How to make your friends list private on facebook on iphone

• You can hide your friends list on Facebook by going to your profile's Privacy settings.
• By default, your friends list is public, and anyone with a Facebook account can see who is on it.
• You can hide your friends list so that only your friends, or no one at all, can see it.

By default, your Facebook profile information, posts, and even your friends are available for all to see. It's often convenient for your friends list to be public, because it can help people find and connect with you.

If you prefer, you can restrict who can see your entire friends list using Facebook's privacy settings. You might not want everyone to see it, especially if you want to mask the identity of some friends from others. Or perhaps you just value your privacy and don't want everyone to know who you're connected to online.

Here's how to hide your friends list on Facebook.

How to hide your friends on Facebook via web browser

1. Open Facebook in a web browser.

2. Click your profile picture in the top right corner.

3. In the dropdown menu, click Settings & privacy.

4. Click Settings.

5. In the left side menu, click Privacy.

6. In the section called How people can find and contact you, click Edit next to Who can see your friends list?

7. Click the dropdown to reveal a list of options. You can choose: Public, Friends, Friends except, Specific friends, Only me, or Custom.

How to hide your friends on Facebook via a mobile device

1. Open the Facebook app on your iPhone or Android device.

2. Tap the three horizontal lines (this is the hamburger menu). On an iPhone, this is in the bottom right corner of the screen; on an Android, it's in the top right corner.

3. Tap Settings & Privacy.

4. Tap Settings in the dropdown menu.

5. In the Audience and visibility section, tap How people can find and contact you.

6. Tap Who can see your friends list?

7. Choose who you want to be able to see your friends list. You can choose: Public, Friends, Friends except, Specific friends, or Only me. 

Dave Johnson

Freelance Writer

Dave Johnson is a technology journalist who writes about consumer tech and how the industry is transforming the speculative world of science fiction into modern-day real life. Dave grew up in New Jersey before entering the Air Force to operate satellites, teach space operations, and do space launch planning. He then spent eight years as a content lead on the Windows team at Microsoft. As a photographer, Dave has photographed wolves in their natural environment; he's also a scuba instructor and co-host of several podcasts. Dave is the author of more than two dozen books and has contributed to many sites and publications including CNET, Forbes, PC World, How To Geek, and Insider.

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By default, anyone can see who you are friends with on Facebook, but if you wish, you can restrict your Facebook friends list to a narrower audience. You can also configure who can try to add you as a friend on Facebook.

Tip

You can configure who can see your friends list from the Friends section of your profile.

Making Your Friends List Private

You can configure who can see your friends list on Facebook. To do so, go to your profile page and click or tap the "Friends" link. Click or tap the edit button, which looks like a pencil, then click or tap "Edit Privacy." In the privacy drop-down menu, choose an audience for your friends list.

If you choose "Public," which is the default your friends list likely started with, anyone can see your friends list whether they know you or not. If you choose "Friends," only your friends can see your friends list. If you choose "Only Me," only you can see your friends list.

People may still be able to figure out who you are friends with in other ways, even if you limit your friends list. For example, people might see who their mutual friends are, if you have any in common, when they visit your Facebook profile page. Additionally, they might see you on someone else's friends list and they might be able to see information about your friendships on your news feed.

They may also be able to guess that someone who tagged you in a post or commented on your timeline is your Facebook friend.

Limiting Who Can Friend You

If you receive annoying or harassing friend requests on Facebook, you may want to limit who is allowed to add you as a friend. To do so, click the main menu represented with a downward facing arrow on Facebook, then click "Settings." Within the Settings menu, click "Privacy." Next to "Who can send you friend requests?" click the "Edit" button.

From that menu, you can either choose "Everyone" or "Friends of Friends." If you choose friends of friends, only people friends with someone you're friends with can add you, which can reduce spam and harassment, but it may mean that you might not receive friend requests from people you know.

If you meet someone who wants you to add him as a Facebook friend, you can add him. You change your Facebook settings to allow him as a Facebook friend, then you can revert back to not allowing any additional Facebook friends.

How do I make my friends list private on Facebook?