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Facebook Privacy Settings to Keep Teens Safe
Protect your kids from dangers lurking on the internet
By Linda Roeder Linda Roeder Writer Alvernia College Strayer University Former Lifewire writer Linda Roeder is a longtime web enthusiast and consultant with a broad knowledge of how personal web pages, blogs, and social networking. lifewire's editorial guidelines Updated on August 31, 2021 Tweet Share Email Tweet Share Email In This Article
Expand Jump to a Section Changing Privacy Settings Adjust Privacy Settings for Photos Privacy Checkup in the Mobile App Although Facebook may feel like a safe online destination for your teen, it's still important to discuss and adjust Facebook's privacy settings to protect your child from dangers lurking on the internet. It is possible to connect with friends and post status updates and photos safely, but you (or your teen) may need to make a few changes to the settings. Accessing and Changing Privacy Settings
You can't make changes to your teen's Facebook page from your account. To access Facebook's privacy settings on the desktop, have your teen open their Facebook page and then watch as you go through the privacy settings, explaining the importance of each one. Go to the top of the Facebook page and select the down arrow. Select Settings & Privacy in the drop-down menu. Choose Settings. Select Privacy. In the Privacy Shortcuts section of the Privacy Settings and Tools screen, select Check a few important settings. Go through each section of the Privacy Checkup with your teen. Topics include: Who can see what you share.How to keep your account secure.How people find you on Facebook.Your data settings on Facebook.Your ad preferences on Facebook. Back in the Your Activity section of the Privacy Settings and Tools screen, block strangers from finding your teen by selecting Edit next to Who can see your future posts. Choose from the options. Friends is the most common option. Public is not recommended. This section also offers the ability to limit who can see past posts, so if posts previously were public, they can be changed so that only friends can see them now. Select Limit Past Posts and select the Limit Past Posts option. Scroll down from the Your Activity section to reach the How People Find and Contact You section, which includes who can see your teen's Friends list, email address, phone number, and other options. Make sure you or your teen edits each of these settings to Friends or Only me and not Public or Everyone. Adjust Privacy Settings for Your Teen' s Photos
Some photos, such as the current profile photo and cover photo, are always public. Privacy settings for other photos are set manually as they are posted, so get your teen in the habit of adjusting their photo settings when they post them by making sure photos are set to be seen by Friends and not Public. You can only edit the privacy settings for photos in specific albums, including Cover Photos and Profile Pictures. If the photo was shared as part of an album, you need to change the setting for the entire album. Change Privacy Settings on Individual Photos
To adjust privacy settings on individual photos with Facebook on the desktop: Have your teen open their profile page. Select Photos to access the images. Select Your Photos. (You may need to scroll down to see the photos.) Open a photo and click the audience selector icon. Select the audience you want to share the photo with—Friends, for example. Warn your teen never to choose Public. Change Privacy Settings on Photo Albums
In most cases, if a photo was shared as part of an album, your teen will need to change the privacy settings for the entire album. To edit the privacy settings for a photo album using Facebook on the desktop: Have your teen navigate to their profile page. Select Photos. Select Albums. Choose an album to open it and then select the three-dot menu icon in the upper-right corner. Select Edit album in the drop-down menu. Choose the audience selector icon in the left sidebar. Choose the audience for the album from the screen that opens. Warn your teen never to select Public. Privacy Checkup in the Mobile App
If your teen prefers to use the Facebook mobile app, they can access the Privacy Checkup section by tapping the three lines at the bottom of the screen and going to Settings & Privacy > Settings > Privacy Checkup. Most of the security settings in the app are accessible through the Privacy Checkup. Was this page helpful? Thanks for letting us know! Get the Latest Tech News Delivered Every Day Subscribe Tell us why! Other Not enough details Hard to understand Submit More from Lifewire How to Make Facebook Private How to Delete Facebook Posts in Bulk How to Prevent Strangers From Seeing Your Facebook Profile How to Block Searches of Your Facebook Profile How to Clean up Your Facebook Profile How to Delete Albums on Facebook How to Change Your Facebook Cover Photo How to Hide Your Page Likes on Facebook How to Block Strangers From Finding You on Facebook How to Disable Facebook's Facial Recognition Feature How to Disable Facebook Places Location Tracking How to Create a Follow Button on Facebook How to Remove Your Birthday From Facebook How to Send Photos to Facebook From iPad How to Use Parental Controls on Quest Headsets Foursquare's Swarm App: What It Is and How to Use It Newsletter Sign Up Newsletter Sign Up Newsletter Sign Up Newsletter Sign Up Newsletter Sign Up By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts. Cookies Settings Accept All Cookies