Quick Answer
Unfortunately, there is no built-in way to see a full history of all the profiles you have viewed on Facebook. Facebook does not keep a log or list of every profile you have clicked on. However, there are a few limited ways to see some profile viewing history:
- In your News Feed, you may see stories indicating “You and [friend’s name] recently viewed [mutual friend’s name]’s profile.” This will show some profiles you have recently viewed.
- On individual friends’ profiles, you can see if you have viewed their profile recently. It will say “Seen by [your name] and [other viewers]” if you have viewed it in the past 14 days.
- On your own profile, you can see a list of “Recent Visitors.” This shows friends who have viewed your profile recently.
So in summary, while Facebook does track some profile viewing activity, they do not provide users with a complete history log of all profile views. The profile view history shown to users is very limited.
Explanation
Facebook’s profile viewing history and privacy settings have gone through many iterations over the years. Earlier versions of Facebook did maintain logs of profile views that were visible to users. However, widespread privacy concerns led Facebook to limit the ability to see profile view histories.
Here is a more detailed overview of how Facebook has handled profile viewing tracking and privacy over time:
Early Facebook Profile View Tracking (2005-2008)
In Facebook’s early days, it had very limited privacy controls. From 2005-2008, Facebook showed users a complete history of all the profiles they had viewed. Users could view this through the “Recent Visitors” section of their own profile. People raised privacy concerns about this behavior.
View Tracking Limited (2008-2013)
In 2008, Facebook made a change to limit profile view tracking. Users could now only see views of their own profile for the past 14 days. They could no longer access a complete history of their profile views of others.
Recent Visitor Removal (2013)
In 2013, Facebook entirely removed the “Recent Visitors” section from user profiles. This eliminated the ability for users to see who had viewed their own profile most recently.
News Feed Profile View Indicators (2013-Present)
Also in 2013, Facebook began showing users indications in their News Feed when a friend had viewed another friend’s profile. For example, you would see “You and John Smith recently viewed Jane Doe’s profile.” This allows you to see some information about profiles you have viewed recently.
Individual Profile View Indicators (2014-Present)
In 2014, Facebook rolled out indicators on individual profiles showing if you had viewed that particular profile recently. On a friend’s profile, you may see “Seen by You and 5 Others.” This lets you know you have viewed that profile within the last 14 days.
No Full History Available
Currently, while Facebook does track some profile viewing activity, they do not provide users access to a full log or history of all the profiles they have viewed. The visibility into profile views is very limited.
Some key reasons Facebook limits profile view history visibility:
- Privacy – Users expressed concerns about Facebook tracking all profile viewing activity.
- Data limits – Storing full logs of every user’s profile views requires massive data storage.
- Usefulness – Most users do not need to see their full profile view history. Limited visibility satisfies most use cases.
So in summary, for privacy and data limits, Facebook does not maintain a full catalog of every profile a user has visited. Users have limited visibility into their recent profile viewing activity.
Can Profile Views Be Deleted or Cleared?
Given the limited profile view history available to users, there is no setting to clear or delete this data. Facebook automatically expires the “Recently viewed” indicators after 14 days.
The only profile viewing data shown to users is from the past 14 days. There is no longer term profile viewing history to delete.
Some users have asked if it is possible to clear their profile view history entirely. However, since users cannot access a full profile view log, there is nothing to clear.
Facebook’s Help Center also confirms there is no way to delete your profile browsing history:
Is it possible to clear your browsing history on Facebook?
No, we don’t provide an option that allows you to see or clear the profiles you’ve visited.
So in summary:
- Facebook has no settings allowing users to view or delete a full profile browsing history.
- Profile views expire automatically after 14 days.
- Users can’t request deletion since Facebook doesn’t store a complete log.
How Are Anonymous Profile Views Handled?
If you view Facebook profiles while logged out or in incognito mode, will Facebook still track those views?
The short answer is no. Facebook does not track or record profile views by non-logged in users.
Here are some key points about how Facebook handles anonymous viewers:
- Being logged out or in private browsing mode makes your views anonymous.
- Facebook cannot associate anonymous profile views with any particular user account.
- Views by non-logged in users are not recorded in any profile view history.
- Facebook only shows profile views for currently logged in accounts.
So you can browse profiles privately by using private browsing mode or logging out of Facebook. These anonymous views will not show up in your profile view history when you log back in.
What Friends Can See from Anonymous Views
When you view profiles anonymously, your friends will not see any indication you viewed them:
- Your name will not show up as viewing their profile.
- They won’t see “You recently viewed” indicators.
- You will not be listed under their “People who viewed your profile” section.
In summary, anonymous profile views cannot be tracked back to your account in any way. They do not show up in friend’s profiles as you having viewed them.
Limits of Viewing Private Profiles
What happens when you try to view a Facebook profile that is private or friends-only?
If you are not friends with a user, or don’t share any friend connections, you will not be able to see their private profile. Some key points:
- Attempting to view a private profile shows a blank page.
- Facebook does not record views of private profiles you don’t have access to.
- You cannot tell if a profile is private until you click on it.
- No indication is shown that you tried to view a private profile.
In summary, Facebook’s privacy controls prevent you from viewing private profiles of strangers. No profile view history is recorded in cases where you don’t have access.
Shared Friend Connections
In some cases, you may see limited profile information for friends of friends:
- If you share overlapping friend networks, some info may be visible.
- You still cannot see full private profiles unless directly connected.
- Facebook’s algorithms decide how much to show friends of friends.
So in limited cases, you may get a glimpse of private profiles of friends of friends. But full private profile access is restricted to direct connections.
Facebook’s Profile View Tracking Controversy
Facebook’s methods for tracking profile views have caused controversy over the years. Here is an overview of some of the issues raised:
Criticism of Past Full History Tracking
When Facebook recorded full profile view histories (2005-2008 era), many raised privacy concerns:
- Users felt uncomfortable Facebook tracked all profile browsing.
- People did not like how much data Facebook collected about them.
- There were fears Facebook data could be hacked or misused.
This backlash led Facebook to scale back the profile view history provided to users.
Questions on Current 14-Day Tracking
Facebook’s current 14-day profile view indicators also receive some criticism:
- Some feel any profile tracking goes too far in invading privacy.
- Tracking friends who look at your profile can feel uncomfortable.
- There are concerns the data could be used for advertising profile targeting.
However, Facebook defends keeping limited indicators as useful for awareness while protecting privacy.
Distrust of Facebook’s True Tracking
Some suspect Facebook may track more profile views than it lets on:
- Lack of transparency around internal data practices.
- Belief Facebook might analyze anonymized profile view patterns.
- Concerns data is used for ad targeting or even sold to third parties.
However, Facebook claims it does not record or track anonymous profile views.
In summary, profiling viewing on Facebook has been controversial. But pressure has led to greater privacy controls than in its earlier history.
Tips for Managing Your Profile Viewing Privacy
Here are some tips to manage what profile viewing data Facebook can access about you:
Limit Profile Views When Logged In
Any profile viewing done while logged into Facebook may be tracked:
- Consider logging out before browsing extensively.
- Use incognito or private browsing windows to stay anonymous.
Logging out prevents profile views from being linked to your account.
Be Mindful Sharing Computers
Profile views on shared devices may be linked to you:
- Log out of Facebook on any shared computers.
- Clear cookies, cache and browsing history on shared machines.
Other users can inadvertently expose your profile browsing.
Adjust Profile Viewing Audience
You can limit who can see your own profile’s visitor list:
- Adjust this in your profile’s Activity Log settings.
- Set it to “Only Me” for maximum privacy.
This prevents friends from seeing when you’ve viewed their profile.
Review Your Ad Settings
Facebook uses profile views for ad interest targeting:
- Limit ad interest categories in your Ad Preferences.
- Turn off ads based on data from partners.
Controlling these settings can limit profiling for ad targeting.
In summary, by following these tips you can minimize privacy exposure from Facebook’s profile view tracking. However, given Facebook’s data practices, it’s impossible to control completely.
Conclusion
While Facebook does not provide a complete profile viewing history, it still tracks some recent profile viewing activity. This data is visible to users in a limited 14-day window for awareness and social purposes. However, privacy concerns have prevented Facebook from retaining or showing users’ full profile browsing logs. If you wish to view profiles anonymously, logging out or using private browsing modes can prevent tracking. Overall, Facebook has tried balancing utility and privacy when it comes to recording profile views.