How to Hide Friends List on Facebook?

Facebook as an interactive social media platform is to an extreme level is invading our confidential information. But that does not in any way compromise the popular outreach as well as influence on the netizens. If you are someone who does not want to let others spy on your Facebook profile especially those who all are on your friend list. Then, this article is for you. Learn through this article how to hide friends list on Facebook from desktop and smartphone applications.

Hide facebook friends list

How does hiding a friend list on Facebook help?

The world has become transparent with the advent of social networking platforms like Facebook. Open access to a Facebook account by outsiders can prove harmful for you as anybody can then stalk your Facebook friend lists. Before knowing how to hide friend list on Facebook!, therefore you should know its importance.

  • It prevents stalking activity.

When you hide your Facebook friend lists it in a way blocks the random stalking of outsiders to your account. For that matter, not only outsiders get prevented from stalking but your Facebook friends also can’t view your entire friend list except the mutual friends. It is helpful for you when you do not like your friend’s habit of stalking your other friends from the list. So, by simply following the Facebook instructions you can prevent unnecessary stalking for friend lists.

  • It hides your friend count.

Many Facebook users are not at all okay with sharing Facebook friends count with others. They feel it is an invasion of privacy. So, with a hiding friend list, you would get the option of maintaining the secrecy of the total Facebook friend counts on your account.

  • To prevent random spamming of Facebook friends.

Well, both unknown as well as within your Facebook friends you will find few annoying ones, who would bother other friends on your Facebook list by spamming them with messages. So, if you are protective about your Facebook friends you can save them from random spamming of strangers to their account.

How to hide friend lists on Facebook by using a web browser?

As you very well know, everyone can use Facebook from web browsers apart from installing Facebook or Facebook lite apps. So from there, you can hide your Facebook friend list. For that, you have to open your Facebook account with your email id and password. The rest you will find downwards.

  • Step 1. Login to your Facebook account by using web browsers like google chrome.
  • Step 2. When the home page opens up for you, then you straight away go to the top right side corner of the webpage. There you can find a downward pointing arrow, tap on it.
  • Step 3. When you tap on the downward arrow a slide menu will open. There tap on settings and privacy > settings. ( For your convenience, you will find an option with a usual settings icon available at the bottom of the page).
  • Step 4. You have to select the privacy from the paned web browser screen’s left side.
  • Step 5. There you will find a section with the label on how people can find and contact you.
  • Step 6. On that section from a wide range of options, choose who can see your friend list option. There, tap on edit.
  • Step 7. From there you have to choose the downward-facing arrow for selecting from the given option. Let’s have a look at the given choices-
    • Public: If you choose the public option, then everyone irrespective of friends or unknown individuals can view your friend list.
    • Friends: When you choose the friends option, then all your friends from Facebook can view what you intend to hide, that is the friend list.
    • Friends except: This option was added later by the Facebook team. With this option, only those who are from your friend list and you select to hide from, ain’t be able to view the friend list. Besides that when you choose the option, Facebook will present you the entire friend list. And from there you have to select the names you wish to hide your list from.
    • Custom: The second last option available to you is by selecting custom. When you select a custom, you can control who can see and who can’t see your Facebook list. With custom options, you can select to enter specific names. For instance, no one except XYZ can view the list.
    • Only me. The last option available for you is only me. And when you select the option, your friend list gets concealed from everyone except you. No one even from your friend lists will be able to view your friend lists. However, in the case of mutual friends, it will be visible to your friends in the friend’s section of the page.
  • Step 8. Once done select from the options, you can click save changes for updating your changes.

How to hide friend lists and prevent unwanted friend requests on Facebook?

You may be overloaded with unwanted friend requests on Facebook. You can prevent some annoying persons from sending your friend request by following the below steps-

  1. Once you open the browser or mobile app, go to the main menu option.
  2. There again you have to visit the settings and privacy followed by the settings section.
  3. Tap on privacy followed by who can send me friend requests! Next to the option, you will find an edit radio box, click on it.
  4. From there you will get two options, everyone or friends of friends. The latter option will narrow down your spam possibilities and only friends of friends can send you requests. However, that also enables other people to send friend requests even if you know them.

How to hide friend list on Facebook for mobile phones?

Though the setup for both web browsers as well as the mobile-based Facebook application is almost similar. But the customization options for both outlets are slightly different. Facebook lite or Facebook pro apps don’t give you a fully customizable people list and instead offer some pre-configured options. It will get clear when you get to learn from the steps below.

  • Step 1. Install the Facebook lite or main Facebook app from the play store. And there opens the app.
  • Step 2. Here, instead of a downward arrow, you will find three horizontal dots indicating a menu icon. Tap on it. ( If you have an android then you will find the option at the upper right corner. And in case you have an iPhone, the option is present at the lower right side of the page).
  • Step 3. Select as usual privacy and settings. 
  • Step 4. Then click on settings. 
  • Step 5. Go to the privacy settings there.
  • Step 6. Then select who can see your friend list! There among various options, you like earlier. To select one. To get the full list, first tap on more followed by seeing all for a full list of options. 
    • Public option. Everyone irrespective of friends and outsiders can view your list. 
    • Friends. When you choose friends, anyone on your friend list can view the list.
    • Friends except. Every friend in the list except the personally selected friends can view it. 
    • Specific friends. Only specific selected friends can see the list.
    • Specific lists. The last option you can find is a group of friends listed by the Facebook team. Those are usually close friends with whom you are active on Facebook or nearby people are chosen. The list can vary but one thing for sure is that the listed people are those with whom you are well engaged. With this option, you can select more than one list also.
  • Step 7. (Optional) When you choose specific friends or options, you have to select a list and then click on done.
  • Step 8. Once everything is completed click on save and return to the settings section.

Though you can hide your friend list from others still your mutual friends will remain visible for the friends.

An alternative to hiding a friend list from outsiders.

Apart from the above-mentioned way you can also hide your friend list from the outsiders, meaning those who are not on your friend list. You can do so by locking your Facebook profile. Here’s how to hide Facebook friend list by locking the Facebook profile. (Note the steps are only for Facebook applications and not for desktop web browsers).

  1. Step 1. On your Facebook app, go to the profile section.
  2. Step 2. The three-dot menu icon immediately after Facebook stories, tap on it.
  3. Step 3. You will notice a locked profile option there. Simply tap on it.
  4. Step 4. The next page will open where a brief about Facebook’s lock profile is explained. If you don’t know, have a look at it and if you do, then tap on the option given at the bottom of the page.
  5. Step 5. You can get confirmed that your profile has been locked when a pop-up notification related to your locked profile comes. Once completed tap on ok.

However, when you lock your profile, your friend list gets restricted from viewing only for the outsiders and not for your friends. So, you should use this way as a last resort when the primary way to do so fails.

Sum up.

Thus, if you are an active Facebook user, then perhaps you would know the importance of hiding a Facebook friend list. It maintains your confidentiality from everyone surrounding your Facebook profile. The above article explains in detail how to hide friend list on Facebook! So, if you still haven’t hidden your friend list immediately do so, to avoid stalking and spamming of Facebook accounts.