Facebook’s timeline allows users to share life events and memories in chronological order on their profile. The timeline settings allow you to control the look, privacy, and visibility of your timeline. Here are some quick answers about how to edit your Facebook timeline settings:
Who can post on my timeline?
To control who can post on your timeline:
- Click on the down arrow at the top right of Facebook and select “Settings” from the dropdown menu.
- On the left sidebar, click “Timeline and Tagging”.
- Under the “Timeline” section, you will see the “Who can post on your timeline?” setting. Click “Edit” to change this.
- You can choose from Public, Friends, or Only Me. Public means anyone can post. Friends limits posts to people you are connected with. Only Me prevents anyone else from posting.
How do I review timeline posts before they appear?
To review posts before they go on your timeline:
- Go to “Timeline and Tagging” settings.
- Under “Timeline Review”, click on “Edit” next to “Review posts friends tag you in before they appear on your timeline?”
- Check the box next to “Review tags people add to your own posts before the tags appear on Facebook?”
- Click “Save Changes”.
Once enabled, you will get a notification when someone tags you. You can choose to approve the tag before it goes on your timeline or reject it so it is not shown.
Can I hide my timeline from someone?
To hide your timeline from a specific person:
- Go to your timeline privacy settings under “Timeline and Tagging”.
- Click “Customize” next to “Limit the audience for posts you’ve shared with friends of friends or Public?”
- Type in the name of the person you want to hide your timeline from in the “Hide your timeline from” box.
- Click “Save Changes”.
This will block that person from seeing anything you post on your timeline moving forward.
How do I link my Instagram photos to Facebook?
To automatically show Instagram photos on your Facebook timeline:
- Go to your Facebook Settings.
- Click “Apps and Websites” in the left sidebar.
- Under “Apps, websites and plugins”, click “Instagram”.
- Toggle “Instagram Photos” to the ON position.
This will enable any new photos you post to Instagram to also show up on your Facebook timeline. You can toggle this off at any time to disconnect the accounts.
Can I show only certain photo albums on my timeline?
To specify which photo albums appear on your timeline:
- Go to your Facebook Photos.
- Click the album you want to show on your timeline.
- Click the 3 dots at the top right corner of the album.
- Select “Show on Profile”.
Repeat this step for any other albums you want to highlight. Other albums will still be accessible from your Photos page but will not be shown on your main timeline.
How do I edit the date and location on a timeline post?
To edit the date or location on an existing timeline post:
- Click on the post you want to edit from your timeline.
- Hover over the date or location information and click the pencil icon to edit.
- Make your changes to the date or location.
- Click “Save” to update the information.
Can I change the privacy of a past timeline post?
Yes, you can change the privacy setting on an old post to control who can now see it:
- Click on the post to open it.
- Click the 3 dots at the top right corner.
- Select “Edit audience”.
- Choose from Public, Friends, or Only Me.
- Click “Confirm” to apply the new audience.
How do I delete a post from my timeline?
To permanently delete a post from your timeline:
- Click on the post to open it.
- Click the 3 dots at the top right corner.
- Select “Move to Trash” to delete the post.
The post will immediately be removed from your timeline. Trashed posts can be recovered for up to 30 days before they are permanently deleted.
Can I disable sharing my posts to other apps?
To stop your timeline posts from being shared to connected third-party apps:
- Go to Settings.
- Click “Apps and Websites” in the left sidebar.
- Locate the app you want to disable sharing for and click “Edit”.
- Toggle “Timeline Posts” to the OFF position.
Disabling access will prevent that app from automatically publishing your posts without your permission.
How can I see who views my timeline the most?
Unfortunately there is no way to see who views your Facebook timeline most frequently. Facebook does not provide data on profile views to users. Your timeline privacy settings control who can see your posts, but you cannot monitor who visits your profile or how often.
Can I export my Facebook timeline data?
Yes, you can download an archive of your Facebook timeline information:
- Go to Settings > Your Facebook Information.
- Click “View” next to “Download your information”.
- Select date range and media types to include.
- Click “Create File”.
Facebook will assemble your archive and email you a link to download it when ready. The archive contains your timeline posts, photos, videos, and activity.
How do I backup my Facebook timeline?
There are a few ways to backup your Facebook timeline:
- Download your Facebook data archive periodically to save copies of your timeline.
- Use a third party backup tool or Facebook app that exports your timeline posts and info.
- Manually save copies of important posts, photos, or videos from your timeline to your computer or other devices.
- Screenshot timeline memories or life events you want to save as a backup.
Backing up your timeline allows you to preserve important memories and data for the future. Be sure to download or save backups regularly in case anything happens to your account.
Can someone else manage my Facebook timeline?
You can grant access for someone else to help manage your Facebook timeline:
- Go to Settings > Account Ownership and Control.
- Click “Choose a legacy contact” to select a trusted friend or family member.
- Enter the person’s name and they will receive a request to become your legacy contact.
Once confirmed, your legacy contact can manage your memorialized account, respond to friend requests, and update your timeline profile if anything happens to you.
How do I memorialize or delete someone’s timeline after death?
If a friend or family member passes away, you can have their timeline memorialized or deleted:
- Memorialize: Go to their profile, click the three dots at top right and select “Memorialization Request”. Facebook will memorialize the timeline with a notice to confirm the death.
- Delete: Go through Facebook’s account deletion process for a deceased person. You’ll need to provide verification information.
Memorializing keeps the timeline active but prevents anyone else from logging in. Deleting the account completely removes the timeline and all its content.
Can I recover my old Facebook timeline if I deleted my account?
If you permanently deleted your Facebook account, it is very difficult to recover your old timeline data:
- Facebook erases all content from closed accounts after 30-90 days.
- You cannot simply reactivate a deleted account. You would have to open a new one.
- There is no guarantee your new account will have the same URL or profile data.
If you only deactivated your account, you may be able to reactive it and recover your timeline within 30 days through your account settings. But permanently deleted timelines are gone for good unfortunately.
How far back does my Facebook timeline go?
Your Facebook timeline can include all your posts and life events dating back to when you first joined Facebook. The timeline feature launched in 2011, but Facebook backfilled it with your historic data and activities.
Here are some key timeline history points:
- Launched in September 2011, replacing the previous profile layout.
- Added ability to curate and feature specific timeline posts in March 2013.
- Overhauled again in April 2014 to be more visual and include larger photos.
- New timeline review and tagging features added in May 2018.
- Algorithmically sorted to highlight your most meaningful memories and connections.
So unless you’ve actively deleted old content, your current timeline should include your full Facebook history. But the look and functionality has evolved over the years.
Can I reorder my timeline to be chronological?
Unfortunately there is no setting to switch your Facebook timeline to chronological order. By default, Facebook’s algorithms decide the top stories to highlight on your timeline based on engagement and relevance.
A few things you can try:
- Scroll down further to see older posts in chronological order.
- Filter your timeline by date ranges to view specific time periods.
- Use the Activity Log tool to browse your full history chronologically.
But your main timeline view will be sorted algorithmically rather than purely chronologically. Many users wish Facebook would add a simple chronological feed option.
Should I delete embarrassing old posts from my timeline?
We’ve all posted things on social media that we later regret and might now be embarrassing. Here are a few considerations on whether to delete old, cringeworthy timeline posts:
- Pros: Removes content that no longer reflects who you are or that could now have negative consequences.
- Cons: Deleting could make it look like you’re hiding something. Content may already have been seen.
Some best practices:
- Review your timeline to assess any problematic content.
- Delete anything offensive, hurtful or incriminating.
- Consider turning context embarrassing posts to “Only Me” instead of deleting.
- Don’t try to scrub your whole timeline – some history shows how you’ve grown.
Use your best judgement based on the content and who your connections are. Keeping some embarrassing moments can humanize you, but removing truly troublesome posts has obvious benefits.
Conclusion
Your Facebook timeline tells your life story and shapes how you are perceived online. Managing its privacy, content and appearance are important. Carefully consider who sees your timeline, what memories you highlight, and how you maintain your digital image over time. Use Facebook’s timeline settings to control your profile, but also think holistically about your social media footprint.