Having strangers comment on your Facebook photos can be annoying and make you feel uncomfortable. Here are some tips to stop strangers from commenting on your Facebook photos:
Make Your Profile Private
The easiest way to stop strangers from commenting on your photos is to make your Facebook profile private. Here’s how:
- Click on the arrow in the top right corner and select “Settings”.
- Click on “Privacy” in the left sidebar.
- Under “Who can see my stuff?” select “Friends” for both “Who can see your future posts?” and “Who can see your friends list?”
- Under “Who can contact me?” select “Friends” for “Who can send you friend requests?”
- Under “How people can find and contact you” click “Edit” and select “Friends” for “Who can look you up using the email address you provided?”
This will make it so only your friends can see your profile, photos, and send you friend requests. Strangers will no longer be able to access your profile or see your photos.
Adjust Photo Privacy Settings
You can also adjust the privacy settings for individual photos:
- Click the three dots above a photo and select “Edit Privacy”.
- Under “Who can see this photo?” select “Friends” instead of “Public”.
- Click “Review All Settings” and make sure “Friends” is selected for both “Who can see your stuff?” and “Who can contact you?”
This will make that photo only visible to your friends. Strangers won’t be able to see or comment on it.
Restrict Comments
You can also restrict who is able to comment on your photos:
- From your profile, click on the three dots in the top right and select “Settings”.
- Click on “Privacy” in the left sidebar.
- Under “How people can find and contact you”, click “Edit” beside “Who can comment on your public posts?”.
- Select “Friends” instead of “Public”.
This will prevent anyone who is not your friend from commenting on your photos.
Block Users
If certain strangers repeatedly comment on your photos, you can block them:
- Click on the profile of the user you want to block.
- Click on the three dots at the top right and select “Block”.
- Select “Block User” to confirm.
This will prevent that user from viewing your profile, posts, or commenting on anything.
Report Inappropriate Comments
If strangers comment inappropriate or abusive things, report them to Facebook:
- Click the three dots above the comment and select “Report”.
- Select “It’s abusive or harmful”, then choose the reason why.
Facebook will review the comment and may remove it if it violates their community standards.
Hide Comments
You can also hide a comment so it’s not visible on your photo:
- Click the three dots above the comment and select “Hide Comment”.
- Confirm that you want to hide the comment.
This prevents the comment from being seen by you or anyone viewing your photo.
Turn Off Comment Notifications
Getting notifications every time someone comments can be disruptive. You can turn these off:
- Click the arrow in the top right and select “Settings”.
- Click on “Notifications” in the left sidebar.
- Turn off notifications for “Comments on your posts”.
This will prevent you from getting notified about new comments.
Delete Comments
If a stranger leaves an inappropriate comment, you can delete it:
- Click the three dots above the comment and select “Delete Comment”.
- Confirm that you want to delete it.
This will permanently remove the comment so no one can see it.
Turn Off Tagging
Strangers can also comment on your photos if someone else tags you. You can prevent tagging:
- Click the arrow in the top right and select “Settings”.
- Click on “Privacy” in the left sidebar.
- Under “How people can find and contact you”, click “Edit” beside “Who can see posts you’re tagged in on your timeline?”.
- Select “Only me”.
This will prevent anyone from tagging you in photos visible to their friends or the public.
Delete Tags of You
If someone does tag you in a photo visible to strangers, delete it:
- Go to the photo and click on your tagged name.
- Select “Remove Tag from Photo”.
This will untag you so the photo no longer links to your profile.
Conclusion
Having strangers comment on your Facebook photos can feel like an invasion of privacy. Fortunately, there are many ways to take control and limit who can see and comment on your photos.
Making your account private, restricting visibility and commenting, and blocking abusive users can help prevent unwanted interactions. Staying on top of your privacy settings and managing tags are key to keeping your profile secure.
With a few simple tweaks, you can keep your Facebook photo experience positive and tailored only to the connections you want to share with.
Additional Tips
- Avoid accepting friend requests from people you don’t know.
- Be cautious about joining public groups or events.
- Use nicknames and avoid revealing personal details.
- Never post photos that reveal your location.
- Monitor tags from friends and ask them to remove anything you’re uncomfortable with.
- Delete old posts and photos you no longer want public.
- Report harassment to Facebook so they can remove content and block abusive users.
Keeping your Facebook presence limited to your social circle will minimize unwanted interactions. Stay safe online by being selective about what you share and who you engage with.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why do strangers comment on my Facebook photos?
There are a few reasons strangers may come across and comment on your Facebook photos:
- Your privacy settings allow public visibility.
- A friend tags you in a public photo.
- Your photos appear in public groups or events you’ve joined.
- A stranger comes across your profile through mutual friends or networks.
- Some users spam comment on random profiles to promote products/services.
What should I do if a stranger comments something inappropriate?
If a stranger comments something offensive or harassing, take these steps:
- Delete the comment immediately so others can’t see it.
- Block the user so they can’t interact with you again.
- Report the comment to Facebook for harassment/abuse.
- Restrict commenting permissions to friends only.
Is it safe to post photos of my kids on Facebook?
It’s best to avoid posting identifiable photos of your children publicly on Facebook. To share safely:
- Use strict privacy settings where only family/friends can see.
- Avoid tagging your child’s name or location.
- Disable public commenting on the photo.
- Monitor who is allowed to share or tag the photo.
- Delete if uncomfortable with privacy/commenting.
What are the risks of strangers seeing my photos?
Potential risks of strangers accessing your Facebook photos include:
- Identify theft if photos reveal personal details.
- Harassment or stalking if strangers can contact you.
- Damaged reputation if inappropriate photos are shared.
- Risks to physical safety if location is revealed.
- Cyberbullying or trolling from abusive comments.
Keeping strict privacy settings and limiting tagging/sharing of your photos can help minimize these risks.
Should I delete Facebook to stop strangers commenting?
Deleting Facebook is an extreme measure to stop strangers from accessing your photos. There are many privacy controls you can use instead:
- Restrict all posts and photos to friends only.
- Limit past posts’ visibility.
- Disable public tagging abilities.
- Block/report abusive accounts.
- Turn off comment notifications.
As long as you carefully manage your privacy settings and online connections, you can safely use Facebook to stay in touch with your real-life friends and family.
Key Takeaways
- Make your Facebook profile private so only friends can see your info and photos.
- Customize privacy on individual photos by editing post visibility.
- Restrict commenting abilities to friends only.
- Block users who repeatedly make inappropriate comments.
- Report offensive comments and tags for removal.
- Disable notifications and delete unwanted comments.
- Turn off tagging abilities to prevent unwanted exposure.
- Monitor children’s photos carefully to protect their privacy.
- Deleting Facebook may be extreme if you properly manage privacy settings.
Sources
Facebook Help Center: https://www.facebook.com/help/
Facebook Privacy Settings and Tools: https://www.facebook.com/settings?tab=privacy
Facebook Security Tips: https://www.facebook.com/safety/tools
Forbes – How to Make Your Facebook Profile Really Private: https://www.forbes.com/sites/curtissilver/2018/03/05/how-to-make-your-facebook-profile-really-private/?sh=2cc52d5c1ba5
PCMag – How to Make Your Facebook Profile as Private as Possible: https://www.pcmag.com/how-to/how-to-make-your-facebook-profile-as-private-as-possible
MakeUseOf – Who Can See My Stuff on Facebook: https://www.makeuseof.com/tag/facebook-privacy-see-my-stuff/