{"id":95453,"date":"2023-05-04T06:00:00","date_gmt":"2023-05-04T10:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.online-tech-tips.com\/?p=95453"},"modified":"2024-05-30T22:32:56","modified_gmt":"2024-05-31T02:32:56","slug":"how-to-lock-and-unlock-your-facebook-profile","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.online-tech-tips.com\/how-to-lock-and-unlock-your-facebook-profile\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Lock and Unlock Your Facebook Profile"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

Have you come across a Facebook account marked with a white shield with a keyhole icon? That means this user activated a new Facebook privacy feature and locked their profile on Facebook from anyone who isn’t on their friends list. \n<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The option to lock Facebook profiles is only available in a handful of countries at the moment, but it’s possible to adjust your profile settings to get the same level of privacy. Here’s how to lock and unlock your Facebook profile and what happens when you do. \n<\/p>\n\n\n

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Why Lock Your Facebook Profile\n<\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

A profile lock was first introduced on Facebook back in 2020. It’s a privacy feature that allows you to lock your Facebook profile so that most of your content and activity on the Facebook app is visible to your Facebook friends only. \n<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Social media networks are fascinating, but Facebook in particular has a reputation for not being a safe space for everyone. The lock profile option was originally launched in India in order for Indians (especially Indian women) to stay safe online and protect their privacy. \n<\/p>\n\n\n\n

When you enable the profile lock feature on your Facebook account, the Facebook users that aren’t in your friends list will only see a limited view of your profile page. For example, they won’t be able to see your Facebook photos, the full-size version of your profile picture, and your cover photo. Any new posts that you publish after you lock your profile will also be invisible to everyone but your Facebook friends. \n<\/p>\n\n\n

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Aside from that, all your previous public posts won’t be public anymore and will automatically be set to “Friends<\/span>” instead of “Public<\/span>.” Profile Review and Tag Review options will be turned on automatically. Most of your About info from your profile (like your city, education, birthday, and mobile phone number) will be hidden from everyone but your friends. Your Facebook Stories will also only be visible to those on your Facebook friends list<\/a>. \n<\/p>\n\n\n\n

If you want to stay active on Facebook but don’t want the non-friends to see this activity, locking your profile is a great way to make this change discreetly. \n<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How to Lock Your Facebook Profile\n<\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

Today, the feature still isn’t available in some countries. The easiest way to find out whether the feature works in your country is to follow our step-by-step guide on using the Facebook profile lock. If Facebook profile locking is available in your country, you can use your Android smartphone, Apple iPhone, iPad, or computer to lock your account. \n<\/p>\n\n\n\n

How to Lock Your Facebook Profile on Mobile \n<\/span><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

To lock your Facebook profile on your smartphone, follow the steps below. The steps are the same for both Android and iOS users. \n<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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  1. On your smartphone, open the Facebook app and log into your account.\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  2. Select your profile photo<\/span> on top of the screen to go to your profile page.\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n
  3. Select the three horizontal dots icon<\/span> to open your Profile Settings<\/span>.\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n
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    1. If the feature is available in your country, you’ll see an option to Lock Profile<\/span> towards the bottom of the three-dots menu. \n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n
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      1. Select Lock Profile,<\/span> and you’ll be taken to the pop-up window with information about what happens when your profile’s locked. Select Lock your profile<\/span> at the bottom of the screen to confirm. \n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n

        You’ll then see a message confirming that You locked your profile<\/span> and your Facebook content is now only visible to your friends. Select Ok<\/span> to close the lock profile window and continue using Facebook as usual. \n<\/p>\n\n\n\n

        How to Lock Your Profile on Desktop \n<\/span><\/h4>\n\n\n\n

        To lock your profile using your computer (desktop or laptop), follow the steps below. The instructions are the same for Windows, Mac, Linux, and Chromebook users. \n<\/p>\n\n\n\n

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        1. On your computer, open the web browser and navigate to Facebook. \n<\/li>\n\n\n\n
        2. Log into your Facebook account.\n<\/li>\n\n\n\n
        3. In the top right corner, select your name<\/span> to open your Facebook profile page.\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n
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          1. On your profile page, in the tabs menu beneath your name, select the three dots icon<\/span> to the right of the Edit profile<\/span> option to open your profile settings. \n<\/li>\n\n\n\n
          2. From the drop-down menu, select Lock profile<\/span>.\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n
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            1. This will open the Lock Your Profile<\/span> window with the information on what happens after you lock your profile on Facebook. Select the blue Lock Your Profile<\/span> button.\n<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n\n\n\n

              That’s it. Only certain parts of your profile information and content will be visible to the public. The users will also see a blue shield icon next to your profile and a message confirming you locked your profile.\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n

              How to Unlock Your Facebook Profile\n<\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

              If you ever change your mind or want to make the contents of your Facebook profile public, you’ll need to unlock your profile. Luckily, unlocking your profile is just as easy as locking it. \n<\/p>\n\n\n\n

              You can unlock your Facebook profile using your smartphone or your computer. To do that, open Facebook and go to your profile page. Then open the three-dots menu, and select Unlock Profile<\/span> from your profile settings (you’ll see it in place of the Lock Profile <\/span>option). \n<\/p>\n\n\n\n

              That’s it! Now your profile is unlocked and you can make your personal information and activity on Facebook public. \n<\/p>\n\n\n\n

              Other Ways to Manage Your Privacy on Facebook\n<\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n

              What if, when you open your profile settings on Facebook, you don’t see an option to lock your profile? For one, it means the feature isn’t available in your country. However, that doesn’t mean you can’t make your info and Facebook activity private<\/a> and restrict some users from viewing your profile.\n<\/p>\n\n\n\n

              Here are a few ways to tweak your privacy settings on the network and strengthen your Facebook security. \n<\/p>\n\n\n\n