Facebook is about making friends. In the days of MySpace, people showed off their friends on their profiles, almost like trophies. Today, however, things are a little different. In addition to growing privacy concerns, there’s also the age-old issue of keeping your stuff to yourself.
By default, Facebook makes your entire friends list available to everyone, but how can you narrow the list to a smaller audience? The answer is pretty simple. Here’s how to make your Facebook friends list private and some other valuable friend privacy tips.
How to make your Facebook friends list private
Setting up who can see your “Friends” list on Facebook is relatively simple, but it requires a little research. You’re going to dig deeper into your privacy settings. You can control who sees your friends list from your phone/tablet and the browser version of Facebook. Let’s start with the browser option.
How to make your friends list private – Web Browser
To hide your “Friends” list using your computer, you must use a browser, which applies to Windows, macOS, Linux, and Chromebook. You can use any browser you want. Here’s how to do it.
- Open a web browser and log in to your facebook account.
- Click on your profile icon in the top right section of the page.
- Select Settings & Privacy of the options. Then click Settings.
- Click on Privacy.
- Click on Check some important settings.
- Click on Who can see what you share?.
- Click Continue to advance to the Privacy Checkup page.
- Scroll to the bottom of the page and select the dropdown menu to the right of Who can see your friends list on your profile? Then click Just me.
- If you want to hide the accounts you follow, change the drop-down menu next to Who can see the people, pages, and lists you follow? to Just me.
After following these steps, no one will be able to see your friends list. You can also choose customization options that allow all your friends or just some of your friends to see your list.
How to make your friends list private – Mobile App
If you want to filter your ‘Friends’ list privacy settings for other people when you use the Facebook app on your phone or tablet, follow the instructions below.
- Start the “Facebook” app and tap the “hamburger icon” (Menu). iOS users will find the menu in the bottom left corner and Android users will see it in the top right corner.
- Play the Settings icon at the top of the menu.
- Tap Privacy verification.
- Choose How can I see what you share?
- Tap Continue to view the privacy verification page.
- Scroll down to the Who can see your friends list on your profile? option and select Just me.
If you want your friends, or certain friends, to see what you post, select one of those options instead of Just me.
You can also select Just me next to Who can see the people, pages, and lists you follow? to limit who can see the people you follow.
Facebook friends list privacy options explained
Not only can you make your Facebook ‘Friends’ list private, but you can also change who can see it so that it remains visible to certain people. Depending on the privacy option selected, you can choose specific friend lists, specific friends, friends only, etc.
Below is an explanation of each privacy option in your “Friends” list.
- Public: Everyone on Facebook can see your “Friends” list.
- Friends: Only your Facebook friends can see your ‘Friends’ list.
- Friends except– All Facebook friends, except those specified, can see your “Friends” list.
- specific friends: Only friends you specify can see your ‘Friends’ list.
- Just me: Only you can see your ‘Friends’ list.
- Habit: In it “Share with” section, only people in the “Lists” you select (“Close Friends”, “Acquaintances”, “custom created lists”, etc.) or people you specify can see your “Friends” list. In it “Do not share with” sectionOnly lists or people you choose won’t see your “Friends” list.
- See everything– This option expands the privacy options to include all custom lists used (premade or custom). Only people on the ‘Lists’ you choose from the drop-down menu can see your ‘Friends’ list.
To break down the options further, if you select “Friends”, only your friends can see your ‘Friends’ list. If you choose “Friends except…” You will be asked to choose which specific friends you want I don’t want, seeing who are your friends. Selecting “specific friends“allows you to choose inpidual friends who I want to see your list. picking out “Just me” will prevent all Facebook users from seeing your friends list.
You can also select “Habit” for more advanced filtering. It contains both a “Share with” and “Do not share with” section that allows you to choose ‘Friends’ lists and specific friends to allow or deny being able to see your friends.
Lastly, the “See everything” The option in the dropdown list adds all active custom lists to the available options. Additions include pre-made Facebook lists that you use and any custom lists that you have tagged and filled out.
Friends List Privacy on Facebook Live
Naturally, you may want to restrict your friends when you do Facebook Live. This is also very simple to achieve. As long as you’ve configured your Friends list’s privacy settings, you can make Facebook Live videos for everyone, specific lists, or certain people. You can even do Facebook Live using “Just Me.” Additionally, you can go live on pages you manage and groups you are a member of.
The rules are simple. You can access the “Friends” list options on the Facebook Live screen you’re using. It’s all pretty intuitive and you should have no problem choosing the perfect privacy settings for Facebook Live.
Facebook Friends List Privacy FAQ
Here are the answers to more questions about Facebook friends list.
Are there ways people can get around restrictions on your private friends list?
People may still be able to see if you’re friends with someone, even if you’ve selected “Only Me” in your privacy settings. This scenario occurs because they can see the “Friends List” of other people who are also their friends, unless that user has also restricted them.
If they can see that you are friends with someone through their profile, they can also access this information from the ‘News Feed’, as well as from ‘Search’ and many other options on Facebook. Yes, this includes the “Mutual Friends” view.
Do my Facebook friends list privacy settings apply to Facebook Live?
Yes, any ‘Friends’ privacy settings you have set for Facebook also apply to Facebook Live. When you are “live”, you will see the audience options available. Only those you choose (‘Friends’ lists, just you, or specific people) will have access to the live stream.
Can other users still see my mutual friends?
Yes. Even if you hide your friends list, other users will see that you have friends in common and who those friends are.
In closing, Facebook privacy settings are pretty ubiquitous. However, accessing the privacy settings of the “Friends” list may not be as obvious and obvious as it could be. Hopefully, you found this article helpful and you have set up your friends list privacy in a way that suits you best.
