Facebook is a fantastic place for keeping in touch with friends and family without being in the same space physically. Like Twitter or Instagram, Facebook has become an integral part of our daily lives, as it’s an excellent platform that helps you keep up-to-date on the lives of your friends and loved ones.
However, there’s a downside to online mediums like this: it offers stalkers easy access to your personal information and activities. We’re all too familiar with malicious activities online, and many people have experienced strangers constantly checking their profiles or stealing their photos to create fake or poser accounts.
To try and prevent or minimize this from happening, Facebook launched a new feature called Facebook Profile Lock. As its name implies, this feature allows you more control over your profile’s privacy. If you’re a private person and don’t want strangers peeking at your Facebook profile, Profile Lock will ensure users you’re not friends with won’t see any details about you.
However, not everyone is aware that this feature exists, while others don’t know how to set it up. This article will provide you with easy steps to help you lock your Facebook profile. Whether you’re on Android, iOS, or using Facebook’s mobile website, we’ve got what you need.
How Does This Feature Work?
The new Lock Profile feature is essentially Facebook introducing better safety measures. By enabling this feature, users restrict access to their profile, specifically to those they aren’t friends with on the platform. As soon as your profile is locked, people who aren’t on your friends’ list won’t be able to see your posts, nor can they view your photos and stories.
If you’ve had Public posts in the past, the feature will automatically change the privacy setting to Friends. Not only that, but it will also enable the tag review and timeline review options automatically. These two options ensure that your tagged photos won’t automatically reflect on your account. Instead, such posts will require your permission first.
Now that you understand more about how this feature works, it’s time to teach you how to enable it.
How to Lock Your Facebook Profile on Android and iOS
If you have the Facebook app on your Android or iOS device, locking your profile will only take a few minutes. Here’s what you need to do:
- Launch your Facebook app and go to your profile.
- From there, tap on the menu represented by three dots. It should be located beside “Add to Story.”
- You’ll find the “Lock Profile” option in that three-dot menu. Tap on it, and you’ll be redirected to the Lock Profile page.
- Select the option that says “Lock Your Profile” to confirm your decision.
After confirming, your Facebook profile will be locked successfully. If you’re ready to be less private about your profile, you can unblock it by going through the same steps.
How to Lock Your Facebook Profile on Your Browser
If you don’t have the Facebook app or you typically use the platform on a mobile or desktop browser, you can still lock your profile with no issues. Here’s how to do it:
- On your mobile or desktop browser of choice, head over to www.facebook.com and sign in to your account.
- Head over to your Profile page.
- Tap on the three-dot menu like in the previous steps above.
- Select the “Lock Profile” options.
- You’ll see a pop-up message explaining what the feature does to ensure you fully understand what you’re doing.
- Once you’re sure about your decision, tap on the “Lock Your Profile” button at the bottom. This will immediately restrict your profile from being viewed by strangers.
Steps to Unlock Your Facebook Profile
If you no longer want to lock your Profile, Facebook also allows you to unlock it whenever you want. To unlock your Facebook profile, follow the steps below:
- Launch the Facebook app on your smartphone or head over to the Facebook website if you’re using a browser.
- Go to your profile and tap on the three-dot menu.
- From there, you’ll see an option to “Unlock Profile.” Tap on that option to see a pop-up message confirming your decision.
- Tap on “Unlock Profile” again to confirm.
