How to Hide Friends on Facebook

This guide shows you how to hide your friends list on Facebook so other people can’t see who you’re connected with. You’ll learn how to adjust your privacy settings for both the mobile app and the desktop website, and what to do when the settings don’t stick.

What You’ll Need

• Access to your Facebook account (via the mobile app or a web browser)
• Your Facebook password (you may be asked to re-enter it for security)

Step-by-Step

On the Facebook Mobile App (iOS and Android)

1. Open the Facebook app and tap your profile picture in the top-left corner to go to your profile.
2. Tap the three-dot menu (⋯) next to the “Edit Profile” button.
3. Select “View As” from the menu. This shows you what your profile looks like to the public. You’ll see a banner at the top saying “This is what your profile looks like to the public.”
4. On that banner, tap “Edit Privacy”.
5. Scroll down to the “Friends” section and tap “Friends” next to it.
6. Choose who can see your friends list. The options are:
   • Public – anyone on or off Facebook
   • Friends – only your Facebook friends
   • Only Me – completely hidden from everyone else
   • Custom – choose specific friends or lists to exclude
7. Select “Only Me” (or your preferred option) and tap “Done” in the top-right corner.
8. Tap “Done” again on the privacy shortcut screen to save your changes.

On the Facebook Website (Desktop)

1. Go to facebook.com and log in.
2. Click your name or profile picture in the top-left menu to go to your profile.
3. Click the “Friends” tab just below your cover photo.
4. Click the three-dot menu (⋯) on the right side of the “Friends” tab header.
5. Select “Edit Privacy” from the dropdown.
6. A pop-up window will appear with a “Who can see your friends list?” dropdown. Click it and select “Only Me” (or your preferred audience).
7. Click “Done” to save.

Hiding Your Friends List from Specific People

1. Follow steps 1-5 from the mobile app section (or steps 1-5 from the desktop section) to reach the friends list privacy settings.
2. Choose “Custom” instead of “Only Me.”
3. In the “Don’t share with” field, type the names of people you want to hide your list from.
4. Click “Save Changes” (desktop) or “Done” (mobile).

Common Mistakes

• Only hiding your profile, not the list. Changing your profile photo or cover photo privacy doesn’t affect your friends list. You must change the specific “Friends” privacy setting.
• Forgetting the “View As” step. On mobile, if you skip the “View As” option and go directly to Settings, you might end up in the wrong menu. The “Edit Privacy” shortcut only appears in the “View As” banner.
• Using the wrong “Friends” setting. There are two similar settings: “Who can see your friends list?” and “Who can see the people you follow?” Make sure you’re editing the first one.
• Not saving after changing. If you just tap the option and close the menu without hitting “Done” or “Save,” your change won’t apply.
• Assuming hiding the list hides your friend count. Your friend count (e.g., “1,234 friends”) is still visible on your profile even when the list itself is hidden. If you want to hide the count too, you’ll need to make your entire profile private or limit profile visibility.

Tips

• Check with “View As.” After changing the setting, use “View As” again to see exactly what a public visitor or a specific friend sees. This confirms your change worked.
• Review old posts. Hiding your friends list doesn’t hide old posts where you tagged friends. If you want those hidden too, you’ll need to adjust the privacy of those individual posts.
• Use friend lists for finer control. If you only want to hide your list from coworkers, create a “Coworkers” friend list and exclude them using the “Custom” option.
• Remember mutual friends. Even with your list on “Only Me,” mutual friends can still see that you and another person are both friends with them. This is a Facebook limitation you can’t change.
• Review your activity log. Your friends list changes (adds/removes) appear in your activity log. You can clear or hide these if you don’t want them visible.

Troubleshooting

• You don’t see the “Edit Privacy” option. This usually happens on the mobile app if you haven’t tapped “View As” first. Go to your profile, tap the three-dot menu, choose “View As,” and then look for the “Edit Privacy” button on the banner at the top.
• The setting reverts to “Public” after a few days. This can happen if you’ve changed your privacy settings through a different menu (like the main Settings > Privacy page) afterward. Go back and reapply the “Only Me” setting, and avoid changing other privacy settings in the same session.
• Friends can still see your list. If you selected “Only Me” but friends still report seeing your list, you might have an old cached version of your profile. Ask them to refresh the page or log out and back in. If the issue persists, double-check that you saved the change and that you didn’t accidentally select “Friends” instead of “Only Me.”
• You can’t find the Friends tab on your profile. On the desktop site, the Friends tab is directly below your cover photo, next to “Photos” and “More.” If you don’t see it, you might be looking at a different profile (someone else’s). On mobile, the Friends tab appears as an icon with two silhouettes.
• Facebook is asking you to confirm your identity. If Facebook suspects unusual activity, it may ask you to re-enter your password or complete a security check before saving privacy changes. Complete the verification and try again.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can people still see my friends if I hide my list?
No, they can’t see the list of your friends. However, they can still see mutual friends on other people’s profiles, and your friend count remains visible.

Does hiding my friends list hide my friend count?
No. The number of friends you have is still shown on your profile even when the list itself is hidden. To hide the count, you’d need to limit who can see your profile overall.

Will my friends be notified when I hide my friends list?
No, Facebook doesn’t send notifications when you change your privacy settings. Your friends won’t be told.

Can I hide my friends list from just one person?
Yes. Use the “Custom” option and add that person to the “Don’t share with” field. They won’t see your friends list, but everyone else (depending on your other settings) will.

If I hide my friends list, can I still see my own friends?
Yes, you always have full access to your own friends list. The privacy setting only affects what others see.

Does this hide my followers as well?
No. Your followers (people who follow you but aren’t friends) are a separate setting. To hide those, go to Settings > Privacy and adjust “Who can see the people, Pages and lists you follow.”

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