How to Enhance Your Privacy on Social Media
It’s common to find oneself in a situation on social media where being social feels like too much, even among loved ones. Whether it’s parents, children, or old classmates, the desire for privacy can lead to hesitation. Perhaps there’s a wish to keep certain aspects of your online presence distinct from your real-world interactions.
Fortunately, everyone has the ability to minimize their online discoverability. Major social platforms empower users to dictate who can find them, ensuring that unwelcome connections—from nosy relatives to distant acquaintances—remain less likely. Below are some strategies to help you remain less visible on various social media platforms such as Facebook, Instagram, and others.
General Privacy Tips for Any Social Media Platform
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When you create a profile on any social media site, adhere to a few basic principles to safeguard your privacy: Firstly, provide minimal personal information—consider using a pseudonym and a non-identifiable profile picture.
Many social networks suggest connections based on your phone’s contact list. If possible, avoid entering your phone number, or use an alternative one. While an email address is typically required, consider utilizing a secondary one, or services that offer temporary email addresses, such as Apple’s Hide My Email.
Be sure to opt out of connection prompts when setting up your account, and refrain from allowing the app to access your phone’s contacts. If choosing a username, select one that wouldn’t easily connect back to your real identity. Additionally, creating a second profile with different details is a viable option for maintaining anonymity.
Keeping Your Instagram Account Private
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Instagram allows you to set your account to private, meaning only those you approve can view your posts. You can select this option during setup or later by accessing your profile, tapping the menu icon (three lines in the top right corner), and selecting Account Privacy > Private Account.
In this same privacy menu, an Allow Profile Picture Expansion switch is available; turn it off to prevent others from enlarging your profile picture. Access Tags and Mentions settings to control who can tag or mention you, allowing for varied restrictions according to your preferences.
For hidden settings not available in the app, visit Instagram on the web, select Profile followed by Edit Profile, and then disable the Show Account Suggestions on Profiles option. This will prevent your profile from being suggested on other accounts.
Staying Unseen on X (formerly Twitter)
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Since its rebranding to X, the platform, under new management, continues to offer similar privacy features. You can make your profile private, limiting visibility to approved connections. This can be established during account registration or by selecting your profile picture, navigating to Settings & Support > Settings and Privacy > Privacy and Safety > Audience and Tagging > Protect Your Posts.
In the Privacy and Safety menu, the section labeled Discoverability and Contacts allows you to deactivate options so that others cannot locate you via your email or phone number. By disabling contact syncing, you significantly reduce your discoverability.
Moreover, refine your privacy within Direct Messages by setting preferences for who can contact or message you. This control adds another layer of security to ensure unwanted contacts can’t reach you.
Keeping Your Facebook Profile Private
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While you can’t achieve the same level of privacy on Facebook as on Instagram or X, there are still ways to control your visibility. Access the app, tap the menu button (three lines), and navigate to Settings & Privacy > Settings > How People Can Find and Contact You to discover multiple options regarding your privacy.
Utilize the settings under People with Your Email Address and People with Your Phone Number to manage who can find you and appear in friend suggestions. Additionally, control who can send you friend requests, further refining your connection parameters.
For increased privacy, delve into your profile visibility options located under Profile Details and Posts, where you can adjust what information is publicly accessible, ensuring that only friends can see your shared content.
