Facebook offers users several options for controlling the privacy of their profile and posts. Two of the most commonly used privacy settings are “Restricted” and “Acquaintance.” Understanding the differences between these two settings can help you better manage your privacy on Facebook.
Overview of Facebook’s Privacy Settings
Facebook has a few main privacy settings that users can apply to their profiles and posts:
- Public – Anyone can see your profile and posts
- Friends – Only your confirmed friends can see your profile and posts
- Friends except… – Friends except specific people or lists can see your profile and posts
- Specific friends – Only specific friends you choose can see your profile and posts
- Restricted – Only friends and their friends can see your profile and posts
- Acquaintance – Only friends of your friends can see your profile and posts
- Only me – Only you can see your profile and posts
These settings allow you to dial in exactly who you want to be able to view your information on Facebook. The “Restricted” and “Acquaintance” settings are similar, but have some key differences.
What is Restricted on Facebook?
The “Restricted” privacy setting on Facebook allows your friends, as well as friends of your friends, to see your profile and posts. When you set your profile or posts to “Restricted”:
- Your friends can see your profile and posts
- Friends of your friends can see your profile and posts
- Anyone not connected to you as a friend or friend of a friend cannot see your profile or posts
Restricted expands visibility slightly beyond just your direct friend network, which can be helpful for increasing engagement and reach if you want to allow access to a wider (but still limited) audience.
Examples of Who Can See Restricted Content
- Your close friends that you are directly connected to on Facebook
- Friends of those close friends that you may not know personally
- Friends of more distant connections, like friends of your old college acquaintances
- Friends of anyone you are connected to in any way on Facebook
Examples of Who Can’t See Restricted Content
- People who have no connections to you or your friends on Facebook
- Complete strangers who you have no mutual friends with
Restricted aims to find a middle ground between posting publicly and limiting visibility just to your direct friend network. The size of the potential audience depends on how large and far-reaching your network is on Facebook.
What is Acquaintance on Facebook?
The “Acquaintance” privacy setting is more limited than Restricted. When you set your profile or posts to “Acquaintance”:
- Only friends of your friends can see your profile and posts
- Your direct friends cannot see the content
Acquaintance limits visibility only to secondary connections – people you may not know yourself, but who know your friends. This can be useful for widening reach slightly while still restricting access from your close, personal connections.
Examples of Who Can See Acquaintance Content
- Friends of your friends that you don’t know yourself
- Indirect connections like friends of your old college acquaintances
- Distant contacts who have no direct personal connection to you
Examples of Who Can’t See Acquaintance Content
- Your close friends and direct connections on Facebook
- People with no connections to any of your Facebook friends
- Complete strangers with no mutual friend connections to you
Acquaintance creates a wider reach than just your friends, but avoids sharing personal content with your closest connections. This can be useful for maintaining some separation in what different groups can access.
Key Differences Between Restricted and Acquaintance
While Restricted and Acquaintance settings may seem similar at first glance, there are some important distinctions:
| Restricted | Acquaintance |
|---|---|
| Your direct friends can see your content | Your direct friends CANNOT see your content |
| Friends of your friends can see your content | Friends of your friends CAN see your content |
| Allows visibility to both your direct and extended network | Only allows visibility to your extended network |
| Keeps content private from the general public | Keeps content private from the general public |
In summary:
- Restricted shares with friends and friends of friends
- Acquaintance shares only with friends of friends
Choosing between them depends on whether you want your direct friends to see the content or not.
When to Use Restricted vs. Acquaintance
Here are some guidelines on when Restricted or Acquaintance may be more appropriate:
Consider Restricted When You Want to:
- Share posts with your close friends and wider network
- Increase engagement by allowing both friends and their friends to interact
- Keep content private from the general public
- Share updates, photos, or information widely with your connections
Consider Acquaintance When You Want to:
- Share information with a wider audience except your close friends
- Test content with an extended network before sharing it more openly
- Keep some separation between different spheres of friends
- Limit personal content only to indirect connections
Pros and Cons of Restricted
Here are some potential advantages and disadvantages of using the Restricted setting:
Pros:
- Allows increased engagement by sharing with both friends and their friends
- Maintains privacy from the general public
- Lets you share posts normally with close connections
- Expands reach slightly beyond just direct friends
Cons:
- Friends of friends may see content you intended just for close friends
- Harder to segment audiences for different types of content
- Your friends’ lists may include unintended viewers
- Not as private as limiting visibility only to specific friend lists
Pros and Cons of Acquaintance
Here are some potential upsides and downsides of the Acquaintance setting:
Pros:
- Can selectively hide content from your close friends
- Lets you test or preview content with a wider audience
- Maintains stricter separation between friend groups
- Expands reach beyond just your own friends
Cons:
- Your own friends cannot see or interact with the content
- Indirect friends may not be interested in certain content
- Harder to target and analyze audience
- Still exposes some content to friends of friends
Best Practices for Restricted and Acquaintance
To get the most out of Facebook’s Restricted and Acquaintance settings, keep these tips in mind:
- Use Restricted when you want to share normally with friends but limit public access
- Use Acquaintance to selectively hide content from close friends
- Review your friends’ lists to understand your potential audience reach
- Use friends lists to create smaller Acquaintance or Restricted groups
- Consider mixing settings based on content or audience type
- Monitor comments and reactions to gauge if settings should be adjusted
- Do not rely on these to completely hide content from determined viewers
- Use in conjunction with other privacy tools for maximum control
Conclusion
Facebook’s Restricted and Acquaintance settings allow you to limit visibility of your profile and posts to varying degrees. Restricted shares with your friends and their friends, while Acquaintance shares only with friends of friends. Choose based on whether you want your own friends to see the content or not.
Using these settings appropriately can help you expand your reach while still maintaining control. But be thoughtful in evaluating whether the audience matches your intentions for each type of content you share. Mix and match different privacy settings to find the right balances for your personal preferences and sharing strategy on Facebook.