Facebook is one of the most popular social media apps, with around 3 billion monthly active users. However, like any other social networking app, this one also faces security breaches and there are always concerns about protecting your privacy.
The social networking giant has come up with various ways to improve account privacy and recently announced Facebook profile lock feature.
If you want peace of mind, block your profile on Facebook 🕊️
-azy (@elbcdeiou) July 14, 2021
Since it’s easy to find someone on Facebook, anyone active there can access any public account and use the data to their advantage. But by locking your Facebook account, you can easily limit people’s access to your account and prevent other random stalkers.
However, it is not the first time that Facebook has taken such an initiative, since it also announced the profile photo protection feature. With an update like Profile Lock, the social networking giant has taken a step forward to improve the privacy of its users.
Therefore, this article will show you how to lock your Facebook profile and some other ways to improve privacy. Keep reading!
What does it mean to block your Facebook profile?
Before learning how to block a Facebook profile, you should know what it means to block it.
Locking your Facebook profile means that the content you post and your “About section” will only be visible to your friends. Therefore, people who are not on your Facebook friends list can only peek at your profile.
With profile lock, your full-size profile photo and cover photo will only be visible to your friends. Also, the posts you shared in the past in the “Public” setting will be changed to “Friends”. Although keeping a public account is undoubtedly one of the most effective ways to get likes on Facebook, it does come with the risk of being harassed.
Furthermore, this feature also comes with a timeline and tag review. It means that a person has to ask your permission to tag you in their posts.
So this is all about the Facebook lock feature, and if you are also concerned about your account privacy, then you should learn how to lock your Facebook profile.
How to block your Facebook profile on mobile?
You can lock your Facebook account from mobile or desktop, as the steps you’ll follow will be slightly different on these two platforms. Let’s find out how to block your Facebook profile on mobile.
Follow these steps:
- Sign in to the Facebook app.
- Tap on the profile menu present at the top right of the home page.
- Scroll down and tap Settings & privacy.
- Then, tap on Settings from the dropdown menu list.
- Scroll down and tap on Profile Blocking in the Audience & Visibility section.
- It will give you a description about the feature and you just have to tap Lock your profile at the bottom.
- Touch OK to confirm.
Doing this will simply protect your Facebook ID and prohibit strangers from accessing your information.
How to lock your Facebook profile on desktop?
If you’re not a regular Facebook user and would rather not install the app, you can use a desktop to lock your Facebook ID. Follow these steps:
- Open Facebook and click on your profile on the left.
- It will take you to the About section. Click on the three-dot menu present on the right.
- Then click Block Profile in the list of options.
- Click on Lock your profile present at the bottom.
- Once you do that, you will get an instant message on your screen stating that you have locked your profile.
That’s all; your Facebook account is now only accessible to your friends.
How to unlock your Facebook profile?
After figuring out how to lock your Facebook profile, it seems necessary to learn how to unlock it if you change your mind and want to keep it public.
So, you can unlock your profile by following the steps:
On mobile
To unlock your Facebook profile on mobile:
| Tap on your profile icon >> Settings & Privacy >> Settings >> Profile Lock |
Once you complete the steps, you will see the Unlock option instead of “Lock your profile” as shown in the image below. Tap Unlock.
Tap Unlock your profile again at the bottom and your account will be public.
On the desk
While you’re on a desktop, you just have to:
| Click on profile menu >> Three dots menu >> Unlock profile |
Once you click Unlock Profile, your Facebook account will be public.
What to do if it is not possible to block Facebook?
Blocking a Facebook account isn’t available in all countries, and that even includes the US and Canada. According to the latest update (2023), this feature is only available in the following countries:
- Iraq
- India
- Ukraine
- Egypt
- Afghanistan
- Sudan
- Pakistan
- United Arab Emirates (UAE)
- Turkey
- Saudi Arabia
- burma
- Morocco
Therefore, you cannot block your Facebook profile in all countries and you will need some workarounds. So how will you block your Facebook profile if you are from a country that lacks this option?
In that case, you can try these methods to improve the security of your Facebook account:
Limit access to your past and future posts
The first option you have is to limit other users’ access to posts you’ve shared in the past and are about to share in the future. It is not just about public positions; Some of the posts reach Amigos de Amigos due to tagging.
If you are active on a desktop:
Open Settings and privacy >> Settings >> Privacy. Then you can change all the settings in the “Your Activity” section, as shown in the image below.
However, if you are using a mobile phone, you will find this option under Settings & Privacy >> Activity Log.
Hide your information
If you block your Facebook account, the information in the “About” section is hidden. But, if you can’t use this feature, you still have the option to hide your personal information.
To hide your personal information, open the About section and click on the pencil icon, as shown in the image below:
Then when the menu appears, change the setting to Just me.
The tips mentioned above may not completely lock your profile, but they are effective enough to hide your personal information from random users. So, if this feature is not available in your country, you can still make such changes to keep the privacy factor intact.
Activate review of profiles and labels
Turning on profile and tag review works the same way as blocking your identification. So when someone tags you in their photo, you’ll get a notification and you can decide if you want the photo on your profile or not.
You’ll find this option in Settings and Privacy on a mobile device and in the Privacy section on your desktop.
All you need to do is change the setting from Public to Friends.
Put a restriction on friend requests
You can also limit your friend requests and allow only friends of your friends to send you a friend request.
If you are using a mobile:
| Open Settings and privacy >> Settings >> How people find and contact you. |
If you are on a desktop computer:
| Go to Your Profile >> Settings & Privacy >> Settings >> Privacy >> How people can find and contact you |
These are some of the other ways that you can add the privacy factor to your Facebook account if you are unable to block it.
Conclusion: Why is Facebook’s block feature important?
Facebook is undoubtedly one of the best social media platforms and it is packed with features. But as users are concerned about data privacy, the creators are trying their best to make it a secure platform. Thus, the FB profile lock feature comes into play.
The feature keeps unwanted stalkers away from your profile and is even enough to protect you from data theft. Facebook can even block your Facebook account temporarily if it detects any suspicious activity on your profile. You can get your account back, but the whole process is quite different than locking your profile picture, so avoid any confusion.
Also, you should know that you cannot post anything to the public once you block your Facebook profile.
Also watch this video:
Frequent questions
Why doesn’t the option to block profile appear on my Facebook?
Answer: The Facebook lock feature is only available in some countries. If your country is not listed, you should look at other options.
What happens to all your shared pictures and albums when the profile is locked?
Answer: Once you lock your Facebook profile, all the pictures on your timeline will be visible to your friends.
Why is Facebook profile lock not available on iPhone?
Answer: iPhone may not have Facebook profile lock due to iOS app tracking transparency, which protects users’ privacy.
Sources
wikiHow: Lock Your Facebook Account on an iPhone, Android, or Computer by Nicole Levine, MFA
Facebook – Block your Facebook profile
Read More Author: Janvi Panthri Senior Writer, Editor
Categories: How to
Source: vtt.edu.vn