To make a Facebook event private, choose Private under Who can see it? while you're creating the event, then tap or click Create event. That's the only moment you can set it: Facebook doesn't let you change an event's privacy after it's been created, so a public event can't be switched to private later.
That second sentence is the one that catches people out. Facebook's Help Centre says it plainly in three separate articles: you can't change the privacy setting once the event exists. If you've already published a public event and wish it were private, there's no toggle hiding somewhere. The fix is to cancel it and create a new private one, which I'll walk through below.
Set a Facebook event to private when you create it
On the phone app, Facebook's steps for an in-person event are:
- Tap Menu in the top left of Facebook, then tap Events. If you can't see Events, tap See more.
- At the top, tap the create button and add the event details.
- Tap Is it in person or virtual? and choose In person, then select a location.
- Tap Who can see it? and pick Private, then tap Done.
- Tap Create event.
On a computer it's the same idea: click Events in the left menu, click Create new event, choose in person or virtual, click Who can see it? and select Private, add your details, then click Create event. Facebook repeats the warning right next to that setting: you can't change it after you've created the event.
What each Facebook event privacy option means
| Privacy setting | Who can see the event | Who can see the details |
|---|---|---|
| Private | Only people who are invited | Invited people see the description, photos, posts and videos |
| Friends | Only your Facebook friends | Your friends see the description, photos, posts and videos |
| Public | Anyone on or off Facebook | Anyone can see the description, photos, posts and videos |
| Public group | Anyone on or off Facebook | Anyone can see the description, photos, discussion and videos |
| Private group | Only members of the group | Group members see the description, photos, posts and videos |
Two details here matter for small businesses. First, every event hosted by a Facebook Page is public. So if you want a private launch evening or a VIP client session, create it from your personal profile, not your business Page. Second, a group event takes its privacy from the group itself, so an event inside a private group is only visible to members.
Can you change a Facebook event from public to private later?
No. Facebook's list of things you can't edit on an event includes the event privacy and the Guests can invite friends setting. You can still edit the name, the date and time, the description, the location, the cover photo, the co-hosts and whether the guest list shows.
Facebook's own advice for anything you can't edit is to cancel the event and make it again. Here's the order I'd do it in so nobody's left confused:
- Create the new event first, with Private selected under Who can see it?.
- Invite the people you want, so the new event is ready to go.
- Post a short note in the old event telling guests where the new one is.
- Cancel the old public event.
If you need the cancel steps, I've covered them in my guide to cancelling a Facebook event, including the difference between cancelling and deleting.
Private event settings you can still control
The settings you get depend on the privacy you chose. Private and Friends events let you add co-hosts and choose whether to show the guest list. Public events add two more: Only hosts can post, and Posts must be approved by host. Group events only offer co-hosts.
When you set up a Private event, Facebook also asks whether guests can invite their friends. Think about that one carefully, because it's on the list of things you can't change afterwards either. Leave it off if you want the guest list to stay exactly as you made it.
Guests not seeing updates? Try the fixes in Facebook notifications not working.
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Who can see that you're going
In a private event, everyone invited can see who's going. People who aren't invited can't see who's attending, the description, the discussion, photos or videos. In a public event, only your friends and the hosts can see that you're interested or going, and Facebook gives you a Save option if you'd rather keep your interest to yourself.
One more thing Facebook flags: anyone can download and export information about their own events activity, including the list of events they've been invited to. So the event name itself isn't secret from the people you invite. Don't call it something you wouldn't want a guest to have in a file.
Looking for events other people are hosting? Try finding events on Facebook.
My advice before you press Create event
Decide the audience first, then build the event. It takes ten seconds to choose Private and it saves you the whole cancel and recreate routine later. For anything business related that should be public, such as a workshop or a launch, it's usually better hosted on your Page. My step by step guide to creating an event on Facebook covers the rest of the setup.
If you want the full set, start at the Facebook Help: 80 Guides to Pages, Groups, Ads, Stories and Fixes.
Frequently asked questions
Can you make a Facebook event private after it's created?
No. Facebook says you can't change an event's privacy setting after it's been created. You'd need to cancel the event and create a new one with Private selected.
Can a Facebook Page host a private event?
No. Facebook says all events hosted by a Facebook Page are public. Use your personal profile or a private group for a private event.
Who can see a private Facebook event?
Only the people who are invited. They can see the description, photos, posts and videos, and everyone invited can see who's going.
Can guests invite other people to a private Facebook event?
Only if you allow it. When you create a private event you can choose to let guests invite their friends, and you can't change that setting later.
