Facebook allows users to control the privacy settings on their profile so they can choose who can see their posts, photos and personal information. By default, Facebook profiles are public, meaning anyone can view your profile even if they are not your friend on Facebook. However, with the right privacy settings, you can make your Facebook profile viewable only to your approved friends list. Here’s what you need to know about making your Facebook profile visible only to friends.
Why Make Your Profile Viewable Only to Friends?
There are a few key reasons why you may want to make your Facebook profile viewable only to friends:
- Privacy – By limiting profile visibility to friends only, you have greater control over who can access your personal information, photos, posts and more. This prevents strangers from snooping on your profile.
- Security – Opening up your profile to public viewing makes you more vulnerable to being targeted by scammers, hackers and online predators. Friends-only settings help protect your account.
- Reduced unwanted contact – A public profile means anyone can try to friend request or message you on Facebook, including people you may not know or wish to interact with.
- Focus on connections – With a friends-only profile, you can focus your Facebook experience on interacting with people you know versus responding to incoming requests from strangers.
For many people, the privacy, security and ability to control unwanted contact are the main motivations for limiting profile visibility to friends only. It allows you to use Facebook on your own terms.
How to Make Your Facebook Profile Viewable Only to Friends
Making your Facebook profile viewable only to friends is done through your profile privacy settings. Here are the steps:
- Go to your profile page and click on the three dots in the upper right corner. Select “View As.”
- This will bring up a preview of how your profile appears to the public or non-friends. Click “Edit Public Details.”
- Under the section “Who can see your future posts?” click on the dropdown menu and select “Friends.”
- For “Who can send you friend requests?” select “Friends of Friends.”
- Under “Who can see your friends list?” select “Friends.”
- For “Who can look you up using the email address you provided?” select “Friends.”
- Click “Review All Settings” at the bottom and go through each section to make sure any other settings that control profile visibility are set to “Friends” only.
- Be sure to also check your photo privacy settings. Click the three dots above your cover photo and make sure it’s not set to “Public.”
- Once you are done updating all settings, click “Back to Profile” and then click “View As” again. You should now see a message that your profile is only visible to friends.
Double check that any section with privacy settings has been set to “Friends Only.” This ensures all current and future posts, photos and profile information are limited.
Things to Know About Friends-Only Profiles
Here are some additional things to keep in mind with a friends-only Facebook profile:
- Your profile and cover photos will still be visible to the public – To fully limit visibility, you’ll need to upload those photos with friends-only settings.
- Friends of friends can still send you friend requests – You can limit this further by changing the friend request setting to “Friends Only.”
- Your name, profile photo thumbnail and gender are public – There is no way to limit the visibility of this basic info.
- Search engines can still index some limited profile info – Certain basic bio info may still appear in search results.
- You can create an exceptions list – This allows you to make your profile visible to specific people who are not already friends.
- Some apps and games may no longer work properly – Apps that require public access to function may be limited.
While friends-only does limit visibility substantially, it’s not an absolute guarantee of total privacy. Be aware of the public aspects that remain visible and the potential limitations it places on some app integrations.
How to Allow Specific Non-Friends to View Your Profile
If you want your profile visible only to friends but also want to allow a few specific people to view it, Facebook does give you that option. Here’s how to create an exceptions list:
- Go to your profile and click the three dots in the top right corner.
- Select “View As” to access the audience selector toolbar.
- Click “Create New List” to make a new exceptions list.
- Give the list a name like “Close Friends” and add the profiles you want to give access to.
- Click “Back to Post Audience Selector.”
- Click the lock icon next to your list and select “Allow.”
Now anyone you’ve added to that exceptions list will be able to see your friends-only profile. You can edit the list anytime to add or remove people. This is handy for allowing a potential date, recruiter or distant friend to still view your profile while limiting visibility from the general public.
How to Temporarily Switch Back to Public Profile
If you need to temporarily make your profile public again, such as for a job hunt or when adding new friends, you can quickly switch back and forth:
- Go to your profile, click the three dots and select “View As.”
- Click “Edit Public Details” to access your privacy settings.
- Under “Who can see your future posts?” click the dropdown and choose “Public.”
- Adjust any other settings you want to make public again.
- When done, return to “View As” and confirm your profile is visible publicly.
- To return to friends-only, go back to “Edit Public Details” and reset the audiences to “Friends” only.
It only takes a minute to switch views, so don’t hesitate to change it back and forth as needed. Just remember to double check it’s set to friends-only when you want your privacy back.
Conclusion
Limiting your Facebook profile visibility specifically to friends and vetted connections is a smart way to maintain privacy and control in your use of social media. While a public profile gives you maximum exposure, it comes at the cost of unwanted attention and contact.
The friends-only settings give you the best of both worlds – staying connected with your network while avoiding the downsides of being viewable by everyone. Just be aware of the few public aspects that remain visible and adjust your photo privacy accordingly. With the right settings in place you can comfortably enjoy Facebook knowing only your friends are viewing your profile.