, photos, videos, and more to personalize product recommendations. The exact permissions vary by app based on its features and purpose.
App Permissions
Here are some common permissions Facebook apps may request:
- Access your profile info and friend list
- Access your News Feed, timeline, photos, videos, events, groups, etc.
- Post content on your behalf
- Access your private messages
- Access your Facebook notifications
- Access your physical location
- Access other data like your interests, fitness info, etc.
However, just because an app has access to certain info or permissions does not necessarily mean your Facebook friends can see that app activity or connection.
What Facebook Friends Can See
Whether your Facebook friends can see apps you’ve connected depends on 3 factors:
- Your privacy settings
- The app’s privacy policy
- What actions you take using the app
Your Privacy Settings
Facebook has privacy settings that control what friends can see about you and your activity. This includes settings for:
- Who can see your friend list
- Who can see your posts
- Who can see the groups you’re in
- Who can see the Pages you follow
- Who can see when you’re active or online
- Who can see your location info
- Who can look you up using your phone number or email address
Adjusting these settings affects what friends can see regarding apps as well. For example, if you restrict your friend list visibility, then friends won’t see new friends you made through a dating app.
App Privacy Policies
Each app on Facebook must have a privacy policy explaining what data it collects, how it’s used, who can see it, etc. However, few users actually read these policies in detail.
Apps are supposed to respect your privacy settings by not sharing data you’ve restricted. But some apps do find ways to reveal info about you to friends against your wishes.
For example, an app might allow friends to search for you by name and find you even if you have search privacy restrictions. Or the app may share posts from your hidden friend list that expose connections you don’t want public.
Your App Actions
How you actually use an app makes the biggest difference in what friends can see. Apps only reveal information about you when you actively do something through the app that publishes info to Facebook.
For example, your friends can’t see which dating apps you’ve connected to Facebook. But if you send a Flirt message through the app that posts publicly, then friends may see that action.
Or if you achieve a high score in a game and share it to your Timeline, friends would then know you play that game. The more active you are within an app and the more public posts you make, the more friends can see.
Protecting Your Privacy
Here are some tips to keep your app activity more private from friends:
- Review app permissions carefully and only allow what’s needed for basic functioning.
- Restrict app permissions again later after installing if no longer needed.
- Turn off platform notifications from Settings so apps can’t post on your behalf.
- Adjust privacy settings to limit who can see your posts, friends list, and other info.
- Review your timeline and activity log to make sure no unwanted posts are being made.
- Delete apps you no longer use so they no longer have access.
- Beware of social games and apps making posts public by default.
Can You Hide App Connections Entirely?
There is no way to completely hide all apps you’ve connected to Facebook from all friends. If you authorize an app, it will have some basic access to your info and presence.
The Facebook App Center where you manage connections does not show a list visible to friends. But there are still ways friends may be able to see at least some of the apps you use depending on permissions and privacy settings.
You can uninstall apps entirely so they no longer have any access. Or you could create a secondary “private” Facebook profile without using your real name and only friend trusted connections on it to use certain apps anonymously.
But there is no setting for “invisible mode” where apps can access your real account but friends see no sign of them. Anything you do through an authorized app has the potential to be revealed to friends in some way if you aren’t careful.
Specialized App Privacy Settings
Facebook does have some specialized privacy settings that apply to apps:
App Log Use
Facebook logs all activity from third-party apps for security and auditing purposes. You can control who can see this log of app actions under Privacy Settings.
App Visibility
This controls which apps are visible on your profile under the “Likes and Interests” section. Uncheck apps here to remove them.
Instant Personalization
This controls whether apps you authorized can access your data to instantly customize their experience for you before you formally connect accounts.
Public Search
You can control whether apps can allow people to search for and friend you more easily through them. Disable this for more privacy.
Conclusion
In summary, Facebook friends may be able to see some connections and activity with apps you’ve authorized, but exactly how much they can see depends on your privacy settings, the app’s policies, and your personal actions within each app.
Adjust your settings carefully, review app permissions, restrict public posts about app activity, and uninstall unused apps regularly to keep your connections and data more private. Total app privacy on Facebook is difficult, but you can still take steps to minimize exposure.