How to Adjust Privacy Settings on Facebook and Instagram

Social media platforms like Facebook and Instagram allow us to connect, share, and stay updated with the world around us. However, without proper privacy settings, your personal data, photos, and even location can become visible to strangers, leading to security concerns, unwanted attention, or data misuse. Adjusting your privacy settings helps protect your information and gives you more control over who sees your content. Here's a step-by-step guide on how to manage your privacy settings on both Facebook and Instagram.

Adjusting Privacy Settings on Facebook

Accessing Facebook’s Privacy Settings

1. Open the Facebook app or website and log into your account
   
   
2. Tap on the menu icon (three lines in the bottom-right corner on mobile)

Scroll down and tap on “Settings & Privacy,” then select “Settings”

Tap on “Privacy Checkup” to quickly review and change key privacy settings

Who Can See Your Posts

In the Privacy Checkup, select “Who can see what you share”
Choose who can see your future posts — options include Public, Friends, Friends except…, and Only me
Review and update settings for past posts as well to ensure older content is visible only to your intended audience

Managing Your Profile Information

You can control who sees your profile details such as your phone number, email address, birthday, and hometown
Navigate to your profile > tap “Edit Profile” > and next to each detail, tap the privacy icon to select visibility preferences
Set personal details like contact information or relationship status to “Only Me” or “Friends” as needed

Controlling Who Can Find You

Go to “Settings & Privacy” > “Settings” > “Privacy Settings”
Under “How People Find and Contact You,” adjust the following options:

• Who can send you friend requests

Who can look you up using your email or phone number

Whether you want your profile to appear in external search engine results

Restricting Tagging and Timeline Visibility

Under “Profile and Tagging” in your privacy settings, manage who can post on your timeline and who can tag you
Enable review options to approve posts and tags before they appear on your timeline
This helps prevent unwanted or embarrassing content from being publicly visible

Limiting Ad Preferences and Data Sharing

Navigate to “Ad Preferences” under Settings
Review how your data is used to show you targeted ads
You can limit the use of your personal activity and interests by disabling ad topics or interest-based ads

Adjusting Privacy Settings on Instagram

Switch to a Private Account

By default, Instagram accounts are public. To change this:

1. Go to your Instagram profile
   
   
2. Tap on the menu icon (three lines on the top right)
   
   
3. Select “Settings and Privacy”
   
   
4. Tap “Account Privacy” and toggle on “Private Account”
   
   

When your account is private, only approved followers can see your posts, Stories, and reels

Manage Story Privacy

In “Settings and Privacy,” go to “Stories”
Choose who can see your Stories — you can hide your Stories from specific users or share only with “Close Friends”
Enable the option to allow or disallow message replies to your Stories

Control Comments and Interactions

Under “Settings and Privacy,” go to “Comments”
You can block comments from certain users, allow comments only from followers, or filter offensive words automatically
Similarly, under “Messages,” control who can send you message requests — everyone, followers, or no one

Limit Tagging and Mentions

Tap on “Tags and Mentions” in the settings menu
You can choose to allow tags and mentions from everyone, people you follow, or no one
Enable tag approval so you can manually review posts where others tag you

Restrict Data Sharing and Personal Info Use

Under “Settings and Privacy,” go to “Ads”
Manage how Instagram uses your activity to show personalized ads
You can adjust preferences on whether Instagram shows ads based on your activity on Facebook or other apps

Tips for Safer Social Media Usage

• Always review your privacy settings after major app updates, as some settings may reset

Avoid sharing sensitive information like your home address or phone number in public posts

Be cautious of friend requests or messages from unknown users

Log out of your accounts when using public devices or shared computers

Use two-factor authentication to secure your account

Your online presence should be safe, secure, andwithin your control. By regularly adjusting privacy settings on Facebook and Instagram, you not only protect your personal information but also ensure a more positive and secure social media experience. Take a few minutes today to review your settings — your digital safety is worth it.