Having a limited profile list on sites like Facebook can be useful for maintaining privacy and controlling who sees certain content. However, sometimes you may want to edit this list to add or remove people. Here are a few tips for editing your limited profile list:
View Your Current Limited Profile List
The first step is to view who is currently on your limited profile list. On Facebook, you can do this by:
- Clicking on the down arrow at the top right of any Facebook page.
- Selecting “Settings” from the dropdown menu.
- Choosing “Privacy” from the left sidebar.
- Clicking “Edit” next to “Limit Past Posts.”
This will show you all the people currently limited from seeing your past posts. Other social media sites like Twitter and Instagram have similar options to view limited profile lists in settings.
Add Someone to Your Limited Profile List
Once you can view your list, adding someone is simple. On Facebook:
- Check the box next to the name of the person you want to add.
- Click “Confirm” to save your changes.
The next time they visit your profile, they will only see posts going forward. They won’t be able to see anything posted before you added them to the list.
Remove Someone From Your Limited Profile List
You can also take someone off your limited profile list to open up more of your timeline. Do this by:
- Unchecking the box next to their name.
- Clicking “Confirm.”
This will remove the limitation for this person so they can see all your past and current posts again.
Considerations When Editing Your List
Here are a few things to keep in mind when adding or removing people from your limited profile list:
- Changes take effect immediately – As soon as you confirm edits to your list, those changes apply right away.
- People will not be notified – Social platforms generally won’t tell someone if you add or remove them from your limited profile list.
- You may still appear in tagged posts – Even if someone can’t see your posts, they may still see posts they are tagged in with you.
- Lists are platform specific – You’ll need to edit each platform’s limited list separately. Changes on Facebook won’t impact Twitter, for example.
Managing Your Limited Profile Across Social Platforms
While limited profile lists are platform specific, here are some tips for managing them more holistically across sites:
- Use consistent settings – Try to keep your limited profile lists consistent across platforms if possible.
- Update regularly – Revisit your lists every few months to remove old connections or add new ones.
- Think about all content types – Consider limiting photo albums, posts, and other content as well as just your timeline posts.
- Make sure settings stick – Double check that your changes saved properly after editing a limited profile list.
- Audit visibility – Review what various connections can see across your profiles periodically.
Who Should Be On Your Limited Profile List
Determining who to add or remove from your limited profile list depends on your specific situation. Here are some common groups of people who users limit:
- Coworkers
- Bosses and supervisors
- Distant friends and acquaintances
- Extended family
- Online friends you don’t know in person
You may want to maintain a more curated persona with these connections. But you likely also have closer contacts you feel comfortable sharing more personal content with. Finding the right balance comes down to your preferences.
How Limited Profile Lists Enhance Privacy
Limited profile lists allow you to reveal different sides of yourself to different people. This enhances privacy and security in several key ways:
- Keeps personal content and opinions private
- Limits exposure of photos and videos
- Reduces chances of embarrassing situations
- Provides more control over your image
- Reduces risks associated with identity theft
- Decreases opportunities for harassment or stalking
Profiles with open access to all content can unfortunately invite abuse in some circumstances. Selective sharing to more trusted connections allows you to be your real self online.
Best Practices For Using Limited Profile Lists
Here are some best practices when using limited profile lists for privacy purposes:
- Double check settings on all social platforms
- Test visibility by logging out or using a secondary account
- Use friend/follow lists to tier access if available
- Separate professional and personal connections
- Limit access to old posts when adding new connections
- Never share passwords or leave devices logged in
- Use secure browser settings and a VPN when possible
Conclusion
Limited profile lists provide an excellent way to balance your online privacy and sharing preferences. Take advantage of these settings to show different sides of yourself to different groups of people. Audit and update your lists regularly. And use best practices like friend lists, logging out to test, and password protections.
With a customized approach and proper privacy settings, you can strategically reveal the parts of your life you want to share. Limited profile lists help make that segmentation and control possible across today’s social platforms. So you can connect online while still maintaining your privacy and peace of mind.