Why would someone make their friends list private on facebook

• You can hide your friends list on Facebook by going to your profile's Privacy settings.
• By default, your friends list is public, and anyone with a Facebook account can see who is on it.
• You can hide your friends list so that only your friends, or no one at all, can see it.

By default, your Facebook profile information, posts, and even your friends are available for all to see. It's often convenient for your friends list to be public, because it can help people find and connect with you.

If you prefer, you can restrict who can see your entire friends list using Facebook's privacy settings. You might not want everyone to see it, especially if you want to mask the identity of some friends from others. Or perhaps you just value your privacy and don't want everyone to know who you're connected to online.

Here's how to hide your friends list on Facebook.

How to hide your friends on Facebook via web browser

1. Open Facebook in a web browser.

2. Click your profile picture in the top right corner.

3. In the dropdown menu, click Settings & privacy.

4. Click Settings.

5. In the left side menu, click Privacy.

6. In the section called How people can find and contact you, click Edit next to Who can see your friends list?

7. Click the dropdown to reveal a list of options. You can choose: Public, Friends, Friends except, Specific friends, Only me, or Custom.

How to hide your friends on Facebook via a mobile device

1. Open the Facebook app on your iPhone or Android device.

2. Tap the three horizontal lines (this is the hamburger menu). On an iPhone, this is in the bottom right corner of the screen; on an Android, it's in the top right corner.

3. Tap Settings & Privacy.

4. Tap Settings in the dropdown menu.

5. In the Audience and visibility section, tap How people can find and contact you.

6. Tap Who can see your friends list?

7. Choose who you want to be able to see your friends list. You can choose: Public, Friends, Friends except, Specific friends, or Only me. 

Dave Johnson

Freelance Writer

Dave Johnson is a technology journalist who writes about consumer tech and how the industry is transforming the speculative world of science fiction into modern-day real life. Dave grew up in New Jersey before entering the Air Force to operate satellites, teach space operations, and do space launch planning. He then spent eight years as a content lead on the Windows team at Microsoft. As a photographer, Dave has photographed wolves in their natural environment; he's also a scuba instructor and co-host of several podcasts. Dave is the author of more than two dozen books and has contributed to many sites and publications including CNET, Forbes, PC World, How To Geek, and Insider.

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Ok this is not a big deal, but I've just noticed that a few of my friends on Facebook won't let me see who's on their list.

Why is this?

Does anyone know, is it a trend or something - 3 people have done this, and I don't get it.

I think mine is like this but only because I set my profile to maximum privacy - I didn't look at the options in detail.

(Original post by Pickford)
They have no friends

No one of them had like 450 friends, and lately I noticed she changed it to make sure I couldn't see them.

It might be coz someone I know, told them I add people I don't know that well sometimes

It's this new privacy protocol put forward by facebook.
It asked me today if I wanted to change a few security details...

(Original post by danni_bella)
Ok this is not a big deal, but I've just noticed that a few of my friends on Facebook won't let me see who's on their list.

Why is this?

Does anyone know, is it a trend or something - 3 people have done this, and I don't get it.

I don't know about you, but 3 people make up less than 1% of my friends on facebook. Hardly a 'trend' now, is it?

(Original post by Aack)
I think mine is like this but only because I set my profile to maximum privacy - I didn't look at the options in detail.

Nah, coz I can see their posts, friends posts and everything else. Just not their friends list

I can't work it out. Jealousy? That one of her friends might take a fancy to me (in a friendship way of course).

(Original post by danni_bella)
Nah, coz I can see their posts, friends posts and everything else. Just not their friends list

I can't work it out. Jealousy? That one of her friends might take a fancy to me (in a friendship way of course).

Read my post.

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/articl...87007BB3A7.DTL

you add people you havent met...why?

(Original post by sugarjunkie001)
you add people you havent met...why?

TO meet new people? Facebook and other networking websites are a common way to meet new people now, like a free dating website.

TO meet new people? Facebook and other networking websites are a common way to meet new people now, like a free dating website.

oh ok, fair enough. erm, i dont know i havent seen people hide their friends list before, i guess it can be from 'maximum secrecy' settings or something. perhaps just to be cool like on myspace haha

I think it might be psychological.

(Original post by danni_bella)
Ok this is not a big deal, but I've just noticed that a few of my friends on Facebook won't let me see who's on their list.

Why is this?

Does anyone know, is it a trend or something - 3 people have done this, and I don't get it.

To stop people like you stalking them? I know I wouldn't be very fond if I heard someone I didn't really know (or even in cases where I do know them) went through my entire friends list.

In addition, some people might not care to show off how many friends they have on Facebook; it's not a popularity contest, so they shouldn't feel obliged to show their friends list for all those who want to delve into it.

I don't see why you'd want to see their friendslist anyway. You're looking into it too much.

Noone can see whose wall I write a message on, who my friends are, my tagged photos, my tagged videos or anything like that
it's noone's buisness apart from my own...

(Original post by Ladipidoo)
I think it might be psychological.

LOL, this is actually true. A friend of mine added MY friends whom she didn't even know, and I was like

(Original post by KiiNGofLONDON)
I don't know about you, but 3 people make up less than 1% of my friends on facebook. Hardly a 'trend' now, is it?

Someone thinks they're popular ....

(Original post by SiaSiaSia)
Noone can see whose wall I write a message on, who my friends are, my tagged photos, my tagged videos or anything like that
it's noone's buisness apart from my own...

How do you do that

Probably to stop other people from 'stealing their friends'.

I'm tempted to do the same actually, because one of my friends goes around compulsively adding everyone else's friends... It's just damn well irritating. :/

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