Facebook offers users several options for controlling the privacy of their posts. One of those options is “Show to Specific Friends.” This allows you to customize exactly who can see a particular post.
What is the “Show to Specific Friends” option?
The “Show to Specific Friends” option allows you to select individual people who will be able to view a post you are sharing. When you create a new post, you will see a dropdown menu next to where you select your audience. The default setting is “Friends” which means all of your friends will see the post.
If you click on the dropdown menu, you will see the option for “Specific Friends.” Click on this and you will be able to check the boxes next to all the friends you want to be able to view that post. Anyone who is not checked will not be able to see it.
Who can see posts set to “Show to Specific Friends”?
Only the friends you have specifically selected will be able to see a post you set to “Show to Specific Friends.” No one else will even know you have shared the post at all. It will be completely hidden from anyone not chosen to view it.
Benefits of using “Show to Specific Friends”
There are several benefits to using the “Show to Specific Friends” setting:
- Privacy – You can share posts with just your closest friends and family rather than everyone.
- Avoid offending – You can avoid offending certain people who might take issue with your post.
- Inside jokes – You can share funny inside jokes that only some of your friends would understand.
- Targeted sharing – You can share content you think specific people would enjoy rather than bombarding everyone.
How to use the “Show to Specific Friends” option
Using this privacy setting is easy. Just follow these steps whenever you create a new post:
- Click the audience selector dropdown and choose “Specific Friends” rather than “Friends.”
- Check the boxes next to each friend you want to be able to see the post.
- Click “Done” after selecting all the friends.
- Write your post as normal and click “Post.”
That’s it! Now only the friends you selected will ever know that post exists.
Creating different friend lists
Manually selecting friends each time can be time consuming. To make it easier, you can create lists of friends to reuse for different posts.
How to create friend lists
Follow these steps:
- Go to your profile and click “Friends” in the left sidebar.
- Click the button for “Create List.”
- Give your list a name like “Close Friends.”
- Search for and select each friend you want to add to the list.
- Click “Create List” when finished.
Now whenever you share a post, your list will be there as an option to select all those friends at once.
Benefits of creating lists
Having lists makes it much easier to reuse privacy settings rather than selecting friends each time. Other benefits include:
- Organized – You can keep friends organized into different groups.
- Time saving – Quickly select a whole list rather than individual friends.
- Consistent sharing – Easily share to the same group of people repeatedly.
- Tailored content – Share memes to one group, family photos to another, etc.
Limitations of “Show to Specific Friends”
While this privacy option is very useful, there are some important limitations to understand:
Can’t prevent screenshots
You can’t stop someone from taking a screenshot of your post and sharing it more widely. Always consider if a friend could violate your privacy before posting.
Visibility of comments
Comments on your posts are visible according to each commenter’s privacy settings, not yours. So their friends may see comments even if they can’t see your original post.
Only available on new posts
You can only set “Show to Specific Friends” when creating new posts. You can’t change it later for existing posts.
Not available for all content
Some types of content like profile pictures and cover photos don’t have this granular sharing option. They are viewable by all friends.
Troubleshooting issues with “Show to Specific Friends”
If you are having trouble with this feature, here are some steps to resolve common problems:
Missing audience selector dropdown
Make sure you are using the latest version of Facebook. Older versions may not have the specific friends option.
Certain friends not showing up
This is typically because they are not added as a Facebook friend. Search for their name and add them first.
Friends can’t see your post
Double check that you actually selected them as part of the specific audience. If so, ask them to refresh Facebook to load the latest feed.
Can’t find your friend lists
Go to your profile, click Friends, and then choose Edit Friend Lists. Your lists should appear there.
Errors saving changes to friend lists
Close and reopen Facebook. If that doesn’t work, the site may be having temporary technical issues.
Conclusion
The “Show to Specific Friends” option is a very useful privacy tool on Facebook. It lets you finely control who sees your posts. While not perfect, it provides much more granular sharing than the previous “Friends” and “Public” options.
Creating saved lists of friends makes it much easier to reuse this feature. Just be aware of potential privacy risks like screenshots. Overall, this gives you greater power to share comfortably on Facebook and avoid oversharing.