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How to Control What Appears on Your Facebook Timeline

2 minute read
smartphone facebook
A smartphone user shows the Facebook application on his phone in the central Bosnian town of Zenica, in this photo illustration, May 2, 2013.Dado Ruvic — Reuters
By Lisa Eadicicco

While you can easily manage what you post on Facebook and who can see those posts, you can’t necessarily control what others post about you. If you’ve been tagged in an unflattering photo, it’s probably already shown up on your profile before you’ve had the chance to un-tag yourself.

However, there is a way to hand-pick exactly what appears on your Timeline, giving you more control over what people see when they look at your page. This feature only controls what appears on your Timeline—posts that you’re tagged in will still appear in search, the News Feed, and other parts of Facebook.

Here’s how to do it on a laptop or desktop computer:

  • Click on the dropdown arrow in the upper righthand corner. Then choose “Settings.”
  • You should see a menu along the left side of the screen. Click on “Timeline and Tagging.”
  • This is where you can tweak who can see posts that you’re tagged in, who can see posts on your timeline, and more. In the first subsection called “Who can add things to my timeline?”there’s a field that says “Review posts friends tag you in before they appear on your timeline?”
  • Click the “Edit” button on the righthand side.
  • Now, you should see a description of a feature called “Timeline Review,” which lets you review items before they appear on your timeline. Make sure the box says “Enabled.”

    • Here’s how to do it on your phone:

  • Press the “More” button in the bottom right corner and choose “Settings.”
  • Then select “Account Settings.”
  • Choose “Timeline and Tagging” from the menu.
  • In the first subsection called “Who can add things to my timeline?” choose the field that says “Review posts friends tag you in before they appear on your timeline?”
  • Make sure this is switched to “On.”

    • Once this feature is turned on, you’ll be able to approve posts you want on your Timeline by viewing your Activity Log. You can access the Activity Log by pressing the dropdown arrow in the upper righthand corner on Facebook’s website or by navigating to More>Settings>Activity Log in the mobile app.

    Check Out How Facebook’s Fancy New Digs Compare to Their Old HQ

    An aerial of Facebook headquarters in Menlo Park CA on the San Francisco Bay.
    Main Headquarters: An aerial of Facebook's headquarters in Menlo Park, CA on the San Francisco Bay.Steve Proehl—Corbis
    An aerial view of Facebook's new campus, an expansion of its current headquarters in Menlo Park, Calif. The LEED-certified building, known as MPK 20, has a 9-acre "green roof."
    New Building: An aerial view of Facebook's new building an expansion of its current headquarters in Menlo Park. The LEED-certified building, known as MPK 20, has a 9-acre "green roof."Matt Harnack for Facebook
    Hack
    Main Headquarters: After encouragement from Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg to decorate their headquarters, the word "hack" was designed into the outdoor landscaping. Steve Proehl—Corbis
    The roof of the new campus contains a half-mile walking loop for employees and over 400 trees.
    New Building: The roof of the new building contains a half-mile walking loop for employees and over 400 trees.Matt Harnack for Facebook
    Buidling 10 stands on the Facebook Inc. campus in Menlo Park, California, U.S., on Dec. 2, 2011.
    Main Headquarters: Buidling 10 stands on the Facebook campus.David Paul Morris—Bloomberg/Getty Images
    The new Facebook headquarters, known as MPK 20, opened this spring
    New Building: The new Facebook building, known as MPK 20, opened this Spring.Matt Harnack for Facebook
    Facebook employees are shown on the campus in Menlo Park, Calif., Friday, March 15, 2013.
    Main Headquarters: Facebook employees are shown on the campus below the famous sign "The Hacker Company".Jeff Chiu—AP
    The lobby of the new campus is entered from the roof.
    New Building: The lobby of the new building is entered from the roof.Matt Harnack for Facebook
    A general view of the outdoor lunch and relaxtion area at the old Facebook main campus in Menlo Park, California on May 15, 2012.
    Main Headquarters: A general view of the outdoor lunch and relaxtion area at Facebook's main campus.Robyn Beck—AFP/Getty Images
    A view of the MPK 20 roof at night, which is topped by a massive garden
    New Building: A view of the MPK 20 roof at night, which is topped by a massive garden.Gehry Partners, LLP
    A Facebook Inc. employee works on a laptop computer at the company's old campus in Menlo Park, California, U.S., on Dec. 2, 2011.
    Main Headquarters: A Facebook employee works on a laptop computer at the company's headquarters.David Paul Morris—Bloomberg/Getty Images
    Facebook employees took to Instagram to show off parts of their new digs, such as this artwork in the MPK 20 building.
    New Building: Facebook employees took to Instagram to show off parts of their new digs, such as this artwork in the MPK 20 building.Brad Baldwin (@baldwin908) via Instagram
    A Facebook employee walks past The Facebook Wall at the old Facebook headquarters in Menlo Park, Calif. on March 15, 2013.
    Main Headquarters: A Facebook employee walks past The Facebook Wall at MPK 10.Jeff Chiu—AP
    Colorful artwork adorns many of the walls at Facebook's new campus.
    New Building: Colorful artwork adorns many of the walls at Facebook's new building.MJ Aquino (@mjaquino) via Instagram
    The desk is staffed inside the lobby area of the old Facebook Inc. campus in Menlo Park, California, U.S., on Dec. 2, 2011.
    Main Headquarters: The desk is staffed inside the lobby area of the main Facebook campus.David Paul Morris—Bloomberg/Getty Images
    The Frank Ghery-designed staircases are designed to be bring in lots of natural light, as opposed to the claustrophobic stairwells of traditional office buildings
    New Building: The Frank-Gehry designed staircases are designed to bring in lots of natural light, as opposed to the claustrophobic stairwells of traditional office buildings.Andrew Blotky (@andrewblotky) via Instagram

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