Turning off sharing on Facebook can help you maintain control over your personal information and who sees your posts. It’s a quick and easy process: you’ll access your account settings, navigate to privacy settings, and adjust who can see and share your posts. Following these steps will ensure that only the people you want to see your content will be able to do so.
How to Turn Off Sharing on Facebook
These steps will help you stop others from sharing your posts on Facebook, giving you more control over your content.
Step 1: Log in to Your Facebook Account
Open your web browser or Facebook app and log in to your account.
You can use any device, but it’s often easier to navigate settings on a larger screen.
Step 2: Access the Settings & Privacy Menu
Click the downward arrow icon at the top-right corner of the homepage, then select “Settings & Privacy.”
This menu is your go-to spot for all privacy-related controls on Facebook.
Step 3: Go to Privacy Shortcuts
From the “Settings & Privacy” menu, click on “Privacy Shortcuts.”
This will take you to a more detailed menu where you can adjust your privacy settings.
Step 4: Review Your Sharing Settings
Under “Your Activity,” click on “Who can see your future posts?” and set it to “Friends” or “Only Me.”
Changing this setting ensures that only your selected audience can see your posts, reducing the likelihood they will be shared.
Step 5: Restrict Past Posts
Still in the “Privacy Shortcuts,” click on “Limit the audience for posts you’ve shared with friends of friends or Public?” and set it to “Limit Past Posts.”
This step will change the visibility of your old posts to the selected audience, adding an extra layer of privacy.
Step 6: Adjust Post Sharing Options
While creating a post, click on the audience selector (usually set to “Friends” or “Public”) and choose “Friends except…” or “Only Me” to restrict who can share the post.
This ensures that specific posts have a customized sharing option, further limiting who can share them.
After completing these steps, your Facebook posts will be significantly more private, and the ability for others to share your content will be limited according to your preferences.
Tips for Turning Off Sharing on Facebook
- Regularly review your privacy settings to stay updated with any new features or changes.
- Consider using “Friends except…” to exclude specific people from sharing your posts.
- Use the “View As” feature to see how others view your profile and posts.
- Frequently update your audience settings for individual posts.
- Be cautious about what you post; the best privacy measure is to share less sensitive information.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I know if my posts are visible to the public?
Use the “View As” feature to view your profile as the public sees it. This can be accessed via the privacy shortcuts.
Can I stop specific friends from sharing my posts?
Yes, you can use the “Friends except…” option when setting the audience for individual posts.
What happens to old posts when I limit past posts?
Old posts will be visible only to friends, not friends of friends or the public.
Is there a way to make sure no one can share my posts at all?
Setting your post audience to “Only Me” ensures that no one else can see or share your posts.
Can I change these settings on the Facebook app?
Yes, the steps are similar, but the menus might look slightly different on the app.
Summary of Steps
- Log in to Facebook.
- Access the “Settings & Privacy” menu.
- Go to “Privacy Shortcuts.”
- Adjust who can see your future posts.
- Limit the audience for past posts.
- Customize post sharing options.
Conclusion
Turning off sharing on Facebook is an essential step in maintaining your online privacy. By adjusting your settings, you can control who sees and shares your content, making your social media experience safer and more enjoyable. It’s like locking your digital diary; only those you trust can peek inside. Regularly checking and updating your privacy settings can help keep you one step ahead of potential privacy risks.
Remember, while Facebook offers tools to enhance your privacy, the best practice is to be mindful of what you post and share. So go ahead, tighten those settings, and enjoy a more secure social media experience! For more information on managing your social media privacy, check out our other articles on digital safety.
Matthew Burleigh has been writing tech tutorials since 2008. His writing has appeared on dozens of different websites and been read over 50 million times.
After receiving his Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Computer Science he spent several years working in IT management for small businesses. However, he now works full time writing content online and creating websites.
His main writing topics include iPhones, Microsoft Office, Google Apps, Android, and Photoshop, but he has also written about many other tech topics as well.