• Tech
  • Social Media

How to Avoid Having Your Posts Show Up in Facebook’s New Public Search

2 minute read

Facebook is making all of the public posts on the social network easily searchable. The idea is to make it easier for people to follow conversations unfolding in real time, like on Twitter. But, luckily for those who don’t want to have their every thought be a contribution to the public town square, there’s an out. Just follow these steps:

  • On your News Feed page, click the lock symbol in the top right corner of the screen, next to the globe icon that denotes notifications
  • Below the big purple dinosaur that pops up, click the question “Who can see my stuff?”
  • You’ll have three options for this setting. “Only Me,” means the posts are fully private, only viewable to you. “Friends” means your Facebook friends can see what you post and search for your posts. “Public” means anyone on or off Facebook can see your posts, and anyone with a Facebook account can search your posts.
  • Facebook’s Gorgeous New Campus Has a ‘Green Roof’ the Size of 7 Football Fields

    DCIM103MEDIA
    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."Matt Harnack for Facebook
    Facebook New Campus Green Roof
    The roof contains a half-mile walking loop for employees and over 400 trees.Matt Harnack for Facebook
    Facebook New Campus Green Roof
    A view of the MPK 20 roof at night.Gehry Partners, LLP
    Facebook New Campus Green Roof
    The lobby of the campus is entered from the roof.Matt Harnack for Facebook
    Facebook New Campus Green Roof
    The building, known as MPK 20, will officially open this spring.Matt Harnack for Facebook
    Construction begins on April 28, 2014 on Facebook's new west campus in Menlo Park CA.
    Construction on the campus seen from above in April, 2014.Proehl Studios/Corbis
    Facebook New Campus Green Roof
    An early architectural model in the offices of world-renowned architect Frank Gehry.Courtesy of Facebook
    Architect Frank Gehry and Mark Zuckerberg review the model before it's construction.Facebook

    You can also change this setting easily on a post-by-post basis. Below the composition box and to the left of the big blue “Post” button on any post, you’ll see your current privacy setting. Here you can change it to “Public,” “Friends,” or “Only Me” as needed.

    Note that these changes will only affect future posts you make. If you realize you’ve been inadvertently airing your political views to the entire world and not just your high school acquaintances, you can change the “Public” setting of older posts through a simple process:

  • Click the lock in the top-right corner of News Feed page
  • Click “See More Settings” at bottom of pop-up menu
  • Click “Limit Past Posts”
  • Facebook will show you a warning about how this is going to change all your posts that you’ve shared with friends of friends or with the entire public to being viewable only by Friends. Take a deep breath and click “Limit Old Posts”
  • More Must-Reads from TIME

    Contact us at letters@time.com