Key takeaways
- Start with who can see your posts and who can find your profile
- Turn off location sharing and review tagging controls
- Remove old connected apps and turn on two step verification
Most social media apps are built to share as much as possible by default. That suits the platforms, which want your posts to reach more people, but it is not always what you want. A short social media privacy checkup on each app you use can limit who sees your posts, who can find you and how much of your activity is used for ads. It takes about ten minutes per app and you only need to do it once or twice a year.
App menus change often, so the paths below may look slightly different on your phone. Every major platform has a settings search box. Typing words like "privacy," "audience" or "location" usually takes you straight to the right page.
Start your social media privacy checkup with three questions
Before you touch a single toggle, decide your answers to three questions. They guide every setting below.
- Who should see your posts? Everyone, followers only, or a smaller list of friends?
- Who should be able to find and contact you? Anyone, or only people who already know you?
- How much should the app know about where you are? Most people need far less location sharing than apps ask for.
Facebook has a built in Privacy Checkup tool that walks you through the main settings step by step. Open the menu, go to Settings and Privacy, then look for Privacy Checkup.
The settings worth reviewing first:
- Who can see your future posts. Friends is a sensible default for most people.
- Limit past posts. This changes older public posts to friends only in one step.
- Who can look you up by email address or phone number.
- Profile details such as your birthday, hometown and workplace. Hide anything you would not tell a stranger.
- Tagging and timeline review, so you approve posts you are tagged in before they appear on your profile.
On Instagram, open your profile, tap the menu and open Settings. The most important choice is whether your account is private. A private account means only approved followers see your posts and stories.
Also check:
- Who can tag and mention you, and whether tags need your approval.
- Story controls, including whether people can reshare your stories.
- Activity status, which shows when you are online. Many people prefer to turn it off.
- Who can message you. Limiting message requests cuts down on spam and scams.
TikTok
In TikTok, go to your profile, open the menu and choose Settings and privacy, then Privacy.
- Private account limits who can see your videos to followers you approve.
- Suggest your account to others controls whether TikTok recommends your profile to contacts and people with mutual connections.
- Comments, duets and stitches can each be limited to friends or turned off.
- Direct messages can be restricted, which is especially important for teens.
If a teenager in your family uses TikTok, sit down and go through these together rather than changing them silently. Explaining why each setting matters makes it more likely to stick.
X
On X, open Settings, then Privacy and safety. Under Audience and tagging you can choose to protect your posts, which limits them to your approved followers.
Also review who can tag you in photos, whether people can find you by email or phone number, and which direct messages you accept. If you rarely post but read a lot, a protected account loses you very little.
Settings that apply everywhere
Some steps are worth taking on every platform.
Location
Turn off location tags on posts unless you have a reason to share them. On your phone, check which apps have location permission and set social apps to "never" or "while using." Posting vacation photos after you get home, rather than during the trip, is a simple safety habit.
Connected apps and old logins
Over the years you may have used "log in with Facebook" or similar buttons on dozens of sites and quizzes. Each one may still have access to some of your data. Look for a section called apps and websites, connected apps or similar, and remove anything you no longer use.
Ads and data use
Every major platform offers some control over ad personalization. You will still see ads, but you can often limit how much your activity off the app is used to target them. These settings are usually under an ads or ad preferences page.
Your login
Privacy settings do not help if someone else gets into your account. Turn on two step verification on every social app, use a unique password for each and check the list of devices signed in to your account. Our checklist to protect your online accounts in 10 minutes covers the details, and a password manager makes unique passwords painless.
Think before you post
Settings reduce exposure, but they cannot undo what is already public or what others share. Short clips of your voice can be used to clone it, as our guide to AI deepfake scams explains. Before posting, ask whether you would be comfortable with a stranger seeing it.
For more on how platforms handle your data, see our guide to spotting fake accounts and impersonation scams and follow our tech coverage.
Frequently asked questions
Does a private account make me fully private?
No. Approved followers can still screenshot or share what you post, and some profile details may remain visible. A private account is a strong first step, not a guarantee.
How often should I do a privacy checkup?
Once or twice a year, and whenever an app announces a major update. New features sometimes arrive with sharing turned on.
Will these settings stop ads?
No. You will still see ads, but you can often limit how much your activity is used to personalize them.
Should teenagers use private accounts?
For most teens, yes. A private account plus limits on messages and comments greatly reduces contact from strangers.
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