Social networking is one of the most helpful uses of the internet in this day and age of technology.
Fortunately, since everything is just on display and anyone can view any of your profiles, privacy is one of the main problems.
In this article, we’ll discuss one of the issues with Facebook’s privacy controversy.
We’ll try to keep your Facebook friend list secret and hidden from other people.
How to Hide Your Facebook Friend List from Everyone
Hide your friend list is one of the best options if you want to keep your social circle private or just want to manage who may see it.
Note: Remember that your mutual friends will remain available even if you hide your friends list.
Option 1: On Browser
To hide the friends list on the web version, take the following steps:
- Open a browser, log into Facebook, and visit your profile page.
- Select the Friends tab from the list of people you might know.
- Select Edit Privacy by clicking the three dots in the upper right corner of the Friends tab.
- Choose Only Me under Who can view your Friends list in the Edit Privacy window.
- To save the changes, click the Done button at the bottom.
Option 2: On Mobile App
To hide your smartphone’s friends list, take the following steps:
- On the Facebook home feed page, tap the three horizontal lines.
- Choose Settings under Settings & Privacy.
- Select How People Find and Contact You in the Audience and Visibility section.
- Next to Who may see your friends list, select Only me.
How to Keep Certain Users from Seeing Your Facebook Friend List
Do you want your friends list to be private from the public? You can hide it from some people.
Option 1: On Browser
Use the Friends Except option to keep others from viewing your friend’s list.
- Use the browser to follow steps 1-3 from the heading above.
- Select Friends, leave away. Who can view your friend’s list?
- Select “Save changes” after clicking the minus symbol next to the username.
Option 2: On Mobile App
Follow the steps below to hide your friends list on the mobile app.
- Go with steps 1-3 from the heading above on your mobile app.
- Select friends, opting out. Who can view your pal’s list of friends?
- After choosing the users, select Done at the bottom.
Note: Click Specific Friends to choose which friends you wish to share your Facebook friends list.
What Takes Place on Facebook When Your Friend List Is Hidden?
There are some benefits hiding your Facebook friend list could provide for your privacy:
- Improved Privacy: You reduce the visibility of your personal relationships to visitors, decreasing the risk of identity theft, targeted advertising, and online stalking.
- Protecting Your Friends: By hiding your list, you can protect your friends from spam friend requests.
- There are more limitations and penalties when hiding your friend list, which are listed below:
- Limited Networking Opportunity: It may be more difficult for people to find you through shared friends, which makes it challenging to create and forge new friendships.
- Lack of Transparency: Hiding your list may cause difficulty by doubting your motivations and online behaviour.
- Insufficient Privacy: While your complete list is hidden, mutual friends may still be visible on your profile, giving hints about your social circle.