If you want to hide your FB photos, information, and online activity from strangers, you must learn how to lock your Facebook profile. This feature is similar to private accounts on Instagram; unless you accept their request, they can’t view your posts or anything from your timeline.
Let’s see how to lock Facebook profile on iPhone, and PC. If you are facing the FB lock feature not showing the issue, then we have a fix here. As a bonus, we have also shared a hack for users living in non-available countries to help them lock Facebook accounts. So let’s get started:
How To Lock Your Profile On Facebook In 2024?
The feature to lock profile on Facebook can be accessed from an Android, iPhone smartphone, or PC. Using the Lock Profile feature, you can easily block non-friends from viewing your Facebook timeline.
How To Lock Facebook Profile on iPhone (iOS devices)?
Earlier, Facebook ios didn’t have the “Lock Profile” feature, but with the latest update, iPhone users can also lock their FB profile directly from the Facebook app settings.
Here’s the step-by-step guide to help you lock Facebook account on iPhone:
- Open the Facebook app on your iPhone.
- Go to your profile page.
- Tap on the three dots next to the “edit profile” button.
- Go to the Lock Profile option.
- Tap on the ‘Lock Your Profile option.
And just like that, you have locked your Facebook profile on your iPhone.
How To Lock FB Profile On Android Phone?
If you have an android smartphone, then follow these steps to lock your Facebook account from unknown people:
- Open the Facebook app on your phone.
- Tap on the hamburger icon
- Go to your profile page.
- Select the three dots
- Tap on “Lock Profile”
- Confirm your decision to lock your FB profile by selecting “OK.”
How To Lock Facebook Profile From Stalkers On Desktop?
Locking your FB profile from your PC is also similar to the steps mentioned for your phone. You need to go to your profile page on Facebook and tap on the three dots at the top. Then follow the steps mentioned below:
- Go to Facebook.com
- Click on your profile picture in the right menu.
- Now, click on the three dots in the top menu bar’s far right corner.
- Select the Lock Profile option from the drop-down menu
- Click on the Lock Your Profile blue button.
If you don’t see the lock option on your Facebook browser interface, then the chances are that the feature is not yet been launched in your country. If you can see the feature on your mobile app but not on your desktop, then that doesn’t mean you can’t block your FB profile from stalkers. Here’s a solution to keep your Facebook account hidden from stalkers and everyone you want to hide your information from:
- On your computer, go to Facebook’s official website and log in with your existing Facebook account.
- Now, in the profile URL, replace the ‘www’ with ‘m’. ( ‘m.facebook.com/yourprofilename’ ) will now be the URL.
- On your PC, this URL will take you to the mobile version of Facebook, where you will now see the ‘three dots’ menu next to the ‘Edit Profile’ option.
- When you go deeper into the ‘three dot’ menu, you’ll see a ‘Lock Profile option.’
When you select the ‘Lock your Profile’ option, a pop-up window will display on the screen that states ‘you have locked your profile.’
Why I Can’t Lock My Facebook Profile?
If you don’t find the lock profile option on your profile page settings, then there’s only one significant reason for the same.
- Live in Non-Available Country: This new feature to hide your profile from non-friends on Facebook is currently only available in a few countries. So if the lock Facebook Profile setting is not showing, then chances are you live in a country that doesn’t have this feature yet. Countries like Pakistan, the Philippines, Canada, Bangladesh, Mexico, USA are among the many countries that don’t have the Facebook lock profile feature.
UPDATED: The users in UAE can now find the lock profile option on their profile as the feature has recently been launched there.
How To Lock Facebook Profile in Non-Available Countries?
If you live in one of a non-available country like the USA, you can’t lock your Facebook profile by following the simple process mentioned above. You can use the VPN method to lock your FB profile, but why go through all that trouble of setting up a VPN when there is a more accessible alternative?
Download Facebook Lite from the play store and follow the steps mentioned below to lock your FB account in the USA or any other country where the Lock Profile feature is unavailable:
Step 1: Open the Facebook Lite settings
To lock your profile in a non-available country, you need an android phone with the Facebook lite app. Sign in to your account once you have downloaded the FB lite app. Then tap on the hamburger icon(three vertical lines) to open the menu.
Step 2: Change the Language
From the menu, go to language. Scroll to the bottom of the list. Select the last seventh language from all the languages. We also don’t know what the language is, but this hack will work. Select this language, as this country apparently has the lock your Facebook profile feature. Enabling this language would make it like you are in that country. So you can easily access the lock profile feature. Now the entire app would switch to the new language. It would get difficult to understand what to do next. So follow the images correctly, and you will be alright.
Step3: Open Settings from the Menu
Click on the three vertical lines and go to settings. Look for the settings icon to find the settings.
Step4: Select Lock Profile
In the settings, find the privacy section. Just imitate the actions in the images. Find the lock profile icon and tap on it. Don’t confuse it with other similar password and security options.
Click on the blue buttons. You will see two blue buttons consecutively confirming your decision to lock your Facebook account.
Step 5: Return the Language to the original
Just follow the steps mentioned in the image.
You have successfully locked your Facebook profile in a non-available country. Once you switch back the language, your account will still be locked. Your FB lite profile is now locked.
How To Unlock Facebook Profile?
Knowing how to unlock a Facebook profile is important when you have locked your FB profile. Here’s how you can unlock your FB profile:
- Go to your profile page on Facebook.
- Tap on the three dots on your profile.
- Tap on the “Unlock profile” option.
- Follow the onscreen instructions to confirm your decision to unlock your FB profile.
The steps to unlock Facebook profile are same for iPhone, android as well as PC.
What Happens When You Lock Your Facebook Profile?
Once you have locked your profile on Facebook, here’s what will happen to your account:
- Only your friends will be able to see your profile picture in full size. Strangers can still see your FB DP, but they won’t be able to click on it and maximize it.
- Other than your friends, no one would be able to view your photos and posts. However, if you have any shared albums or posts on public pages or groups, then they will remain public.
- Only your friends will be able to view your Facebook stories.
- Furthermore, any public posts you’ve shared in the past will be changed to Friends; the profile and tag reviews will be enabled.
- Only a subset of your “About” information(5 profile details) will be available to everyone when you lock your FB profile.
If you want to hide your friend list or block someone specific on Facebook then you don’t have to lock your FB profile, there are separate settings that can help you. Especially when you live in a country where the feature has not been introduced yet.
Remember, locking your FB profile doesn’t change how people search and find you on Facebook. If a stranger searches for you by your name, username or email address, then your profile will appear in the search results as before.
Other Ways to Manage Your Privacy
If the lock profile option is not showing on your FB account, you can still manage your privacy using your privacy settings.
- Check your privacy using Privacy Checkup.
- Choose who you want to share your posts, photos, and other data with.
- Edit basic information and control who has access to it.
- Change the privacy settings for your Facebook story
- Enable profile review.
- Activate tag review.
- Set the profile picture guard to on.
- Control who can friend and follow you.
- Control who can look you up using your email address or phone number.
Now you can quickly get the “profile locked” sign on your Facebook profile. So no one other than your FB friends can view your photos. If you live in a country where Facebook has not yet launched this feature, then you can use our Facebook lite hack to get access to this special feature.
There are other ways to manage privacy that helps you protect your account from people you don’t know if you still don’t want to use the process of how to lock Facebook profile. If you want to check who has been blocked from seeing your profile, then check out this article and find out who you have blocked in the past.