Facebook’s privacy settings allow you to control who can see your friends list and who can send friend requests. By default, anyone on Facebook can see your friends list and send you friend requests. However, you can change these settings to restrict your friends list visibility and friend requests to only you.
Quick Answer
To set your friends to only be visible to you on Facebook:
- Click the dropdown arrow in the top right and select “Settings”.
- Click “Privacy” in the left menu.
- Click “Friends” under “Your activity”.
- Under “Who can see your friends list”, select “Only Me”.
- Under “Who can send you friend requests”, select “Friends of Friends” or “Only Me”.
- Click “Confirm” to save the changes.
Steps to Set Friends to Only Me
Here is a more detailed explanation of how to set your friends to be visible only to you on Facebook:
1. Access your Facebook Settings
First, you need to access your account settings. To do this:
- Click on the dropdown arrow in the top right corner of any Facebook page.
- Select “Settings” from the dropdown menu.
This will open up your Facebook Settings page where you can edit your privacy options.
2. Go to the Privacy Settings
From the Settings page, you need to access the Privacy section:
- Click on “Privacy” in the left menu.
This will display all the different privacy options you can configure.
3. Click on Friends
Under the “Your activity” header, click on “Friends”.
This will open the settings related to your Facebook friends list.
4. Set Friends List to Only Me
Under the “Who can see your friends list” section, use the dropdown menu to select “Only Me”.
This means your friends list will now only be visible to you.
5. Limit Friend Requests
Under “Who can send you friend requests”, select either “Friends of Friends” or “Only Me” to limit who can send requests.
- Friends of Friends – This means only friends of your friends can send you requests.
- Only Me – This restricts incoming requests to only you. No one else will be able to send you a friend request.
Select whichever option you prefer based on your comfort level.
6. Save the Changes
Once you’ve adjusted the settings as desired, click “Confirm” at the bottom to save your changes.
Your friends list visibility and friend request settings will now be updated to only you. You’ve successfully hidden your friends list on Facebook!
Private Friends List Benefits
Here are some of the benefits of making your Facebook friends list private and visible only to you:
- Prevents spam friend requests from strangers
- Stops businesses/brands from scraping your friends
- Avoids unwanted incoming requests from vague acquaintances
- Keeps details about your connections private
- Allows you to fully control who can interact with your friends
By restricting your friends list, you get to choose who does and doesn’t have access to your social connections on Facebook.
Other Facebook Privacy Tips
In addition to your friends list privacy, here are some other Facebook settings to consider for increased privacy:
Use Friend Lists
You can organize friends into Lists like “Close Friends”, “Work Friends”, etc. You can then share certain posts with only specific lists.
Review Post Audience
Whenever you make a post, take a moment to double check that you’ve selected the appropriate audience. Don’t share publicly by accident.
Limit Old Posts Visibility
Go through your old posts and limit visibility of anything you don’t want public anymore. You can also delete old content.
Disable Location Services
Turn off location services for your Facebook app so your location isn’t tracked. You can do this in your phone settings.
Use Secure Browsers
Use private/incognito browsing when possible and install browser extensions that block online trackers. This prevents your activity from being monitored.
Facebook Friends List FAQs
Here are answers to some frequently asked questions about Facebook friends lists:
Can I hide my friends list completely?
Yes, by setting the friends visibility to “Only Me”, your list will be completely hidden from anyone else on Facebook.
What’s the difference between friends visibility and friend requests?
Friends visibility controls who can see your list of connections. Friend requests control who can send you new friend requests. Adjust both for maximum privacy.
Will my friends be notified if I hide my list?
No, there are no notifications sent out when you update your friends list privacy settings. The changes happen quietly in the background.
Can I block some friends from seeing my friends list?
Unfortunately, the friends list visibility settings are all-or-nothing. You can’t hide your list from specific friends, only friends of friends, or everyone.
Can I still friend people with my list hidden?
Yes, you can still send outgoing friend requests to people even with your friends list hidden. You just won’t receive incoming requests.
Will my new friends see the full list when I add them?
No, newly added friends will only see your friends from the point they were granted access onward. They won’t see the full history.
Conclusion
Keeping your Facebook friends list private and visible only to you is a great way to protect your privacy. Limit incoming friend requests, hide your connections, and control who can interact with your friends list. Just go to your Facebook Settings, select Privacy, click on Friends, and restrict the visibility to be only you. Securing your friends list is an important social media safety step.