With over 2 billion monthly active users, Facebook is one of the most popular social media platforms in the world. However, with so many people using Facebook, it’s important to be mindful of your privacy settings to control who can see your profile and posts. Making your Facebook profile private is especially important if you want to avoid being found by people you don’t know or limit the amount of personal information that’s publicly available.
Fortunately, Facebook offers robust privacy settings that allow you to customize exactly who can see your posts, friends list, photos, and other profile information. Adjusting these settings is easy to do right from the Facebook app on your iPhone. With a private profile, you can still connect with friends and family while keeping your information away from prying eyes.
Should I make my Facebook profile private?
Here are some key reasons why you may want to make your Facebook profile private:
- Avoid unwanted friend requests or contacts from strangers – A private profile means only your confirmed friends can see your timeline and send requests.
- Limit visibility of your posts – Friends only settings mean your posts will not show up in public search results or be visible to strangers.
- Protect personal information – Keeping details like your address, family members, and relationship status private prevents misuse by third parties.
- Maintain professionalism – Employers often search social media so a private profile keeps your personal life and opinions private.
- Avoid unwanted sales pitches – Marketers can target ads and promotions based on your public details and posts.
- Prevent identity theft – Strangers should not have open access to your birthday, hometown, current city, etc. to steal your identity.
Of course, you’ll also want to be selective in accepting friend requests and be careful about what you share publicly even with friends. But a private profile is a key first step in controlling your Facebook privacy.
Steps to Make Your Facebook Profile Private on iPhone
Making your Facebook account private is an easy process that can be completed in just a few steps:
- Open the Facebook app on your iPhone.
- Tap the three line menu icon in the bottom right corner.
- Scroll down and choose “Settings & Privacy”.
- Select “Settings”.
- Tap “Privacy”.
- Under the “Privacy settings” header, tap on “Profile”.
- For the option “Who can see your future posts?” select “Friends” or customize to your comfort level.
- For “Who can see your friends list?” choose “Friends”.
- For “Who can look you up using the email address you provided?” select “Friends”.
- Review and adjust any other profile privacy settings as desired.
- Hit “Back” to save your new privacy settings.
And that’s it! Your Facebook profile is now fully private and invisible to anyone not on your friends list. You can repeat this process at any time to modify who can see parts of your profile or future posts.
Step-by-Step Guide to Adjust Profile Privacy Settings
To ensure you have complete control over your profile privacy, it’s important to review each of Facebook’s customizable privacy settings. Here is an in-depth look at how to configure each profile privacy option on an iPhone:
Profile Picture Privacy
Your profile and cover photos help identify you on Facebook. To adjust who can see them:
- Go to “Settings & Privacy” > “Settings” > “Privacy”
- Tap “Profile”
- Tap “Who can see your profile picture?”
- Select an option like “Friends” or customize as desired.
Cover Photo Privacy
Use these steps to configure who can view your cover photo:
- Go to “Settings & Privacy” > “Settings” > “Privacy”
- Tap “Profile”
- Tap “Who can see your cover photo?”
- Choose “Friends” or your preferred audience.
Profile Information Privacy
Profile information includes your bio, work, education, relationship details, and more. Adjust its visibility by:
- Going to “Settings & Privacy” > “Settings” > “Privacy”
- Tapping “Profile”
- Choosing “Who can see your info?”
- Picking “Friends”, “Only Me”, or other options.
Friends List Privacy
Your list of Facebook friends helps identify who you know. Make it private via:
- Visiting “Settings & Privacy” > “Settings” > “Privacy”
- Tapping “Profile”
- Choosing “Who can see your friends list?”
- Selecting “Friends” or stricter visibility.
Future Posts Privacy
New posts will be private by:
- Going to “Settings & Privacy” > “Settings” > “Privacy”
- Tap “Profile”
- Choosing “Who can see your future posts?”
- Picking “Friends” or tighter audience.
Viewing Privacy
The “View As” tool shows what your profile looks like to others. Check it by:
- Going to “Settings & Privacy” > “Settings” > “Privacy”
- Tapping “Profile”
- Choosing “View As”
- Entering a different Facebook account to preview your profile as that user would see it.
Being Found By Phone Number
Opt out of being found by your phone number via:
- Visiting “Settings & Privacy” > “Settings” > “Privacy”
- Tapping “Profile”
- Choosing “Do you want search engines outside of Facebook to link to your profile?”
- Tapping “No”.
Being Found By Email Address
Prevent being looked up by email by:
- Going to “Settings & Privacy” > “Settings” > “Privacy”
- Tap “Profile”
- Choosing “Who can look you up using the email address you provided?”
- Selecting “Friends” or “No One”.
Other Ways to Increase Facebook Privacy
In addition to your main profile settings, here are some other privacy options to consider:
- Limit old posts visibility – Change past post privacy via the Activity Log.
- Restrict message filtering – Disable message filtering so only desired messages appear in your inbox.
- Review app permissions – Remove unnecessary app permissions that may expose private data.
- Limit ad targeting – Opt out of allowing your information to be used for ad targeting purposes.
- Enable login approvals – Require an additional code to login from unrecognized devices for security.
- Check tags – Review tags from friends before posts are visible to verify appropriate content.
- List yourself appropriately – Don’t add workplace or list yourself as single/in a relationship if privacy desired.
Evaluating these other options ensures you limit the amount of information available not just on your core profile, but across Facebook.
Does Deactivating Facebook Protect Your Privacy?
Deactivating your Facebook account removes your profile and info from the site while preserving data in case you want to reactivate. It can be done via:
- Going to Settings & Privacy > Settings
- Choosing “Your Facebook Information” in General Account Settings
- Clicking “Deactivation and Deletion”
- Selecting “Deactivate Account”
- Following the prompts to confirm deactivation
Deactivating prevents people from viewing your profile or searching for you on Facebook. However, it does not:
- Delete your data from Facebook servers
- Remove you from your friends’ friends lists or messages with you
- Prevent someone from reactivating your account
So deactivation offers limited privacy protection compared to vigilantly managing your privacy settings. But it can provide a temporary break from Facebook without losing your account.
Should I delete Facebook for complete privacy?
Permanently deleting your Facebook account removes all profile data from their servers, which cannot later be recovered. Account deletion can be done by:
- Going to Settings & Privacy > Settings
- Choosing “Your Facebook Information” in General Account Settings
- Clicking “Deactivation and Deletion”
- Selecting “Delete Account”
- Following the prompts to permanently delete everything
Deleting Facebook eliminates any risk of private data remaining accessible and ensures complete privacy. However, considerations include:
- You lose access to all Facebook content and services
- It can be difficult to reconnect with friends who only use Facebook to stay in touch
- Any apps or sites using your Facebook login will no longer work
- Facebook can take up to 90 days to fully delete all data from backups
For many, managing privacy settings gives adequate protection without losing Facebook entirely. But account deletion is an option if privacy concerns outweigh the convenience of using the platform.
Conclusion
Facebook offers robust privacy settings that allow you to control exactly who can view and access your personal information and posts. Taking the time to configure your profile, posts, and other options to be “Friends Only” or stricter ensures your account stays private without losing touch with your real friends and family. While Facebook will never be completely private, setting your account to private is an essential step in maintaining control over your social media privacy and security.