Facebook is one of the most popular social media sites, with around 3 billion monthly active users. However, like any other social media application, this one also deals with security breaches, and is always concerned about protecting your privacy.
The social media giant has come up with several ways to improve account privacy, and recently it announced the Facebook profile lock feature.
if you want peace of mind, go lock your profile on Facebook 🕊️
— azy (@elbcdeiou) July 14, 2021
Because it’s easy to find someone on Facebook, anyone active there can access any public account and use the data to their advantage. But as long as you lock your Facebook account, you can easily restrict people’s access to your account and avoid other random stalkers.
However, it is not the first time Facebook has taken such an initiative as it has also announced the profile photo protection feature. With an update like Profile Lock, the social media giant has taken a step forward to improve the privacy of its users.
So, this write-up will show you how to lock your Facebook profile and some other ways to improve privacy. Read on!
What does Locking Your Facebook Profile mean?
Before you learn how to lock a FB profile, you need to know what it means to lock it.
Locking your Facebook profile means that the content you post and your “about section” will only be visible to your friends. So, people not in your Facebook Friends list can only view your profile.
With the profile lock, your full-size profile picture and cover photo will be visible only to your friends. In addition, the posts you have shared in the past in the “Public” setting will be changed to “Friends”. Although maintaining a public account is definitely one of the most effective ways to get likes on Facebook, it comes with the risk of stalking.
In addition, this feature also comes with timeline review and tag review. It means that a person has to ask permission from you to tag you in their posts.
So, this is about the Facebook lock feature, and if you are also concerned about the privacy of your account, you must learn how to lock your FB profile.
How to Lock Your Facebook Profile on Mobile?
You can lock your Facebook account from a mobile or desktop device, as the steps you will follow will be slightly different on these two platforms. Let’s find out how to lock your FB profile on Mobile.
Follow these steps:
- Log in to the Facebook app.
- Tap on the profile menu present at the top right of the home page.
- Scroll down and tap Settings and privacy.
- Next, click Settings from the drop-down list.
- Scroll down and click Profile Locking under the Audience and Visibility section.
- It will give some description about the feature, and you just have to tap Lock your profile below.
- Click OK to confirm.
Doing so will simply secure your Facebook ID and prevent strangers from accessing your information.
How to Lock Your Facebook Profile on Desktop?
If you are not a regular Facebook user and prefer not to install the app, you can use 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.
- Next, click on Lock profile from the list of options.
- Click Lock your profile at the bottom.
- Once you do this, you will get an instant message on your screen saying that you have locked your profile.
This is it; your Facebook account is now only accessible to your friends.
How to Unlock Your Facebook Profile?
Once you figure out how to lock your Facebook profile, learning how to unlock it seems necessary if you have a change of heart and want to keep it public.
So, you can unlock your profile by following the steps:
On a Mobile Phone
To unlock your Facebook profile on Mobile:
| Tap your profile icon >> Settings and privacy >> Settings >> Profile Lock |
After you complete the steps, you will see the Unlock option instead of “Lock your profile” as shown in the image below. Tap Unlock.
Click Unlock your profile again at the bottom, and your account will be public.
On a desktop
While on desktop, all you have to do is:
| Click on the profile menu >> Three-dot menu >> Unlock profile |
After you click Unlock profile, your Facebook account will be public.
What To Do If Locking Facebook Can’t Be Done?
Locking a Facebook account is not available in all countries, and that even includes the US and Canada. As of 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
- Myanmar
- Morocco
Therefore, you cannot lock your FB profile in every country and will need some alternative solutions. So, how will you lock your Facebook profile if you belong to a country that lacks this option?
In that case, you can try these methods to improve the security of your FB account:
Limit Access to Your Past and Future Posts
The first option you have is to restrict other users’ access to the posts you have shared in the past and are about to share in the future. It’s not just about the public posters; some of the posts reach the Friends of Friends because of tagging.
If you are active on Desktop:
Open Settings and Privacy >> Settings >> Privacy. Then, you can change all the settings under the “Your Activity” section, as shown in the image below.
However, if you’re using a mobile phone, you’ll find this option under Settings & Privacy >> Activity Log.
Hide Your Information
If you lock your Facebook account, the information present in the “About” section is hidden. But, if you cannot 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 above-mentioned tips may not completely lock down your profile, but they are effective enough to hide your personal information from casual users. So, if this feature is not available in your country, you can still make such changes to keep the privacy factor intact.
Turn on Profile and Tag Review
Turning on Profile and Tag Review works the same as locking your ID. So, when someone tags you in their photo, you’ll get a notification, and you can decide whether you want the photo on your profile or not.
You’ll find this option under Settings and Privacy on mobile and under the Privacy section on your desktop.
You just have to change the settings from Public to Friends.
Place a Restriction on Friend Requests
You can also limit your friend requests and only allow your friends’ friends to send you a friend request.
If you use a mobile phone:
| Open Settings and privacy >> Settings >> How people find and contact you. |
If you’re on a desktop:
| Go to Your Profile >> Settings and Privacy >> Settings >> Privacy >> How people can find and contact you |
So, these are some of the other ways by which you can add the privacy factor to your Facebook account if you are unable to lock it.
Conclusion – Why is the Facebook Key Important?
Facebook is definitely one of the best social media, and it is full of features. But since the users are worried about data privacy, the manufacturers are trying to make it a secure platform. Therefore, the function of FB profile lock comes into play.
The feature keeps unwanted stalkers away from your profile and is even enough to protect it from data theft. Facebook can even lock your FB account temporarily if it detects any suspicious activity from your profile. You can recover your account, but the whole process is quite different from locking your profile picture, so avoid confusion.
Moreover, you should know that you cannot publish anything to the public after you lock your FB profile.
Also watch this video:
Frequently Asked Questions
Why is there no lock profile option on my Facebook?
Answer: The Facebook key is only available in some countries. If your country is not included, you should look for other options.
What happens to all your pictures and shared albums when the profile is locked?
Answer: Once you lock your Facebook profile, every picture on your timeline will be visible to your friends.
Why is Facebook profile lock not available on iPhone?
Answer: Facebook profile lock could be missing from iPhone due to the iOS App Tracking Transparency, which protects the privacy of users.
Sources
wikiHow – Lock Your Facebook Account on iPhone, Android or PC by Nicole Levine, MFA
Facebook – Lock your Facebook profile
Read More Author: Janvi Panthri Senior Writer, Editor
Categories: How to
Source: thptvinhthang.edu.vn
