Facebook allows users to customize their profile URLs to make them more personal and memorable. However, some users may wish to hide or remove their custom username URL for privacy or security reasons. Fortunately, Facebook provides a few different options for obscuring or removing your custom profile URL.
Why Would You Want to Hide Your Facebook Username URL?
There are a few main reasons why someone might want to hide or remove their username URL on Facebook:
- Privacy – To prevent strangers from easily finding your profile. A custom URL makes it easy to guess your profile link.
- Security – To make it harder for hackers or spam accounts to target your profile using your custom URL.
- Job hunting – Some employers may look up job candidates on Facebook, so a hidden URL adds some privacy.
- Ex partners – Hiding a Facebook URL can prevent a former friend or partner from stalking your profile.
- Stop name clashes – Avoid URL conflicts with other people who share your name and want the same username.
How to Hide Your Username URL on Facebook
If you want to hide your Facebook username URL, you have three options:
1. Remove Your Custom Username
The simplest option is to remove your custom username URL entirely. When you first signed up for Facebook, your profile URL was probably something like facebook.com/profile.php?id=1234567890.
To revert back to a profile ID URL like this:
- Go to your Facebook profile page.
- Click the “About” tab under your profile picture.
- Under your basic info, click the edit pencil icon next to your username.
- Erase your custom username and leave it blank.
- Click Save Changes.
Your profile URL will change back to the default ID format. This prevents anyone from guessing or searching your profile URL. However, it’s a fairly long and unattractive link to share with others.
2. Switch to a Private Link
You can also convert your custom username URL into a private link. It will still use your custom name, but it can only be accessed by people you share it with.
To make your profile URL private:
- Go to your profile and click the “About” tab.
- Click the edit pencil icon next to your username.
- Check the box next to “Make this URL private”.
- Click Save Changes.
Your custom URL will now work like a secret passphrase. Only people you directly share it with will be able to access your profile using that URL. This prevents strangers from searching and finding your profile while still letting you use a custom URL.
3. Deactivate Your Facebook Account
The nuclear option is deactivating your Facebook account, which removes your profile completely along with the URL. You can reactivate it later to restore your profile.
To deactivate Facebook:
- Click the down arrow in the top right of Facebook.
- Select Settings & Privacy > Settings.
- Click Your Facebook Information in the left column.
- Click Deactivation and Deletion.
- Choose Deactivate Account, then Continue to Account Deactivation.
- Enter your password and click Continue.
- Click Deactivate.
Your account will disappear for 14 days before permanent deletion. You can cancel deactivation and reactivate your account whenever you want in that time period to restore everything.
Reactivating Your Account
If you change your mind after deactivating Facebook, just log in with your email and password. Your account will automatically reactivate with all of your previous data and profile URL intact.
Other Options for URL Privacy
A few other options related to hiding your Facebook profile URL include:
Use a Partial URL
You can shorten your profile URL to just the first part of your username. So if your URL is facebook.com/john.smith, you can give out facebook.com/john instead.
Create a Page Instead
Convert your personal profile into a Facebook Page for your business or brand. Pages have more customizable public URLs like facebook.com/yourbusinessname.
Adjust Privacy Settings
Tighten up your general Facebook privacy settings, like controlling who can search for your profile or see your friends list. This provides a layered approach to hiding your profile.
The Pros and Cons of Hiding Your URL
Before taking steps to conceal your Facebook username URL, consider the potential advantages and disadvantages:
Pros
- Increased privacy and security for your profile
- Avoid unintended consequences like job screening
- Prevents strangers from easily finding you
- Stops abusive exes or other unwelcome people from stalking you
Cons
- Harder to find and share your profile link with friends
- May slightly damage your discoverability for things like Facebook dating
- Less able to promote your personal brand if you’re a public figure
- Extra hassle if you frequently share profile links
Overall, the privacy and safety benefits tend to outweigh the minor inconveniences.
Conclusion
Hiding your Facebook profile URL is easy to do for any account. Simply remove your username, make it private, or deactivate your account. Just be aware this also limits discoverability, so only do it if you have a specific reason to increase privacy.
With a few clicks in your profile settings, you can hide your custom username URL and revert back to a numbered Facebook profile ID. Consider whether the extra privacy is worth the tradeoff in convenience and personal branding.