Facebook shows you who sees what, but the controls are scattered across different menus
You can see which friends view your profile, which people see specific posts, and which apps have access to your data — but Facebook doesn't put all these controls in one place. The visibility of your profile itself lives in one menu, post-by-post privacy in another, and app permissions in a third. This guide walks you through each one so you understand what's actually visible to whom.
The short answer: go to Settings and Privacy, then Settings, then scroll to "Who can see your posts?" and "Who can contact you?" Those two sections cover most of what everyday users need to know. But there's more nuance depending on whether you're checking old posts, controlling future ones, or seeing which apps can read your data.
Key Takeaways
- Your profile visibility and post visibility are controlled separately — changing one does not change the other.
- You can see which friends have viewed your profile by opening your profile, clicking the three dots, and selecting "See who's viewed your profile," though Facebook limits how far back this goes.
- Each individual post can have its own privacy setting, so an old post might be visible to everyone while a new one is only visible to friends.
- Apps connected to your Facebook account can see your name, profile picture, and sometimes email and friend list — you can disconnect them in Settings under Apps and Websites.
- Facebook does not show you a list of everyone who has seen a post; it only shows profile views and lets you set who can see future posts.
How to check who viewed your Facebook profile
Open your Facebook profile by clicking your name in the top left corner or your profile picture. Once you're on your profile page, click the three horizontal dots (the menu icon) in the top right area of your cover photo. Select "See who's viewed your profile" from the dropdown menu.
Facebook will show you a list of people who have viewed your profile recently. The order changes based on who viewed it most recently, but Facebook does not tell you exactly when each person viewed it — only that they did. The list typically shows the last 30 days of views, though this varies and Facebook does not publish the exact window.
Keep in mind that viewing your profile is different from seeing your posts. Someone can view your profile without seeing any of your posts if those posts are set to private, and someone can see your posts in their feed without ever visiting your profile directly.
Controlling who sees your future posts
Go to Settings and Privacy, then click Settings. Scroll down to "Who can see your posts?" and click it. You'll see three main options: Public (anyone on or off Facebook), Friends (only people you've added as friends), and Custom (specific people or groups you choose).
This setting applies to new posts you create going forward. It does not automatically change the privacy of posts you've already published — each old post keeps whatever privacy setting it had when you posted it. If you posted something as Public five years ago and then change this setting to Friends, that old post remains Public unless you edit it individually.
You can also set privacy for individual posts before you publish them. When you're writing a post, look for the privacy icon (it looks like a globe, a group of people, or a lock) just before you hit Post. Click it to choose who sees that specific post, which overrides your default setting for that one post only.
Changing privacy on posts you've already published
To change who can see an old post, click the three dots in the top right corner of that post and select "Edit the audience" or "Edit privacy." You'll see the same options as when you first posted it: Public, Friends, or Custom. Choose the new setting and click Save.
This is useful if you posted something as Public years ago and now want only friends to see it, or if you shared something with a specific person and want to make it broader. You can change the privacy of as many old posts as you want, one at a time.
If you want to hide a post entirely without deleting it, you can also click the three dots and select "Hide from timeline" — this removes it from your profile but keeps it in your activity log (a record Facebook maintains of everything you've done). The post is still there if someone has a direct link to it, but it won't show on your profile or in friends' feeds.
Seeing which apps and websites can access your data
Go to Settings and Privacy, then Settings. Scroll down and click "Apps and Websites." You'll see three sections: Active apps and websites (things currently connected to your account), Expired apps (things you used to use), and Removed apps (things you've disconnected).
Click on any active app to see what data it can access. Most apps can see your name, profile picture, and email address. Many can also see your friend list, birthday, or other information you've added to your profile. Some apps request permission to post on your behalf or see your activity on other websites.
If you no longer use an app or don't want it to have access, click it and select "Remove." This disconnects it from your Facebook account immediately. The app can no longer read your data through Facebook, though if you used the app directly (like through its own website or app), it may still have data you gave it before you disconnected.
Understanding Facebook's "See First" and "Unfollow" features
These are different from privacy settings but affect who sees your posts in practice. "See First" is a feature you set on other people's accounts — it tells Facebook to show you their posts higher in your feed. It doesn't affect who sees your posts; it only changes what you see.
"Unfollow" means you stay friends with someone but stop seeing their posts in your feed. Again, this is about what you see, not what they see. If you unfollow a friend, they can still see your posts (unless you've set those posts to exclude them specifically), and they won't know you've unfollowed them.
If you want to prevent a specific person from seeing your posts, you need to either change the post's privacy setting to exclude them, or remove them as a friend entirely. There is no "hide from this person only" option in Facebook's standard settings.
What Facebook does not show you
Facebook does not show you a complete list of everyone who has seen a specific post. It shows you profile views, but not post views. Some third-party tools claim to show you who viewed your posts, but these are not official Facebook features and often require you to log in through them — which can expose your account to security risks.
Facebook also does not show you who has screenshotted your posts, saved them, or shared them in private messages. If someone takes a screenshot of your post and sends it to others, you won't know it happened.
Additionally, Facebook's privacy controls don't prevent people who aren't your friends from seeing your profile if it's set to Public. They can see your profile picture, cover photo, and any posts you've marked as Public, even if they've never added you as a friend.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I see who viewed a specific post I made?
No, Facebook does not show you a list of people who viewed a specific post. You can see who viewed your profile overall, but not individual posts. Some third-party apps claim to offer this, but they are not official Facebook tools and can pose security risks to your account.
If I change my profile to Private, will old posts become private too?
No. Changing your default privacy setting only affects new posts. Old posts keep whatever privacy setting they had when you posted them. You have to edit each old post individually if you want to change its privacy.
What happens if I remove an app from my Facebook account?
The app can no longer access your Facebook data. However, if you used the app directly (like through its own website), it may still have information you gave it before you disconnected. Removing the Facebook connection does not delete data the app already collected.
Can someone see my posts if they're not my friend?
Only if you've set those posts to Public. If your posts are set to Friends only, non-friends cannot see them even if they visit your profile. You can check each post's privacy setting by clicking the three dots on that post.
Does Facebook notify people when I view their profile?
No, Facebook does not notify someone when you view their profile. However, they can see that you viewed it if they check their own profile views list, just like you can see who viewed yours.