Alex Ruben
How To Conceal Mutual Friends on Facebook: The Complete Guide
Getting privacy on Facebook can sometimes feel like trying to crack a code. Maybe you want to keep your mutual friends hidden but aren’t quite sure how or where to find those settings. Or maybe the app just isn’t clear about what’s changing after an update. This guide’s here to clarify the process—kind of messy, but it works. Basically, you’ll learn how to hide your mutual friends, making your friend list a little less stalker-friendly. Expect to spend a few minutes poking around the privacy settings, but afterwards, your connections stay more private, or at least, that’s the goal.
How to Fix Visibility of Mutual Friends on Facebook
Accessing the Facebook App Settings
First things first, make sure your Facebook app is updated—because of course, Facebook has to make privacy more complicated than necessary. Open up your app, find that menu icon three horizontal lines. On iOS, it’s usually at the bottom right; on Android, probably at the top right. If the menu looks weird or you’re on an old version, consider updating the app through the App Store or Play Store. Once in the menu, navigate to Settings & Privacy, then tap Settings. This is where most of the magic (or chaos) happens.
Locating the Privacy Settings
Scroll down until you see Privacy. Yeah, it might be buried—Facebook loves hiding that stuff. Tap on Privacy Settings and Tools. Here’s where they keep the options to control who sees what, including your friend list and mutual friends.
Finding and Adjusting Who Can See Your Friends List
Look for the section labeled How others see your information or something similar, then find the option titled Who can see your friends list?. Tap on it. On some setups, this might just be under the main privacy options or within a submenu called Privacy Settings.
Kind of weird, but if you don’t see this option directly, you might need to check the older interface or Facebook’s new layout. Sometimes it’s a bit scattered, which is frustrating.
Selecting the Private Setting
Here’s the crucial step: you want to pick Only Me. That makes sure no one else can see your friend list or any mutual friends. You might also see options like Friends, Friends except…, or Specific friends—on one machine it worked, on another, not so much. Setting it to Only Me is your best bet for complete privacy.
Note that while this hides your friends list, it’s a bit limited—Facebook doesn’t give more granular control over mutual friends visibility directly from the menu. For that, a workaround like restricting who can see your profile or using ‘Audience’ settings for your entire profile could help.
Saving the Changes
Don’t forget to hit Save. Sounds simple, but sometimes people forget. Once saved, revisit your profile to check if your mutual friends aren’t showing up anymore. Sometimes Facebook needs a refresh or logging out and back in — just be aware that changes aren’t always instant or perfect. On one setup it worked, on another… not so much.
Extra Tips & Common Problems
If after all this your mutual friends still pop up, try clearing the app cache or even uninstalling and reinstalling Facebook. Also, check your profile’s audience settings under Profile and Tagging — sometimes that overrides privacy settings. If Facebook updates their UI, you might need to hunt around again, as it’s not always straightforward.
Another one to try—make sure you’re not using the desktop version, because sometimes mobile and browser settings differ. Don’t forget to review your privacy periodically, especially after app updates, since Facebook loves messing with defaults.
Wrap-up
So yeah, hiding mutual friends isn’t super straightforward, but it’s doable. Just a matter of finding the right menus and understanding that Facebook’s privacy controls are not exactly seamless. Expect some trial and error, especially with new layouts or app versions. Hopefully, this shaves off a few hours for someone.
Summary
- Check you’re running the latest version of Facebook.
- Navigate to Settings & Privacy > Settings.
- Find Privacy, then locate Who can see your friends list?.
- Set it to Only Me.
- Tap Save and double-check your profile.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I hide mutual friends from specific people?
Not really. The visibility options are mostly global; you can hide your friends list from everyone or keep it open. For specific people, you’d need a different approach, like blocking or restricting them entirely.
Will hiding my friends list stop notifications about mutual friends?
Nope, hiding the list just prevents outsiders from seeing it on your profile. Friend suggestions or mutual friend notifications are still based on Facebook’s algorithms and settings.
How often should I revisit my privacy settings?
Honestly, after every big update or if privacy is a big deal for you, check in periodically. Facebook’s privacy controls change a lot without warning—a true pain in the ass.