Complete guide to Facebook Privacy Settings

Facebook is the most popular social networking platform today. Billions of people are sharing their favorite things online. It helps you to maintain a healthy profile. Most of the time people accept friendship of unknown people which later starts spamming on your wall. There are many things which cause issue later on. Facebook is like your real identify online. You have your friends, family and many people whom you know and love to share stuff. So here I am going to give you information of Facebook Privacy settings in detail. It is very important for all of you to know about this. Privacy settings can help to restrict access to your profile content. If sometime is annoying you then you can block him. The settings are easy to understand. You can manage them as per your need so that no one can simply spoil your wall with unwanted stuff. Also it happens a number of time that you are tagged in some photos or post that you don’t like. You can also block that. Before Tag Review was not available. But now you can remove yourself if you are not tagged in some photos or post that you don’t like. So let's check out the entire Privacy section of Facebook.

You can access the Privacy section by clicking on the lock icon at the top right side. A dropdown menu occur from where you have to click on More settings. Once you access the settings you will find a full page of privacy options that you can configure to protect your profile. Let's check each of them one by one.

PRIVACY

Who can see your future posts?

Here you can simply restrict access to your post. this include new updates, images and videos uploaded by you. By default this is configured as public. That means anyone can see your post if they come on your profile page. Many time we keep a few personal photos on FB that we won't like to share. You can restrict that through this settings. at the bottom right you can see public. Click on that and select the option as per your need. Like Friends. If you select this, those who are not in your friend list cannot see your wall post. Only Me and custom allow you more better way of restricting your wall content. While you can click on more option and simple select a group or name of company or school. People who are in that group will be able to see your wall post.

Review all your posts and things you are tagged in

This is the second option through which you can open your Activity Log. In this you can remove yourself if you are tagged in any photo or post. You can also unlike any recent photos or post you had liked. It is good for removing your name from unnecessary post and photos. There is a common habit of many people who keep on tagging people in their post and photos. This update is sent to all who are in your friend list. You can stop that through the second option.

Limit the audience for post you have shared with friends of friends or Public

This part is bit tricky. Through this you can limit the people who are able to see your old Timeline post. when you click on limit old post only your friends and the people who are in their friend list will be able to see this. Along with this those who are tagged in the post. Others will not be able to see any of your old post. This is used to restrict audience of old post.

Who can send you friend requests?

If you do not want anyone to send you friend request or if people are annoying you then you can set the option to Friends of Friend from Everyone. Through Friends of Friend only these who are in the friend list will be able to send you request.

Who messages do I want to filtered into my inbox?

There are two option under this. First is Basic Filtering. Where you will receive messages from anyone. And in the second one you will only get a message from your friend. There will be a separate folder maintained where messages from other people who are not in your friend list will be stored. This is a good option to stop spam. A number of time you get messages related to some service or app. You can configure Strict Filtering so that your friends message and other are separated.

Who can look you up using the email address you provided?

The second applies to your profile. That means your name or email address through which people can find you on Facebook. If you don’t want to share your profile with outsiders then you can select only Friends or Friends of Friends from here.

Who can look you up using the phone number you provided?

The next option is similar to the above one. In above people can search you through email address while in the below one people can search you through your mobile number. Many are using Facebook on their phone and they create their account through mobile number. You can configure this as per your need.

Do you want other search engines to link to your timeline?

The last option is for search engine like Google, Yahoo or Bing. You can type a name in Google and search its facebook profile if the below option is turned on. Your profile get indexed on Google and other Search Engine. This option is good for companies. It is easier for people to locate them if they are not able to find the profile on Facebook.

TIMELINE AND TAGGING SETTINGS

Along with privacy settings it is also essential that you must have a look on Timeline and Tagging Settings. This can help you to keep your wall clean. We all have a friend who is 24x7 on facebook and keep on posting new stuff. they will add some photos, quote, jokes, religious pictures, offensive pics, anything they can find. When any of this friend add new stuff it comes on your wall. Most of the time it also comes on the Timeline. You cannot unfriend people for this. But you can block the post on your timeline. So that it does not look bad. For that you have to go in on Timeline and Tagging Settings.

Who can post on your timeline?

If you select friends here than anyone can come on your timeline and add a photo or post. You can restrict the access by selecting only me. In this way people cannot post anything. but do remember to turn this off at the time of your birthday or any occasion. people won't be able to wish you anything.

Review posts friends tag you in before they appear on your timeline?

Always keep the review on. when you disable this you won't be able to find in which photo or post you are tagged. This is a very nice feature. If you are having too many friends and they keep you tagging in some photos then you can add only those which you want. When you keep this one, you can go in Timeline Review once in two days to check out what new things are updated. And allow only those which you want. Once you allow the tag, that photo or post will come on your timeline. Through this feature you can stop people manipulating your profile.

The next section is dedicated to your timeline view. Whatever you update or any of your friend post comes on the timeline. You can stop people for seeing your post or photos through this. Like when you click on the first option Review what other people can see on your timeline, you will get a preview of your Timeline page. This is exactly similar to what other will see. So you can make changes accordingly.

Who can see posts you've been tagged in on your timeline?

This is another great way of preventing spam on your timeline. if you see people keep on tagging you in their post or photos then you can set the option to only me. Whatever post or photo you are tagged will not be visible to others. It will be only visible to you.

Who can see what others post on your timeline?

This option also work in the same way like above one. Here when someone else post on your time line is viewable to all. There are chances that some people can add spam links, offensive comment, or any photo which is not proper for others. And you had not checked your wall. the post will remain on your timeline and other will be able to see it. You can stop this by setting the option to only me. So that if any new thing is added on the wall only you can see and your friends are not updated about that.

Review tags people add to your own posts before the tags appear on Facebook?

Similar to Timeline Review, Tag Review must be enabled. I do not like people to tag me purposely in any post. So I turn this on. When anyone tags me I get a notification. If I allow them my name is tagged and if I do not then I am removed automatically. This feature is really amazing. Before when someone tag you, you have to message him to remove your name. But now it is easy if you keep Review Tags on. If you think any post or photo is not suitable to come on your all then you can untag yourself.

When you're tagged in a post, who do you want to add to the audience if they aren't already in it?

Through this you can restrict people for sharing the post in which you are tagged. And others who are not in your friend list will be unable to see it. If some of your friend tag you in a party photo you can set the below option to Only Me. So that this post is only viewable to you and other cannot share it on their wall.

Who sees tag suggestions when photos that look like you are uploaded?

This one is helpful when you are taking group photos. You automatically can tag your friends. But if you don’t want anyone to tag you can your name suggestion will not appear if sometime is trying to add. You have to set this to only me.

How to hide your friend list on facebook?

You can hide your friend list from others. this feature is limited. When you setup the privacy settings to hide the friend list only Mutual Friends will be visible others will be hidden. For that go on your Timeline and click on Friends. Then click on the tiny pencil icon on the right side.

There are two option The first one is Manage Sections and second is Edit Privacy.

Under Manage Section you can simply arrange the way you want to see things on your timeline, or you can hide them. Like if you remove tick from About then the section will not be visible to others.

Under Edit Privacy you can set the privacy settings separate for Friend list and for Following. Click on the public button and limit that.