How do I turn on tagging on Facebook Timeline?

Facebook’s Timeline allows you to share and highlight the events and moments that matter most to you. When Timeline first launched in 2011, it introduced the ability to “tag” friends, family, and Pages in your posts so that the post would also appear on their Timeline and in news feeds. Tagging people and Pages can help you control who sees a post and makes sure important people don’t miss the post. However, tagging on Facebook Timeline is disabled by default so you have to manually turn it on first before you can start tagging people and Pages.

Why Would You Want to Turn on Tagging?

Here are some of the main reasons you may want to turn on tagging on your Facebook Timeline:

To make sure important posts are seen by specific people – Tagging someone will make that post show up on their Timeline so they don’t miss it.

To give credit – If you post a photo or video featuring friends, tagging them gives them credit.
To control privacy – You can limit viewing of a post to only those people you tag.
To link to Pages – Tagging a business Page helps link and promote that Page.

To increase engagement – Tagged posts tend to get more likes, comments, and shares.

So if you want to make sure a special post gets seen by your close family and friends, give credit to someone who appears in your post, or promote a business you like, turning on tagging is essential.

How to Turn On Tagging

Turning on tagging is simple and only takes a few steps:

Go to your Timeline page and click on the gear icon at the top right to access Settings & Privacy.
From here go to Settings.
On the left sidebar, click Timeline and Tagging.

Under the “Who can add things to my Timeline?” section, click Edit.
Change the setting from Disabled to Enabled.
Hit Save Changes.

Once you enable tagging, a new option called “Review posts friends tag you in before they appear on your timeline?” will appear on this page. Leaving it on the default setting of Enabled is recommended so you can approve tags before they show up on your Timeline.

You can also restrict tagging to friends only if you don’t want the public tagging you. Just toggle the “Who can see posts you’ve been tagged in on your timeline?” setting to Friends.

How to Tag Someone in a Post

Tagging people and Pages when creating a new post is easy:

When writing your post, type the @ symbol.
Start typing the name of the person or Page you want to tag.
Select the matching name that pops up.

You can tag multiple people in one post. Just repeat the steps to add more tags.
When done, post as normal.

The post will then also appear on the Timeline of everyone you tagged. They will get a notification that they were tagged, allowing them to see, like, comment and share the post too.

Managing Tags

Here are some tips for managing tagging:

Check notifications regularly to see when you’ve been tagged.
Visit your Activity Log to remove tags or untag yourself from posts.

Control who can see posts you’re tagged in via the Timeline and Tagging settings.
Ask friends to tag you less if you find yourself getting tagged too frequently.
Disable tagging capabilities for specific friends if their tagging becomes excessive.

Following these tips will allow you to take advantage of tags for improving engagement while also preventing unwanted tagging.

Pros and Cons of Tagging

Turning on tagging has some advantages but there are also a few downsides to consider:

Pros:

Increased visibility of your posts.

Ability to control privacy and reach of posts.
Easier to give proper credit to those featured.
Promotes engagement through likes, comments and shares.

Allows coordination of posts among friend groups.

Cons:

Can clutter up your Timeline if you get tagged frequently.
Some friends may over-tag you.

Tags can occasionally be misused or abused.
Requires more monitoring and management.
Being tagged reveals your connection to that person/Page.

Weighing the pros and cons will help determine if turning on tagging makes sense for your particular Facebook use. Adjusting privacy settings can help minimize the downsides.

Why Doesn’t Facebook Have Tagging Enabled by Default?

When Facebook first introduced tagging with Timeline, it was opt-in only and disabled by default for a few reasons:

To give users choice and control over tagging.

To prevent unwanted tagging without consent.
To ease users into the new functionality slowly.
To allow an adjustment period to establish tagging etiquette.

To monitor potential abuse or privacy issues before enabling globally.

Overall, the goal was to roll out tagging in a controlled manner and allow users to opt-in when they were ready. This careful approach prevented an uncontrolled flood of tagging and allowed users time to properly manage visibility and privacy around tagging.

Can You Prevent Being Tagged Completely?

If you want to prevent being tagged in posts altogether, there are couple options:

Untagging – You can untag yourself from any posts you’ve been tagged in. Just select “Remove Tag” on a tagged post from your Activity Log or Timeline.
Blocking – By blocking a friend, they can no longer tag you in any posts. You can block friends from their profile or from a tagging notification.
Restricted List – Friends added to your Restricted list also cannot tag you.

Disable Tagging – Turn off tagging controls completely via your Timeline and Tagging settings.

Using these options in combination can effectively prevent all unwanted tagging. But be aware you may also miss out on desired tagging from friends if you restrict too much.

Should You Turn On Tagging?

Here are some final recommendations on deciding whether to enable tagging or not:

Turn it on if you want to improve visibility of special posts.
Enable tagging to tag close connections for life events and news.
Only tag people and brands that are directly relevant.

Customize privacy settings around tags appropriately.
Frequently review tags to ensure proper tagging etiquette.
Disable tagging if it becomes excessive or annoying over time.

Used properly, tagging can be a great way to boost engagement and reach for your posts. But it does require extra management and discretion to prevent misuse. Weigh the pros and cons carefully to decide if tagging is right for your Facebook use case.

Conclusion

Tagging on Facebook Timeline allows greater visibility and engagement for your posts when used properly. To enable tagging, simply update your Timeline & Tagging settings to switch the capability on. Be sure to also adjust associated privacy controls around tags and review any tags made to your Timeline. Tag thoughtfully, monitor regularly, and don’t be afraid to untag or restrict access as needed. With the right balance, tagging can provide a beneficial enhancement to your overall Facebook experience.