Facebook allows you to customize your privacy settings so you can choose who sees what you post. If you want to remain friends with someone on Facebook but don’t want them to see certain posts, there are a few options you can use.
Adjust Privacy Settings for Individual Posts
Whenever you make a post on Facebook, you have the option to customize who can see it. At the bottom of the post box, click on the audience selector that says “Friends” by default. This will bring up a menu where you can choose specific friends, lists, or groups who can view that post.
To exclude certain friends from seeing the post, choose “Custom” and type in the names of the friends you want to block. This will override your default privacy settings for just this one post. Those friends will not be notified and will be unable to see the post in their feed or your timeline. You can also use the “Except” option to show the post to all your friends except those you list.
Pros:
- Lets you precisely control who sees each post
- Easy to use for one-off posts you want to limit
- Does not affect your overall friendship with the person
Cons:
- Time consuming if you want to hide a lot of posts
- Friends may notice they can’t see some of your posts
- Have to adjust settings each time you post
Create a Restricted List
Facebook allows you to put your friends into lists. You can then set privacy on posts so only people in specific lists can see them. This is a good option if you want to consistently hide posts from certain friends.
To get started, go to your Friends list and click “Create List.” Give the list a name like “Restricted” and add the friends you want to block to it. When making a post, choose “Custom” and select “All friends except Restricted” to hide it from just that list.
Pros:
- Lets you consistently hide posts from certain friends
- Easy to change later on
- Can update list membership easily
Cons:
- Still have to adjust settings manually for each post
- Need to keep list updated if you add new friends you want to restrict
Change Default Privacy Settings
The most sweeping option is to alter your overall default privacy settings for posts. You can make it so posts are visible to only certain friends or lists by default.
Go to your settings and select “Privacy.” Click “Edit” next to “Who can see your future posts?” Choose “Friends except” and add the restricted list you created. This will make all your posts invisible to friends on that list unless you manually change the audience.
Pros:
- Hides posts from selected friends automatically
- Very little effort needed after initial setup
- Reflects who you actually want seeing your posts
Cons:
- Affects visibility for all your posts
- Restricted friends may notice the change
- Harder to change settings later on
Unfollow the Person
A passive option is to simply unfollow friends so their posts no longer show up in your feed. This will not affect your friendship status. Click “Following” next to a friend’s name, choose “Unfollow [Name],” and confirm. You can still visit their profile to check on them.
Pros:
- Totally hides that friend’s posts
- Keeps your friendship intact on Facebook
- Easy to do
Cons:
- Does not prevent them from seeing your posts
- May make them less likely to interact with your profile
Defriend or Block the Person
Of course, the most definitive option is to simply defriend or block the person altogether. Click the friend’s name and select “Unfriend” to remove them from your friends list. To go further, visit their profile and click on the three dots in the top corner – select “Block” to prevent them from viewing your profile or contacting you.
Pros:
- Totally removes their access to your profile and posts
- Lets you permanently end the online friendship
Cons:
- May damage your real-life relationship
- Hard to reverse later on
- The person will be notified
Conclusion
Here is a summary of the pros and cons of each method:
| Method | Pros | Cons |
|---|---|---|
| Adjust Individual Post Settings | Precise control, doesn’t affect overall friendship | Time consuming, visible change |
| Use a Restricted Friends List | Easily hide posts consistently | Still have to adjust manually, need to update list |
| Change Default Privacy Settings | Hides posts automatically, reflects actual preferences | Affects all posts, harder to reverse |
| Unfollow the Person | Hides their posts, maintains friendship | Doesn’t prevent them seeing your posts |
| Defriend or Block the Person | Totally removes access, ends online friendship | Damages real-life friendship, very permanent |
In general, adjusting your privacy settings is better for limiting what specific people see vs. unfollowing or defriending them if you want to maintain the actual friendship. Building a restricted list can save time if you want to consistently hide posts from a particular group. Evaluate their visibility vs. your convenience to choose the best option.
Keeping an online friendship while restricting post visibility is about balance. Take steps to protect your privacy, but be cautious about isolating people. With Facebook’s tools, you can find the right compromises for your situation.
In summary, Facebook provides flexible privacy options to restrict what you share while maintaining social connections. Adjust post audiences, build lists, or tweak default settings. This lets you control visibility without damaging friendships. Choose an approach that suits your priorities and review it periodically to keep your preferences current.
With some trial and error, you can find the right mix of openness and privacy on Facebook. Set boundaries that feel comfortable to you. It is possible to stay friends while limiting oversharing. Use the right settings to reveal what you want while keeping the rest just between you and your closest confidants.
Facebook’s privacy controls empower you to curate what parts of your life different friends can see. You get to define your own appropriate levels of sharing. Don’t be afraid to experiment with posting to smaller audiences and lists rather than always defaulting to everyone. Tweak settings until your profile shows the sides of yourself you want to put forward.
Just remember that on social media, your decisions affect others. Be thoughtful in who you restrict and how. Communication is key if you start selectively hiding content from friends. Explain your reasons kindly and respectfully. With care, you can keep real friendships intact while customizing what you share in the digital space.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can restricted friends tell I’ve hidden posts from them?
In most cases, restricted friends will not receive any notification that you’ve hidden a post from them. The post simply won’t appear in their feed. However, if they visit your profile, they may notice some posts are not visible that their other friends can see. Using close friends lists rather than restricting individuals can help avoid this perception.
What if I restrict someone by accident?
You can easily undo any privacy changes. If you accidentally restrict someone from a post, you can edit the audience and add them back in. For default privacy setting changes, go back to the privacy page and switch your defaults back to how you had them before. You can also remove friends from restricted lists. No notification is sent when you undo a privacy setting.
Can I restrict posts by type?
Yes, Facebook allows you to customize privacy settings by post type. For example, you could set photos to be visible to everyone except a Restricted group, while limiting life update posts to only your Close Friends list. The audience selector in the post composer lets you change visibility before sharing each post.
What if I want friends to stop seeing my old posts?
When you update your default privacy settings, this only affects new posts going forward. To hide existing posts, you need to go back and edit the audience of each individually to exclude certain friends or lists. You can also delete old posts completely if you don’t want anyone to see them anymore.
Is it a bad idea to cut off a friend completely?
Blocking or defriending someone on Facebook can feel like a big step. If it’s someone you see often in real life, it may damage your actual friendship. Try less drastic steps first, like unfollowing or restricting some posts. But if limiting a toxic friend is best for you, don’t be afraid to take that step for your wellbeing.
Maintaining balance between openness and privacy on social media can be challenging. But Facebook provides the tools to share on your own terms. Follow your instincts, adjust as needed, and don’t be afraid to customize your experience to protect your comfort.
Key Takeaways
- Adjust individual post privacy settings to limit visibility for single posts
- Create friend lists to consistently hide posts from certain people
- Change default privacy settings to restrict visibility automatically
- Unfollow people if you just want to avoid seeing their posts
- Blocking or unfriending removes access but can damage real friendships
- Communication and transparency are important if restricting friends
- Review settings periodically to keep your preferences current
- Facebook privacy controls allow you to share on your own terms