Facebook’s friends list allows users to customize the privacy settings for individual friends. One of the options is “Only Me,” which limits visibility of your posts to only you. Being categorized under “Only Me” means that a Facebook friend has set their privacy so you can’t see any of their posts.
What Does It Mean to Be in the “Only Me” Category on Someone’s Friends List?
If you are in the “Only Me” category on someone’s Facebook friends list, it means they have adjusted their privacy settings so that you can’t see any of their posts. When someone sets a friend to “Only Me,” that friend is essentially blocked from viewing their profile and timeline entirely.
Here are some key things to know about what being in the “Only Me” category means:
- You won’t see any of their posts, photos, videos, or other content they post on their timeline.
- You won’t see any posts they are tagged in by other friends.
- You won’t see their comments on other friends’ posts.
- You won’t see any of their activity in groups you are both members of.
- They may still see some of your content, depending on your own privacy settings.
Essentially, it creates a one-way block where they have put up a wall to prevent you from viewing their profile or any of their activity on Facebook. However, it does not block you completely in return or prevent you from still accessing each other’s profiles.
Why Would Someone Use “Only Me” Privacy Settings for a Friend?
There are a few reasons why someone may adjust their privacy to put a friend into the “Only Me” category:
- They want to prevent someone from seeing any of their Facebook activity for privacy reasons.
- They are concerned about an ex-friend/partner viewing their profile.
- They had an argument or falling out with the friend and want to limit contact.
- They don’t know the person well and want to limit what they see.
- They want to curate a different image depending on the audience.
- They post confidential work information and don’t want it visible to all friends.
- They want to reduce chances an acquaintance would share/tag embarrassing photos.
- They just want to restrict access to their content for no specific reason.
Overall, being in the “Only Me” category usually signals they have adjusted privacy settings specifically to block your access. It limits visibility for a reason, even if that reason is unclear.
How to Tell if You Are in “Only Me” for Someone Else’s Friends List
There are a few main ways to discern if someone has put you into the “Only Me” category of their Facebook friends list:
- You suddenly stop seeing any of their posts in your feed.
- You can no longer see their profile pictures or cover photos.
- You don’t see their comments on mutual friends’ posts.
- You can’t view their list of friends or family.
- Visiting their profile says “Contact Information Not Available.”
Essentially, if you notice you lost all visibility into someone’s Facebook activity, they have likely adjusted privacy settings to limit your access. One way to confirm is to have another mutual friend check if they can still see the profile content.
How Does “Only Me” Work for Group and Event Visibility?
The “Only Me” friend category also blocks your ability to see someone’s activity within groups and events:
- You won’t see their posts in any groups you are both members of.
- You won’t see their status updates about events you are both attending.
- They may still see your group/event activity if you allow it through your privacy settings.
- You will remain Facebook friends and group members but be unable to view each other’s posts.
Some members use “Only Me” settings in groups specifically to prevent certain people from seeing their posts. It allows you to remain part of the group while curating who sees your contributions.
Can You Message Someone Who Has You in “Only Me”?
Having a friend set to “Only Me” does not block your ability to directly interact through messages or posts on each other’s timelines:
- You can still send private messages to each other through Facebook Messenger.
- You can still comment on and react to posts they make publicly visible.
- You won’t see their messages or reactions to your posts unless they change privacy settings.
- You can call or video chat through Messenger if you remain connected.
The main restriction is that you cannot view their profile information or any posts. But direct messaging capabilities remain intact in most cases.
How Do You Know if You Have Someone in “Only Me”?
As the user who adjusts the privacy settings, Facebook unfortunately does not directly indicate who you have placed into “Only Me.” However, there are a couple ways to check:
- Visit your own profile privacy settings and view your custom friends list categories.
- Do process of elimination by cross-checking friends you know can still see your profile.
- Make a harmless test post and ask mutual friends if they can see it.
Essentially you will need to put in a little legwork to deduce exactly who can no longer see your profile. But you can determine if people are blocked from seeing your activity or not.
Can You Find Out Who Has You in “Only Me”?
Unlike seeing your own “Only Me” list, there is no way to view a list of which friends have restricted your access to “Only Me” privacy. Some options to identify if certain people have limited your access include:
- Checking profiles of friends you suspect have restricted you and verifying if you can see posts.
- Asking mutual friends if they can still view someone’s profile that you cannot.
- Trying to visit their list of friends and seeing if it says “Contact Information Not Available.”
- Noticing they suddenly stopped appearing in your newsfeed or interacting with your profile.
Essentially it requires watching for suspicious changes in visibility and checking with other connections to determine if you alone lost access. But there is no Facebook tool to view a list of friends who have you in “Only Me.”
What Should You Do If a Friend Puts You in “Only Me”?
Finding out someone blocked your access via “Only Me” can feel upsetting or like they deliberately excluded you. But in most cases it’s best not to take it personally. Here are some tips on handling the situation:
- Don’t assume you did anything wrong or they are angry at you. They may just be adjusting privacy for unrelated reasons.
- Consider if you had any recent disagreements that could have motivated the change.
- Ask mutual friends if they know any context behind the change.
- Respect their right to curate their online presence and limit viewing.
- You can message them to politely ask why your access was restricted.
- Avoid making demands or negative assumptions until you understand their reasons.
- Remember it’s their personal Facebook profile to control as they choose.
With tact and open communication, you may be able to restore your full access. But it’s also important to respect their privacy decisions and not take it as a personal slight if no reason is provided.
Can You Restore Full Access After Being in “Only Me”?
If the situation seems appropriate, you can request the other user restore your full viewing access after being restricted to “Only Me.” Options include:
- Politely message them asking what caused the change in settings.
- Explain that you miss seeing their updates and would appreciate being restored.
- If there was a falling out, apologize and let them know you value the friendship.
- Ask mutual friends to put in a good word and convey that you’d like to make amends.
- Respect it if the user doesn’t feel comfortable restoring access.
With an understanding conversation and gestures of goodwill, you may be able to convince them to take you out of the “Only Me” category. But also be prepared to accept if access remains restricted.
Can You Adjust Privacy Without Using “Only Me”?
If you want to limit a friend’s access to your Facebook profile, using “Only Me” is not the only option. Some alternatives include:
- Acquaintances List – Shows minimal profile and posts.
- Restricted List – Can’t see posts you’ve shared with Friends except your public content.
- Blocking – Completely cuts off their access unless you unblock.
- Unfollowing – Stops their posts from appearing in your newsfeed.
- Removing Friend – Take them off your friends list altogether.
“Only Me” is the most restrictive, but other lists let you customize their access. You can avoid completely blocking them while still limiting visibility.
Conclusion
Being relegated to “Only Me” status on someone’s Facebook friends list can feel isolating and raise questions about the friendship. But in many cases it is not meant as a personal slight. Facebook privacy settings allow users to curate their online presence and content visibility. While limiting access to “Only Me” is a bold move, try not to make hasty assumptions about their motivations. With honest communication and patience, you may eventually be able to restore the full Facebook friendship.
The key is to remain tactful, avoid confrontation, and understand it is their prerogative to restrict profile viewing if they choose. Each person should be able to dictate their ideal privacy settings and friend access. Hopefully context from mutual connections or a polite inquiry can resolve any confusion or hard feelings if you find yourself hidden from someone’s activity.
Facebook’s friends list is designed to empower users to showcase different sides of their identity depending on the audience. “Only Me” can feel alienating when used to exclude someone completely. But in most cases it is not meant as an outright snub. Learn the reasons behind the change, address any misunderstandings, and request inclusion again once tensions have lowered. With care and communication, you can potentially regain visibility into their online social presence.
Other Questions Related to Facebook’s “Only Me” Privacy Setting
Can someone who has put you in “Only Me” see everything you post?
No, putting someone in “Only Me” only restricts what they can see from your profile. Your privacy settings, not theirs, determine how much of your profile and activity they can access.
Does putting someone in “Only Me” also block them from seeing you in public groups/events?
Yes, it limits access across all areas of Facebook. They will not see any of your posts or activity within groups and events you are both part of.
Can you tell when someone takes you out of “Only Me”?
Not definitively, but you will probably notice you suddenly start seeing their posts in your feed again. Or mutual friends might tell you the person’s profile is visible again.
Do you stay Facebook friends when someone puts you in “Only Me”?
Yes, you remain connected as friends on Facebook. You both may still visit each other’s public profiles, but your viewing of their content is restricted.
Can you still tag someone who has you in “Only Me” in posts and photos?
No, the tagging will fail or not show up for them if their privacy settings block you specifically. The tag attempt may still be visible to your mutual friends who can see both of your profiles.
Does the other person get notified when you add them to “Only Me”?
No, Facebook does not directly notify users when they have been added to a restricted list. But they may notice a lack of your posts appearing for them over time.
Can someone tell if you looked at their profile after they put you in “Only Me”?
It depends on their general account settings. Unless they fully disabled profile viewing notifications, they will still see when you visit their public profile even if you can’t see their full content.
Being placed into the “Only Me” category for a Facebook friend’s audience selector is an extremely limited status. But it need not spell doom for the friendship. Consider the context clues, check with mutual connections, and open a tactful dialogue to clear the air. With care and communication, you may be able to restore the visibility settings to their normal state. The situation calls for discretion rather than demands. If their reasons relate specifically to you, apologize and seek ways to rebuild trust and comfort levels. With time and proven good intent, you may be able to convince them to take you off the restrictive list. But also aim to understand the motivations rather than jumping to insulted conclusions. Facebook’s custom lists enable each person to showcase appropriate sides of themselves. Try not to take limited profile access too personally, as it often says more about their general privacy preferences than any dislike specifically towards you. Apply compassion, patience and respect, which can go a long way to regaining an open connection.
The key is maintaining perspective. Having your access curtailed stings, but represents their personal boundaries and identities, not outright rejection. With care, you may eventually regain visibility into their full profile. In the meantime, focus on the friendship itself and finding shared understanding, not just the online visibility settings.