You’ve already got the “how to click every setting” walkthrough from @codecrafter and the extra paranoia layer from @chasseurdetoiles. I’ll zoom out a bit and focus on what to prioritize and where I’d do things differently so strangers can’t quietly archive your life.
1. Treat “Friends” as semi‑public, not private
Both replies lean heavily on “Friends” as the default. I’d go tighter for anything that can identify:
- Your kids
- Your daily routine / neighborhood
- Health issues
- Work drama
Use:
- Only me for stuff you mainly want as a personal archive.
- Custom for small, trusted circles.
- Friends except… for people you know are gossip hubs or oversharers.
Practical habit: before you hit Post, ask “If this walked into a screenshot group chat, am I OK with that?”
2. Your friends list is a huge leak
Here I agree more with @chasseurdetoiles than with the “standard” lock steps.
Make this a priority:
- Go to your profile
- Friends tab → three dots → Edit privacy
- Set:
- Friends list: Only me
- Following: Only me or Friends
Strangers use mutuals to map your social life even when your posts are hidden. Locking this is almost as important as locking photos.
3. Unfollow vs unfriend vs restrict
You do not need to blow up relationships to be private:
- Unfollow: you stay friends but do not see their posts. Good for drama minimization.
- Restrict: they basically see only public content from you. If your default is “Friends,” they see very little.
- Unfriend: use this more often than you think for very old or random people.
Strategy that works well:
- Default audience: Friends
- Put nosy coworkers / distant relatives on Restricted
- Truly sensitive posts: Custom list of 10–20 people you actually trust
4. Audit your “footprint,” not just your settings
The privacy menus only control what happens going forward or at the profile level. Two things people forget:
a) Old public comments & likes
- Any comment you left on public pages or groups is a doorway into your profile.
- Open your Activity Log and scan old comments on controversial or personal topics. Delete what feels too revealing.
b) Photos you didn’t post
Even if you lock your albums, other people’s uploads can still expose you:
- Turn on tag review.
- When you deny a tag, also click through and ask the friend to change the audience if it is really sensitive.
You can’t fully control others, but you can reduce how directly those posts point back to you.
5. Stop “background leaking” via metadata & habits
Some extra angles neither answer talked much about:
- Avoid photos that show your house number, street signs, school logos, or work badges.
- Do not post in real time from places you visit regularly. Post later, or not at all.
- If you use location tags, reserve them for generic places and tourist spots, not your daily coffee shop.
Think of each post as a puzzle piece. Strangers do not need one very revealing photo if you give them 50 slightly revealing ones.
6. Follow fewer random pages and join fewer public groups
Your likes and groups tell people a lot, even if your posts are locked.
I’d:
- Hide your liked pages categories to Only me.
- Leave public groups where you have ever overshared.
- Prefer private or “hidden” groups for personal topics.
You can still use public groups, but keep your identity-light there: no photos, no specifics about where you live or work.
7. “Profile Locking” is decent, but not magic
If your region has Facebook’s built‑in Profile Lock:
Pros:
- One click to shove most content to “Friends”
- Limits full-size profile photo access for non‑friends
- Good for people who don’t want to dig through 20 menus
Cons:
- You might think you are fully protected and stop checking details
- Does not fix old comments, group posts, or what your friends repost
- Still respects your friends list and friend count, which can leak patterns
Treat it as a starting preset, not a replacement for manual tuning.
8. Regular “Red Team” test: stalk yourself
Every few months:
- Log out or use a different browser.
- Go to your public profile URL.
- Check:
- Photos
- About sections
- Friends suggestions
- Old cover photos
Then:
- Log back in, use View As (public view).
- Anything that surprises you goes back to Only me or Friends.
This takes 5–10 minutes and catches things the step‑by‑step guides miss.
9. Slight disagreement on “just create a second profile”
Splitting into a “real” and a “public” account, like @chasseurdetoiles mentioned, can work, but you should know:
- It technically goes against Facebook’s “real name / one account” rule.
- Managing two identities is tiring and you will eventually cross‑post something in the wrong place.
- If one account gets flagged, you may have headaches recovering the other.
A safer middle ground:
- Keep one real account, locked down as described.
- Create a very minimal public Page for work / portfolio / contact if you actually need public visibility.
That keeps your private and public faces separate while staying inside Facebook’s rules.
10. Reality check: what “fully locked” actually means
With all of this in place:
- Strangers and casual snoopers will mostly see:
- A neutral profile photo
- Your name
- Maybe a cover image
- Very little else
But even with perfect settings:
- Friends can screenshot, forward, or show your profile to others.
- Facebook still has your data internally.
- Anything you post can theoretically resurface.
So the mental model that keeps people safest is:
“Facebook is a controlled leak, not a vault.”
If something would seriously damage your safety or career, do not upload it at all, even to “Only me.” Use offline backups or encrypted storage instead.
Combine:
- Tight audiences (Friends / Only me / Custom)
- Hidden friends list
- Aggressive use of Restricted
- Tag review and occasional footprint audits
and you are about as “locked” as Facebook realistically allows, short of not using it.