How to Hide Your Profile on Facebook

Does having a public Facebook profile make you feel too exposed? If you want to make your Facebook profile less visible, there are several privacy options you can adjust to lock down your information. We'll show you how to make your Facebook profile more private by hiding posts, removing yourself from search, and temporarily deactivating your account.

Hiding Your Facebook Profile

Make your account private in Facebook Settings. Click the “Privacy” option and change your view settings to “Only me” for your posts and tags.
Hide your profile from search by clicking the Facebook button. Select “Edit Profile,” “Edit,” then “Only Me” in each “Audience” menu.
Deactivate your account to hide it temporarily. Go to Facebook Settings and click “Security.” Click “Deactivate Your Account” and follow the instructions.

Method 1

Method 1 of 4:

Deactivating Your Account (Desktop)

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1
Deactivate your page if you want to hide it for a while. Deactivate your Facebook page if you aren't planning on using Facebook for a while. Deactivation isn't permanent, and your page will be restored when you log in next time. Your profile will be completely hidden while your page is deactivated.
- While your page is deactivated, you won't be able to view anyone else's Facebook content that is not set to "Public."
This will open your Settings screen.
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This will open your account security options.
This will expand the section.
This will hide your account and sign you out of Facebook. Your account will remain hidden until you sign in again. Your name will be removed from most things that you've shared, but not all messages. You will not lose any data.^{[1]XResearch source}
If you no longer want to have your account private, you can log back in with your regular Facebook credentials. This will restore all of your account data and make it visible again.

Method 2

Method 2 of 4:

Deactivating Your Account (Mobile)

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You can deactivate your account through the mobile app. Your profile will be hidden and your account deactivated until you log in again.
You'll find this in the upper-right corner (Android), or in the lower-right corner (iOS).
This will open the Settings menu for your account.
This will display your account security settings.
This will start the deactivation process.
You'll be prompted to enter your password before you can proceed.
Scroll through the form to find the "Deactivate" button at the bottom of the screen. You can choose to let Facebook know why you're deactivating your account, but this is optional.
You'll be able to restore your account at any time by logging in with your email and password.

Method 3

Method 3 of 4:

Adjusting Your Privacy Settings (Desktop)

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In order to adjust your privacy settings, you'll need to log into the Facebook website.
The arrow looks like ▼.
This will open your Facebook settings.
This will display your account privacy settings.
5
Hide your posts and tags. You can hide your posts so that no one else besides you can see them, or limit them to a small set of close friends.
- Click "Edit" next to "Who can see your future posts?" This will allow you to change the audience for who can view what you post.
- Select "Only Me" to make all of your posts private. This will prevent anyone from reading any posts you create from appearing to anyone other than yourself. You can choose different groups, such as Close Friends or any custom lists, but be aware that anyone that can view your posts can share your posts with their friends.
- Click the "Limit Past Posts" link. This tool will automatically change your old posts to Friends Only. This will limit who can see what you've posted in the past. If you want to change the audience to "Only Me," you'll need to find each individual post and change the audience manually.
6
Block people from posting on your timeline. You can turn posting for your timeline off so that no one else can post anything to it. This will allow you to use your timeline just for yourself, or completely lock it down and turn it off.
- Click the "Timeline and Tagging" option in the left menu. This will open your Timeline settings.
- Click "Edit" next to "Who can post to your timeline?" This will let you change who can post content to your personal timeline.
- Select "Only Me" to make your timeline completely private. This will prevent anyone from posting on your timeline. Combined with the previous steps for hiding your posts, your timeline will be completely private.
- Click "Edit" next to "Who can see what others posts on your timeline?" This will change who can see content that other people post on your timeline.
- Select "Only Me." This will prevent anyone from seeing any content posted on your timeline.
7
Hide your profile from search. Each entry in your profile, such as your employment, age, location, and more, has a separate privacy control. You'll need to make sure all of these things are set to "Only Me" if you don't want them to appear to others:^{[2]XResearch source}
- Click the Facebook button in the upper-left corner.
- Select "Edit Profile" at the top of the menu on the left.
- Click the "Edit" button next to each entry in your profile.
- Click the "Audience" drop-down menu and select "Only Me" to hide that piece of profile information. Click "Save Changes," then move on to the next one.

Method 4

Method 4 of 4:

Adjusting Your Privacy Settings (Mobile)

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You can adjust all of your privacy settings directly in the Facebook mobile app.
You'll find this in the upper-right corner (Android), or in the lower-right corner (iOS).
3
Select "Account Settings." This will open the Settings menu for your account.
- On iPhone, you'll need to select "Settings" and then "Account Settings."
This will open your privacy settings.
5
Hide your posts and tags. You can prevent your timeline posts from appearing to anyone else, essentially turning your timeline into a private blog.
- Tap "Who can see your future posts?"
- Select "Only Me" to hide future posts from anyone but yourself.
- Return to the Privacy menu and select "Limit the audience for posts you've shared with friends of friends or Public?" Tap "Limit Old Posts" and then confirm to hide all of your past posts.
6
Block people from posting on your timeline. You can lock down your timeline so that no one else can post to it or see other posts.
- Return to the "Account Settings" menu and select "Timeline and tagging."
- Tap "Who can post on your timeline?" and then select "Only Me."
- Select "Who can see what others post on your timeline?" and then select "Only Me."
7
Hide content on your profile. Each item on your profile has an individual privacy setting. You'll need to change each one to "Only Me" to hide them from viewing by anyone.
- Return to the main Facebook screen and open your profile page.
- Tap "Add Details About You."
- Tap the Pencil (Edit) button next to each entry.
- Tap the Audience menu at the bottom of the entry and select "Only Me."

Expert Q&A

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Question
How do I lock my Facebook profile?
Naveh Ben Dror
Social Media Security Expert
Naveh Ben Dror is a Social Media Security Expert and the CEO of Spikerz based in Tel Aviv, Israel. Naveh and his team provide social media protection for content creators, businesses, and enterprises. His professional background is in international brand marketing and e-commerce. Naveh received both his Bachelor of Law and MBA from Reichman University.
Naveh Ben Dror
Social Media Security Expert
Expert Answer
The process is straightforward. First, navigate to your profile, then click on settings. At the top, there's a small magnifying glass logo. Type in the word "lock" and press "lock your profile." Also, note that this feature is currently available only in certain countries.
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How can I stop someone from sending me a message?
Community Answer
Go to their Facebook page and click on the message symbol. Then go to settings (within the chat window) and block them.
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How do I open my husband's Facebook account?
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Use his email address and password (if you know them). If you're trying to do this without his knowledge, think very carefully about why you are doing it.
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