Table of Contents

How to Hide Who I Follow on Facebook (Mobile): The Definitive Guide

Want to maintain a bit more privacy on Facebook? You’re not alone! One common concern is who sees the accounts and pages you follow. While Facebook doesn’t offer a single, universal setting to completely hide your entire following list on mobile, there are effective strategies you can employ to significantly limit who sees this information. This guide breaks down exactly how to control who sees who you follow on Facebook mobile.

The core principle is to adjust the privacy settings for your “Following” list so that only you can see it. However, bear in mind this only affects the “Following” section of your profile. Other connections (like mutual friends or public likes) might still be visible.

Here’s the step-by-step process to restrict visibility of your “Following” list on the Facebook mobile app:

Open the Facebook App: Launch the Facebook app on your iOS or Android device.
Navigate to Your Profile: Tap on your profile picture (usually in the top left or bottom right corner, depending on your device) to access your profile page.
Access Your Profile Settings: Under your name and cover photo, look for the three dots (…). This icon leads to profile settings. Tap it.
Select “Edit Profile”: From the dropdown menu, choose “Edit Profile.”
Scroll Down to “Following”: On the Edit Profile page, scroll down until you locate the “Following” section. It will display the number of people and pages you currently follow.
Edit Privacy Settings: To the right of the “Following” section, you should see a globe icon (public), two little people icon (friends), or similar icon. This indicates the current privacy setting for who can see your following list. Tap on this icon.
Choose “Only Me”: From the options that appear, select “Only Me.” This ensures that only you can see the accounts and pages you follow.

Important Considerations:

This setting only applies to the “Following” section visible on your profile under your “About” information. It doesn’t hide your activity on the pages you follow (e.g., likes, comments).
Mutual Connections: If you and another person both follow the same page, your connection to that page might still be visible to your shared friends, even if you’ve hidden your overall following list.
Public Pages: Your likes and comments on public pages are generally visible to anyone, regardless of your privacy settings. This is because you’re interacting with publicly available content.
Past Activity: This change only affects future visibility. Past likes and follows might still be visible in activity logs or news feeds, depending on those platforms’ algorithms and the other user’s privacy settings.

FAQs: Diving Deeper into Facebook Privacy

Here are some common questions that arise when trying to manage privacy on Facebook, especially regarding who you follow:

Can I hide my followers, not just who I’m following?

No, Facebook does not provide a direct feature to hide your followers list entirely. The options are typically related to controlling who can send you follow requests (if you allow them) or adjusting the privacy of your posts so only followers you approve can see them. The focus is on who you follow, not who follows you. The number of followers is generally public.

If I hide my following list, will people know I’m following them?

No. Hiding your following list only affects who can see that list on your profile. The page or person you follow will not be notified that you’ve hidden your following list. They will still see you as a follower if they check their followers list. The privacy setting change is for your visibility, not theirs.

Does hiding my following list affect my friends seeing my comments on public pages?

No. Your comments on public pages are visible to anyone who can view that page, regardless of whether you’ve hidden your following list. When you interact with a public page, you’re essentially participating in a public forum.

Can I hide my likes on Facebook?

Yes, to some extent. You can control the audience of past posts you’ve liked using the “Activity Log” feature. You can also adjust the privacy settings of individual posts before you like them, ensuring that only “Only Me” can see that you’ve liked a specific post. However, hiding likes retroactively can be a tedious process. Additionally, likes on public pages are often visible publicly.

How do I access the Activity Log on the Facebook mobile app?

Go to your profile.
Tap the three dots (…).
Select “Activity Log.”

From the Activity Log, you can filter by “Likes and Reactions” and adjust the privacy settings for each item individually.

Can I hide my mutual friends with someone on Facebook?

No, Facebook doesn’t offer a way to hide mutual friends. Mutual friends are inherently visible because they represent shared connections. The very definition of a mutual friend implies a shared connection that both you and another person have.

If I block someone on Facebook, will they still see who I follow?

No. Blocking someone on Facebook prevents them from seeing almost everything on your profile, including who you follow, your posts, your photos, and more. It’s a comprehensive privacy measure.

What’s the difference between “Following” and “Friends” on Facebook?

“Friends” represent a two-way connection where both parties have confirmed the friendship. You see each other’s posts and updates (depending on privacy settings). “Following” is a one-way connection. You choose to see updates from a person or page, but they may not necessarily be your friend or follow you back. Public figures and brands often use the “Follow” feature more than the “Add Friend” feature.

How can I prevent people from following me on Facebook?

You can’t completely prevent people from following you if you have a public profile. However, if you set your profile to “Friends Only,” only your friends can see your posts, and people who aren’t your friends will only be able to send you a friend request, not follow you directly.

To adjust your follower settings:

Go to Settings & Privacy > Settings > Public Posts.
Change “Who Can Follow Me” to “Friends.”

Can I use a VPN to hide who I follow on Facebook?

No. A VPN (Virtual Private Network) hides your IP address and encrypts your internet traffic, primarily for security and anonymity purposes. It does not affect your Facebook privacy settings or how Facebook displays your information to others. Changing your location via VPN will not change who can see your following list.

Will hiding my following list make my profile more private overall?

Yes, it’s a step in the right direction. While it doesn’t address every aspect of privacy, limiting who can see your following list reduces the amount of information available to others about your interests and activities. Combining this with other privacy settings (like controlling who can see your posts and friend list) can significantly enhance your overall privacy.

If I make my following list “Only Me” on mobile, does it apply to the desktop version as well?

Yes, changes you make to your privacy settings on the Facebook mobile app are reflected across all platforms, including the desktop version of Facebook. Your settings are linked to your account, not the specific device you’re using.