Where to find Facebook privacy settings and what they control
Facebook privacy settings live in one place: the Settings & Privacy menu in the top right corner of your screen. Click the downward arrow next to your profile picture, then select "Settings & Privacy," then "Settings." On the left side, you'll see a menu with "Privacy" as one of the options. This is where you control who sees your posts, who can contact you, and what information appears on your profile.
The settings themselves fall into three main categories: who can see your posts and profile information, who can contact you, and what data Facebook collects about your activity. Each one works independently, so changing one doesn't affect the others. Most people need to adjust settings in all three areas to get the privacy level they want.
Key Takeaways
- Your privacy settings are in Settings & Privacy > Settings > Privacy, and you can change them anytime without affecting your account or posts.
- The "Who can see your posts?" setting controls whether new posts go to Friends Only, Public, or a custom list you create.
- The "Who can contact you?" setting determines whether strangers can message you or only people you're connected to.
- Facebook collects data about your activity even when you're not on Facebook, and you can limit this in the "Apps and Websites" section.
- Changes take effect immediately, but old posts keep their original privacy level unless you change them individually.
Controlling who sees your posts and profile information
When you're in the Privacy section, the first setting is "Who can see your posts?" This controls the default privacy level for anything you post going forward. Your options are Public (anyone on or off Facebook can see it), Friends (only people you're connected to), or Friends except (Friends, but you can exclude specific people). You can also select "Custom" to create a list of specific people who can see your posts.
Below that is "Who can see your profile?" This is separate from post privacy and controls whether people can view your profile page itself, see your friends list, and see your profile picture. Most people set this to Friends, which means only people you're connected to can visit your profile. If you set it to Public, anyone can find your profile through search.
Important: changing these settings only affects posts you make from now on. Posts you've already published keep their original privacy level. If you posted something as Public last month and now change your default to Friends, that old post stays Public unless you go back and change it individually. To change an old post's privacy, click the three dots on that post and select "Edit Privacy."
Managing who can contact you and see your information
The "Who can contact you?" setting determines whether strangers can send you messages. If you set this to Friends, only people you're already connected to can message you. If you set it to Everyone, anyone on Facebook can message you, though messages from non-friends go to a separate "Message Requests" folder that you have to check manually.
Below that, you'll find "Who can look you up using the email address you provided?" and "Who can look you up using the phone number you provided?" These control whether people can find you by searching your email or phone number. Most people set these to Friends or Friends of Friends to prevent strangers from finding them this way.
You can also control who sees your friends list, your birthday, and your relationship status. Each of these has its own dropdown menu in the Privacy section. If you don't want anyone to see your friends list, set it to "Only Me." If you want to hide your birthday from everyone except close friends, you can set it to a custom list.
Limiting data collection from apps and websites
Facebook collects information about your activity even when you're not using Facebook. When you visit websites or use apps that have Facebook tracking code, Facebook records what you do. This data is used to build a profile about your interests, which Facebook then uses to show you targeted ads.
To limit this tracking, go to Settings & Privacy > Settings > Apps and Websites. Here you'll see a list of apps and websites connected to your Facebook account. You can remove access for any app you no longer use. You can also turn off "Off-Facebook Activity," which stops Facebook from collecting data about your activity on other websites and apps. Click "Clear History" to delete the data Facebook has already collected.
Note that turning off Off-Facebook Activity doesn't stop websites from tracking you — it only stops them from sharing that data with Facebook. Websites can still see what you do on their own sites.
Adjusting ad preferences and what advertisers can see
Facebook uses your activity, interests, and personal information to decide which ads to show you. You can't stop seeing ads on Facebook, but you can control what information advertisers use to target you. Go to Settings & Privacy > Settings > Ads to see your ad preferences.
In the Ads section, you'll see "Ad Preferences," which shows the interests and categories Facebook thinks you have. You can remove any category you don't want advertisers to use. You can also see which advertisers have uploaded lists containing your information — this happens when a business buys a mailing list and uploads it to Facebook to find customers. You can't remove yourself from these lists through Facebook, but you can see which companies have done this.
The "Advertisers you've interacted with" section shows businesses that have shown you ads or collected your information. You can hide ads from specific advertisers, though new ads will still appear from other companies.
Controlling what third parties can see about you
When you use Facebook Login to sign into other websites or apps, you're giving those services access to some of your Facebook information. By default, they can see your name, email, profile picture, and friends list. You can control what information they access by going to Settings & Privacy > Settings > Apps and Websites, then clicking on each app to see what permissions it has.
To remove an app's access to your Facebook account, click the app name and select "Remove." The app will no longer be able to see your Facebook information or post on your behalf. If you've used Facebook Login to sign into a service, removing the app will likely log you out of that service the next time you try to use it.
Some apps request additional permissions beyond the basic ones, like access to your photos, events, or location. When you first sign in with Facebook, the app will ask for these permissions. You can deny any permission you're uncomfortable with, though the app may not work fully if you do.
Reviewing and managing your login activity
Facebook keeps a record of every device and location where you've logged in. You can see this list in Settings & Privacy > Settings > Security and Login. This section shows your active sessions — devices currently logged into your account — and your login history, which shows past logins with dates and locations.
If you see a login from a location or device you don't recognize, you can log out that session immediately by clicking "Log Out" next to it. You can also set up login alerts, which send you a notification whenever someone logs into your account from a new device. This is useful for catching unauthorized access early.
If you want to log out of Facebook on all devices at once, scroll to the bottom of the Security and Login section and click "Log Out All Sessions." This will log you out everywhere except your current device, which is useful if you think someone else has access to your account.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do my old posts stay private if I change my privacy settings?
No. Changing your default privacy settings only affects new posts. Posts you've already published keep their original privacy level. To change an old post's privacy, click the three dots on that post, select "Edit Privacy," and choose a new audience. You can do this one post at a time, but Facebook doesn't have a tool to change all old posts at once.
What happens if I set my profile to "Only Me"?
If you set your profile privacy to "Only Me," no one except you can see your profile page, profile picture, friends list, or any information on your profile. People can still find your name through search, but they can't view your profile. You can still post and message people, but they won't be able to see your profile when they click on your name.
Can I stop Facebook from showing me ads?
No. Facebook is a free service funded by advertising, so you can't turn off ads completely. You can control which ads you see by adjusting your ad preferences and removing interest categories, but ads will still appear. You can hide ads from specific advertisers, but new ads from other companies will replace them.
If I turn off Off-Facebook Activity, will websites stop tracking me?
No. Turning off Off-Facebook Activity only stops websites from sharing your activity data with Facebook. Websites can still track what you do on their own sites and use that information for their own purposes. To stop websites from tracking you, you would need to use privacy tools like a VPN or browser privacy settings.
What should I do if I see a login I don't recognize?
Go to Settings & Privacy > Settings > Security and Login and look at your active sessions and login history. If you see a login from a device or location you don't recognize, click "Log Out" next to that session immediately. Then change your password to something strong and unique. If the unauthorized login happens again, enable two-factor authentication for extra security.