Stop Facebook Friends from Seeing Your Activity and Hide It

Facebook is a digital hub where friends and family can share photos, experiences, and thoughts. However, not everything we do on the platform should be public. In this article, we will guide you on hiding activity on Facebook on desktop and mobile. But before that, let’s explore why you might want to do so.

There are many reasons you might want to hide your Facebook activity. One of the major concerns is privacy on Facebook, and users do not necessarily want their every move on the platform to be visible to all of their friends. Therefore, the profile settings must be changed. With this understanding, let’s proceed with the steps to get greater control over your online presence.

How to Hide Your Friends List on Facebook 

Hiding your friends list on Facebook can enhance your online privacy and security, preventing strangers and potential malicious actors from accessing your social network. Moreover, it also helps avoid unwanted friend requests and maintain a professional image by separating personal and professional contacts. With that said, let’s begin with the steps for the desktop.

On Desktop 

Step 1: Go to Facebook from your preferred browser on your Windows or Mac computer and log in with your account credentials.

Go to Facebook

Step 2: Click on your profile picture in the top-right corner.

Step 3: From the drop-down menu, choose ‘Settings & privacy.’  

Step 4: Now, choose Privacy Checkup.

Step 5: On the Privacy Checkup page, click ‘Who can see what you share.’

Step 6: In the pop-up modal, click Continue. 

Step 7: On the next screen of the modal, under Profile Information, scroll down to the bottom until you see ‘Friends and following.’ Now, click the button next to ‘Who can see your friends list on your profile?’

Step 8: Choose the option Only me. 

That’s about it. Changes will take effect immediately, and you can close the modal and rest assured that your activity will now be private. If you don’t have access to a desktop and want to do the same using a mobile, continue reading. 

On Facebook Mobile App

Step 1: Launch the Facebook app on your Android or iOS device. Once launched, tap on your profile picture on the right-hand side.

Step 2: On the next screen, scroll to the bottom and choose ‘Settings & privacy.’ From the drop-down, select Privacy shortcuts.

Step 3: Under Privacy Shortcuts, tap ‘Take a Privacy Checkup.’ On the next screen, select ‘Who can see what you share.’

This triggers a Privacy check flow. Proceed with the below steps. 

Step 4: You will see the privacy touchpoints you will come across in the flow. Click Continue. Under Profile Information, scroll down to the bottom until you see ‘Friends and following.’ Now, tap the button next to ‘Who can see your friends list on your profile?’

Step 5: Select the Only me option.

There you go. After applying the changes, you can tap the back arrow to return to their news feed. Keep reading if you want to hide your friends and your activity. 

Also Read: How to schedule a post on Facebook

How to Hide Your Activity on Facebook 

By hiding your Facebook activity, you can increase your privacy and control over your online presence. By hiding your activity, you can maintain a more discreet online persona. First, let’s take a look at the steps for desktop users.

On Desktop

Step 1: Go to Facebook from your preferred browser on your Windows or Mac computer and log in with your account credentials.

Go to Facebook

Step 2: Click on your profile picture in the top right corner.  

Step 3: From the drop-down menu, choose ‘Settings & privacy.’  

Step 4: Now, choose Privacy Checkup.

Step 5: On the Privacy Checkup page, click ‘Who can see what you share.’

Step 6: In the pop-up modal, click Continue. 

Step 7: Click the Next button again. 

Step 8: Under the ‘Profile and Stories’ section, click the button next to the default audience.

Step 9: Choose the option Only me and click Save button.

Step 10: Repeat the same for Stories. Click on the button next to it. 

Step 11: You cannot select Only me when posting a story, as it defies the very purpose of posting the story in the first place. So, select the Custom option and select who you want to share your stories with.

That’s about it. You can close the modal, and rest assured that your activity will now be private after the changes are made. If you want to do it through Facebook’s mobile app, continue reading. 

On Facebook Mobile App

Step 1: Launch the Facebook app on your Android or iOS device. Once launched, tap on your profile picture on the right-hand side.

Step 2: On the next screen, scroll to the bottom and choose ‘Settings & privacy.’ From the drop-down, select Privacy shortcuts.

Step 3: Under Privacy Shortcuts, tap ‘Take a Privacy Checkup.’ On the next screen, select ‘Who can see what you share.’

This triggers a Privacy check flow. Proceed with the below steps. 

Step 4: You will see the privacy touchpoints you will come across in the flow. Click Continue. On the next screen, tap Next.

Step 5: Now, under ‘Posts and Stories,’ tap on the button next to Default audience. On the next screen, choose See More.

Step 6: Now, select Only me.

Step 6: You can do the same for Stories as well. However, you cannot select Only me when posting a story, as it defies the very purpose of posting the story in the first place. So, select the Custom option and select who you want to share your stories with.

There you go. You have hidden your Facebook posts from public view and kept them private. Are you looking to hide your followers’ pages, people, and lists alongside your posts and stories? Read on. 

Also Read: How to use your avatar during video calls on Instagram and Facebook Messenger

How to Hide the People and Pages You Follow on Facebook 

Hiding the people and pages you follow on Facebook enhances your privacy by preventing others from seeing your online affiliations and interests. We’ll start with the steps for desktops.

On Desktop 

Step 1: Go to Facebook from your preferred browser on your Windows or Mac computer and log in with your account credentials.

Go to Facebook

Step 2: Click on your profile picture in the top right corner.  

Step 3: From the drop-down menu, click on ‘Settings & privacy.’ 

Step 4: Under ‘Settings & privacy,’ choose Settings.

Step 5: Go to Privacy from the left pane on the Settings page. 

Step 6: On the right pane, under Your Activity section, click Edit adjacent to ‘Who can see the people, Pages, and lists you follow?’

Step 7: Click the chevron (arrow) icon next to the option, and finally, choose Only me.

That’s it. Your Facebook pages and the people you follow will be hidden from everyone’s view. If you want to do the same using mobile, continue reading.

On Facebook Mobile App

Step 1: Launch the Facebook app on your Android or iOS device. Once launched, tap on your profile picture on the right-hand side.

Step 2: On the next screen, scroll to the bottom and choose ‘Settings & privacy.’ From the drop-down, select Settings.

Step 3: In the ‘Settings & privacy,’ scroll down to the ‘Audience and visibility’ section and tap ‘Followers and public content.’ Now, on the next screen, scroll down and tap ‘Who can see the people, Pages and lists you follow?’

Step 4: In the Following screen, tap See More and choose the Only me option. 

There you have it. You have successfully hidden the people or pages you follow on Facebook from the public. If you have any queries, check out the FAQ section below.

FAQs on Hiding Activity on Facebook

Make Your Activity Anonymous

Now that you know how to hide activity on Facebook, you can protect your privacy, manage your professional image, avoid unwanted attention, and bolster your online security. You may also want to read how to create a restricted list on Facebook.