How do I edit my Wall privacy settings?

You can control who is allowed to see specific elements of your Wall from the "Sharing on Facebook" section of your Privacy Settings page. You can choose one of the four simple privacy settings groupings: Everyone, Recommended, Friends of friends or Friends only. For more detailed settings options, click "Customize settings."

To remove a particular Wall story:

1. Hover your mouse over the right corner of the Wall story
2. Click the "Remove" button

To turn off Wall stories published by specific applications:

1. Go to the Application Settings page from the Account drop down menu.
2. Click the "Edit Settings" link next to the application you would like to edit.
3. Select the Additional Permissions tab in the box that appears and uncheck the box next to "Publish recent activity to my Wall."
4. Click the "Okay" button.

How do I hide certain News Feed and Wall story types?

Facebook allows you to block many News Feed and Wall story types, but it does not allow you to block all of them.

To prevent stories about information that you edit on your profile (e.g., your work information or relationship status) from appearing on your Wall by following these steps, first go to the Privacy Settings page from the Account drop-down menu.

• To change the settings for information that falls under the "Work and Education" or "Likes and Interests" section of your profile, follow the "View settings" link in the "Basic Directory Information" section.
• To change the settings for information that falls under the "About Me" section on your profile (e.g., Relationship Status or Family), follow the "Customize settings" link in the "Sharing on Facebook" section.

If you want to remove a particular Wall story, simply click the "Remove" button that appears to the right of the story after you move your mouse over it. Removing the Wall story does not prevent a News Feed story from being generated.

Remember, other users can only see Wall stories about these actions if they have permission to see them elsewhere on the site. For example, if you create a secret event that they are not invited to, they will not see a story about it. If someone is viewing your profile and they are not allowed to see your photo albums, they will not see any Wall stories about you adding photos.

Who can see when my friends post or write on my Wall in News Feed?

When a friend writes or posts something on your Wall, that post will only appear as a News Feed story for friends that both of you share in common.

For example, if Greg writes on John's Wall and both are friends with Dave, Dave would see the Wall post story in his News Feed. However, if John is not friends with Greg's sister Kathy, then Kathy will not see the Wall post story in her News Feed.

Is it possible to approve Wall posts before they are added?

Unfortunately, there is currently no way of approving Wall posts before they are posted to your Wall.

Who can see my Wall?

There are three types of content on your Wall, and you can control who can see them by following the instructions below.

• Posts your friends leave. Posts, comments, and other things your friends leave on your Wall are controlled by a group of settings in the "Sharing on Facebook" section on the Privacy Settings page. To adjust these settings individually, follow the "Customize settings" link and scroll down to the "Things others share" section.
• Posts you create. Status updates, photos, links and other things you post are controlled by the "Posts by Me" setting in the "Sharing on Facebook" section on the Privacy Settings page. Follow the "Customize settings" link to adjust this setting individually. Keep in mind the "Posts by Me" setting is a just default for things you post. You always have the option to adjust the privacy for individual posts before you share them by clicking the lock icon directly from the Publisher.
• Recent Activity. These stories are determined by the privacy setting of the content itself. For example, if someone would already be permitted to see a particular photo and comments, then they would also be able to see the Recent Activity story about you making a comment on the photo. While you cannot completely turn off recent activity stories, you can remove a particular story by clicking the "Remove" button that appears to the right of the story after you move your mouse over it.

Can my friends see photos on their Walls that I've restricted them from seeing?

News Feed will not display any actions or content that your friends normally would not be allowed to see. For example, if you are tagged in a photo that some of your friends are not allowed to view, these friends will not see a News Feed story about this action, and users who are unable to view your photos will not be able to see News Feed and Wall stories about your friends commenting on these photos.

Note that if you select the "Friends Only" settings profile in the "Sharing on Facebook" section of your privacy settings, you will have the option to allow friends of people tagged in your photos and other content to view them. For example, this would allow Sally's mother to view a photo of Sally that you posted, even if you aren't friends with Sally's mother.

I restricted a user from seeing my Wall posts, but they can still see my Wall.

Restricting a user from seeing your Wall posts does not restrict them from seeing all the stories on your Wall. While the user will not be able to view Wall posts that you or your friends write directly on your Wall, they might still be able to view stories about your activity on the site, stories about content you have uploaded, or content that your friends uploaded to the site and tagged you in (if they are otherwise not able to due to restricted privacy settings).

To update who can view content that you post:

1. Choose the "Privacy Settings" option in the Account drop-down menu at the top of any Facebook page.
2. Select "Customize settings" in the "Sharing on Facebook" section.
3. Update the "Posts by Me" section to a more restricted privacy setting. For example, if you do not want a certain person to view content, click on the drop-down menu next to this section, select the "Customize" option, and then type the person’s name in the "Hide this from" field.

Whose Walls can I write on?

Facebook only lets you write on your friends' Walls and your own Wall. You can also write on the Wall of any Page you become a fan of.

Where is the Wall-to-Wall link?

We have enhanced this feature to create Friendship Pages. Click "See Friendship" below a Wall post to see Wall-to-Wall posts and also mutual friends, events both people attended and are going to attend, photos both people are tagged in, and things both people "like." To learn more about about Friendship Pages, click here.

Give us feedback about Friendship Pages here.

Who can access the "Wall-to-Wall" link that appears beneath Wall posts from my friends?

The "Wall-to-Wall" link is only available for people who are permitted to see the profiles of both individuals. This link allows you to see the history of Wall posts between two people. While it cannot be removed, you can restrict who can view this link on your profile by editing your Wall privacy.

To do this, take the following steps:

1. Choose the "Privacy Settings" option in the Account drop-down menu at the top of any Facebook page.
2. Select "Customize settings" in the "Sharing on Facebook" section.
3. Change the "Post by Me" and "Wall posts by friends" features to more restrictive settings.

Wall posts were sent from my account, and I didn’t send them.

It is possible that malicious software was downloaded to your computer or that your password was stolen by a phishing website designed to look like Facebook. Please carefully follow the steps provided:

1. Run anti-virus software: If your computer has been infected with a virus or with malware, you will need to run anti-virus software to remove these harmful programs and keep your information secure.
   • For Windows:
     http://www.microsoft.com/protect/viruses/xp/av.mspx http://www.microsoft.com/protect/computer/viruses/default.mspx
   • For Apple/Mac OS:
     http://support.apple.com/kb/HT2550
2. Reset password: From the Account Setting page, you will need to create a new password. Be sure that you use a complex string of numbers, letters, and punctuation marks that is at least six characters in length. Do not use words found in the dictionary.
3. Never click suspicious links: It is possible that your friends could have unwillingly sent you spam, viruses, or malware through Facebook if their accounts were infected. Do not click this material and do not run any .exe files on your computer without knowing what they are. Also, be sure to use the most current version of your browser as it will contain important security warnings and protection features.

If you are still unable to access your profile, please send us more information regarding the issue so we can investigate. Please submit your report here.

I'm able to view a story about a non-friend in my News Feed. Is this violating their privacy settings?

News Feed will not display any stories that violate another user's privacy settings. If you can see a story about a non-friend, it is likely because this user has set their privacy for that piece of content to "Everyone."

What can I do on the Wall?

The Wall is the center of your profile for adding new things, like photos, videos, notes and other application content. The Share menu at the top of your Wall allows you to update your status and share content through many different kinds of Wall posts.

You can also add content to your friends’ Walls by using the Share menu box that appears at the top of their profiles.

How do I filter my Wall?

There are three ways you can filter your Wall:

1. [Your Name] + Friends. This default filter displays your own Wall posts, posts made by your friends, and stories generated by your activity on Facebook.
2. Just [Your Name]. This filter includes any posts that you have made to your Wall and stories generated by your activity on Facebook.
3. Just Friends. This filter displays all posts that your friends have made on your Wall.

Why don't I see Share menu options for applications I have authorized?

Not all applications support Wall functionality. Please contact the developer in question to request this feature.

I can see my Wall but my friends cannot see it. My friends say that my Wall is gone or that I have no Wall.

There's a setting to control who sees your Wall on the "Sharing on Facebook" section of the Privacy Settings page. To check your settings for this feature, follow the "Customize settings" link at the bottom of this section. Right now, you probably have the box next to "Allow friends to post on my Wall" unchecked or have the "Wall posts by friends" section set to "Only Me." In order to show your friends your Wall, make sure the "Allow friends to post on my Wall" is checked and adjust the privacy of your "Wall posts by friends" feature to a less restrictive setting.

My friend's account is sending me spam on my Wall, but he/she didn't do it.

It is possible that malicious software was downloaded to your friend's computer or that their login information was phished in an attempt to send spam from their profile. We would like to investigate this issue further, but unfortunately, we cannot release information regarding a user’s account to anyone but the account holder. Please tell your friend to visit the Facebook Help Center and contact us.

How do I know how many Wall posts I have?

Facebook does not display your total Wall post count, as your Wall is now a combination of posts that have been left on your Wall and your recent activity.

What is the box at the top of my Wall for?

This box is called the Publisher. The Publisher allows you to generate your own content on your profile, like updating your status or adding photos to your account. The Publisher also allows you to write and share content like photos and videos on your friends' Walls.

What happens when I create content on my Wall?

The Share menu at the top of your Wall allows you to post content you want to share with your friends. The content will appear on your Wall and in your friends' News Feed.

What applications will appear in the Share menu?

If you are viewing your own Wall, the Share menu options will reflect your authorized applications that support Wall integration. If you are viewing a friends' Wall, the Share menu options will reflect the authorized applications of you and your friend.

How do I delete a Wall post or story?

To delete a post or story from your Wall, follow these steps:

1. Hover your mouse over the story or post in question.
2. Click the "Remove" button that appears.
3. Select "Delete" in the dialogue box.

Note that once you have deleted the content you cannot restore it.

How do I delete my entire Wall?

At this time, you cannot delete all Wall posts with a single click. However, you can control the visibility of posts by others by following these steps:

1. Choose the "Privacy Settings" option in the Account drop-down menu at the top of any Facebook page.
2. Select "Customize settings" in the "Sharing on Facebook" section.
3. Scroll down to the "Wall posts by friends" section. The drop-down menu will allow you to choose who can view the content that is posted to your Wall by your friends. If you want to prevent people from posting to your Wall, uncheck the box next to the "Allow friends to post on my Wall" option.

You can also control which stories appear on your Wall every time you share content. When sharing something, look for the lock icon. Clicking on it will bring up a menu that lets you choose who will be able to see your post.

How do I share a status or other content on Facebook?

Depending on whom you'd like to share with, there are different ways to share content on Facebook:

• Sharing with a broad audience: Use the share menu that's located at the top of your home page and profile. From there, you can update your status and share photos, videos, links and other application content. Things you share will appear as posts on your profile, and can appear in News Feed. (To control whether or not specific people have the option to view your stories, you can change the privacy settings for each piece of content you post.)
• Sharing with a small group of friends: Use the Groups feature to share content with a select group of people, like family members, your soccer team or your book club.
• Sharing with an individual: You can use the share menu at the top of a friend's profile to write or share something on his or her Wall. Friends of your friend will also be able to view your post. If you'd like to share something privately, you can always send someone a private message.

How can I sync my Twitter account to my Facebook profile, so that my Facebook posts automatically post as Tweets/are tweeted?

Link your Facebook and Twitter accounts here. Share status updates, links, photos, notes, and events with your followers on Twitter, directly from Facebook. Choose the kinds of things you want to share both on Twitter and Facebook. If you're a Page admin, share your Page updates on Twitter as well.

How can I link people's names in a post?

You can tag your friends and other things you’re connected to in your Facebook status and other posts. This feature works with the share menu at the top of your home page, your profile and your friends' profiles.

1. When you want to create a tag, type the "@" symbol in the text field. Or, type the first letter of the name you want to tag in caps.
2. Directly after the "@" symbol or capital letter, continue typing the name you would like to tag. A drop-down menu will appear with all matching entries. You can tag friends, Pages, groups, events and applications.
3. Select the name you would like to tag. It will appear as a link in your post. You can tag multiple different names in the same post.

People who can see your post will be able to click through to view the profile, Page, group or event you tag, but only if the existing privacy settings permit this.

Tagging allows you to more actively mention your friends and other things you are connected to on Facebook. It also lets you direct a post at specific people while still keeping the conversation open. Friends you tag will receive a notification and Wall story that you have tagged them, and also when someone else comments on a post they are tagged in.

What can I tag in a post?

You can tag the following things in a post:

• Your confirmed friends
• Pages you follow
• Events you are attending
• Your groups
• Applications you’ve used

Learn how to tag in a post.

Who can link to my name in the text of a post? Can I exclude someone from linking my name?

Only your confirmed friends can tag you in their posts. If you have blocked someone or removed them as a friend, they will not be able to tag you. If you have blocked someone, and then a mutual friend tags you in their post, the person you blocked will not be able to view your profile by clicking on your name.

Posting about pets: What do I do if I have a pet I cannot keep?

We worked with the Human Society of the United States on the following tips. For more information, visit humanesociety.org.

How can I control who can see my status and posts?

You always have the option to adjust the privacy for individual posts before you share them. For example, if you want to share a status update to remind your friends to RSVP to Susan's surprise party, you can exclude Susan from seeing that post. To change the privacy for an individual post, select a setting or "Customize" from the drop-down menu before clicking "Share" to publish the post.

You can control the default setting for posts you share from the Privacy Settings page. Select one of the four global privacy groupings (Everyone, Recommended, Friends of friends or Friends Only) in the "Sharing on Facebook" section. If you'd like to further customize these settings, click "Customize settings" and change the setting for "Posts by Me."

How do I change the default setting for status updates and other posts I share?

You can control the default setting for posts you share from the Privacy Settings page. Select one of the four global privacy groupings (Everyone, Recommended, Friends of friends or Friends Only) in the "Sharing on Facebook" section. If you'd like to further customize these settings, click "Customize settings" and change the setting for "Posts by Me."

What does the "Customize" privacy setting mean?

The "Customize" privacy setting lets you specify who is able and not able to view the content you share. When you choose "Customize," a pop-up box will appear. From the box, you can choose to share with or exclude specific networks, friends, and Friend Lists.

What does the "Everyone" privacy setting mean?

When you share or publish content to "Everyone," anyone on the internet will be able to view it. This includes people who are not your friends on Facebook, and people who are not in your school or work networks. You should use this setting to publish content that you are comfortable making open to anyone.

Remember that if someone can see content you’ve published to "Everyone," this doesn’t necessarily mean they will be able to view all information on your profile. What people can see when they click through to your profile is determined by what your privacy settings allow.

How will people be able to find posts that I publish to "Everyone"?

When you share or publish content to "Everyone," it will visible to anyone on the internet. People may be able to find your content through public links, or through their friends sharing content with them. When you publish content to "Everyone," you should be comfortable with it being open to anyone.

Can I go back and change the privacy setting for content I've already shared?

For any content that you can edit (e.g., photo albums, videos, or notes), you can retroactively change the privacy setting by finding the content you wish to edit and then changing the privacy setting.

For content that can't be edited (e.g., status updates or links), you cannot change the privacy setting after you click "Share." Instead, you can delete the content from your Wall — just hover over it on your Wall and click the "x" button. You can then republish the same content with the correct privacy controls. Keep in mind that removing the post does not prevent a News Feed story from being generated.

Note that retroactive steps you take to change the setting or remove the content won’t prevent any further distribution off of Facebook that may result from the prior privacy setting enabling others to have access to and share the content.

How can I control what my friends see in their News Feeds?

Whether the things you share appear in your friends' News Feeds hinges on two factors:

1. The setting for each post that you share. To control whether or not specific friends have the option to view your stories, you can change the settings for each piece of content you post.


2. Your friends’ News Feed preferences. Your friends may request to view more content you share, or to hide content that you share.

What happens when I clear my status?

Your status will not be visible to others until you fill out a new status.

I can't delete the "changed profile picture" story from my wall.

Some people are unable to delete the Recent Activity story about changing their profile picture. If you are experiencing this issue, please submit a report here.

When I try to view older Wall posts, I am told that I don't have any older Wall posts, even though I haven't deleted any.

Some people are unable to display older Wall posts on their profile. Please report this issue here.

Content on my Facebook profile disappears and reappears.

Some people are currently experiencing issues on the site where content appears and disappears for short periods of time. For example, a Wall post may disappear and not return until logging in again and/or refreshing the page.

If you would like to submit a report, please click here.

My friends cannot see or post on my Wall.

This is most likely an issue with your Privacy Settings. Please note that if you have restricted your friends from viewing "Posts by Me" or "Posts by Friends," they will be unable to view or post on your Wall. Additionally, make sure that the "Friends can post on my Wall" option is selected.

If both of these settings are correct and you are still having an issue with your Wall, please submit a report here.

My friend's account is sending me spam on my Wall, but he/she didn't do it.

It is possible that malicious software was downloaded to your friend's computer or that their login information was phished in an attempt to send spam from their profile. We would like to investigate this issue further, but unfortunately, we cannot release information regarding a user’s account to anyone but the account holder. Please tell your friend to visit the Facebook Help Center and contact us.

Wall posts were sent from my account, and I didn’t send them.

It is possible that malicious software was downloaded to your computer or that your password was stolen by a phishing website designed to look like Facebook. Please carefully follow the steps provided:

1. Run anti-virus software: If your computer has been infected with a virus or with malware, you will need to run anti-virus software to remove these harmful programs and keep your information secure.
   • For Windows:
     http://www.microsoft.com/protect/viruses/xp/av.mspx http://www.microsoft.com/protect/computer/viruses/default.mspx
   • For Apple/Mac OS:
     http://support.apple.com/kb/HT2550
2. Reset password: From the Account Setting page, you will need to create a new password. Be sure that you use a complex string of numbers, letters, and punctuation marks that is at least six characters in length. Do not use words found in the dictionary.
3. Never click suspicious links: It is possible that your friends could have unwillingly sent you spam, viruses, or malware through Facebook if their accounts were infected. Do not click this material and do not run any .exe files on your computer without knowing what they are. Also, be sure to use the most current version of your browser as it will contain important security warnings and protection features.

If you are still unable to access your profile, please send us more information regarding the issue so we can investigate. Please submit your report here.

I receive the error message, "Failure to hide minifeed story," when I try to delete a story on my Wall.

Some people are seeing this error message when trying to remove Wall posts. If the story is still there after manually refreshing the page, please submit a report here.

"Database Write Failed" error.

If you are seeing this error, please submit a report here.

People have disappeared from my Friends List but I did not remove them and they did not remove me.

Friend removals are not caused by a technical error on the site, as it is not possible for a friend to be removed without confirmation from one of the users involved. The issue you are experiencing is caused by one of the following reasons:

1. This person removed you from their Friend List, either intentionally or accidentally.
2. This person has deactivated their account, causing them to disappear from all Friend Lists. If they choose to reactivate their account, they will reappear on these lists.

If a large number of friends disappeared from your account in a short period of time, it is possible that the security of your account may have been compromised. Please select a unique and complex password that is different from other passwords that you use on the Internet, and keep this information completely to yourself. You can reset your password by using the "Change Password" field on the Account page.

You should also make sure that all email addresses associated with your account are secure. Remember that anyone who can read your email may be able to also access your Facebook account. Additionally, please make sure that you log out of your Facebook account after each use and "quit" your browser when you’re done using the site. Never check the "Keep me logged in" box when logging in from a public computer or someone else’s mobile device, as this will keep you logged in even after you close your browser window.

Finally, please make sure that when you access the site, you always log in from a legitimate Facebook page with "facebook.com" in the domain part of the URL (web address). For more information about protecting your account, please visit the Facebook Security Page.

I have ignored or accepted a friend request multiple times, but it still appears on my home page and my requests page.

Some people are seeing an issue where friend requests remain even after an action has been taken. If you are experiencing this on the site, please submit a report here.

People are appearing on my Friend List without me sending them a friend request.

Friend connections on Facebook must be confirmed by both users involved. This happens through an initial friend request or invitation to join the site and a confirmation of the request by the recipient. It is not technically possible to become friends with someone without this confirmation.

A friend request can be sent manually or through features like Friend Finder and Classmate/Co-worker Search.

When using these features, please be aware that multiple friend requests and invitations can be sent simultaneously. If a user signs up through these invitations, they will automatically be added to your Friend List.

Why didn't my friend request go through?

Facebook is a place for connecting with friends, family and other people you know personally.

If you’ve been prevented from adding friends on Facebook, it’s likely because many friend requests you’ve sent recently have gone unanswered. This may be because you’ve sent friend requests to strangers, or it may be due to other behavior that Facebook members have reported as unwelcome.

You’ll be allowed to add friends again soon. At that time, please remember to only send friend requests and messages to people who you already know personally. Otherwise, additional limits may be placed on your account.

For more information on your rights and responsibilities as a Facebook member, please click "Terms" at the bottom of any Facebook page.

How can I control who can see my contact information?

First, click the pencil icon in the Friends box on your profile. Then, uncheck the "Show Friend List to everyone" box. Non-friends who come to your profile will then not be able to see this information.

The Friends Box that appears on my profile is incorrectly displaying zero friends.

Some users are seeing their profiles display zero friends. They may also have difficulty viewing their friends’ profiles or seeing their friends in News Feed. If you would like to submit a report, please click here.

I have a problem with the Friend Finder.

To view a list of known issues concerning the Friend Finder, click here.

I received a warning about adding friends.

Facebook has limits in place to prevent behavior that others may find annoying or abusive. These limits restrict the rate at which you can use certain features on the site. If you received a warning for going too fast when adding friends, you will need to temporarily stop this activity to avoid hitting a block on your account. To read more about our policies please click here.