- Locked versus private versus public
- Step 1: take the lock off, if you have one
- Step 2: make future posts public
- Step 3: open up older posts and photos
- Step 4: decide what's public in your About section
- Step 5: let people follow you
- Check what strangers see
- Still not showing? Common reasons
- Should you make it public?
- Frequently asked questions
To make your Facebook profile public, set the audience to Public in three places: your future posts (in Settings, under audience and visibility), each older post you want people to see, and the details in your About section. If your profile shows Profile locked, remove the lock first from the three dots menu on your profile, because a lock keeps your posts and photos to friends only.
Profile lock isn't available everywhere. Facebook's Help Centre says you can only lock your profile in certain countries, so if you've never seen the option, your profile was never locked and you only need the audience settings.
The step almost everyone misses: Facebook says that when a profile is locked, any posts you'd shared to Public in the past change to Friends. Turning the lock off doesn't come with a promise that they'll switch back, so check your older posts afterwards and set the ones you want seen back to Public by hand.
Locked versus private versus public
| Setting | What people who aren't your friends see |
|---|---|
| Locked profile | A limited view: your profile picture and cover in small size, part of your About info, and no posts, photos or Stories |
| Private by settings | Whatever you've left as Public, which might be very little |
| Public | Posts, photos and details you've set to Public, plus your profile picture and cover photo |
According to Facebook, a lock also turns on profile review and tag review, and shows only a portion of your About info to everyone. Your current profile picture and cover photo are public in every case.
Step 1: take the lock off, if you have one
You only need this step if your profile shows a Profile locked badge.
- Open the Facebook app and go to your profile.
- Tap the three dots next to Edit profile.
- Choose the option to turn off the profile lock. It sits where Lock profile appeared when you first switched it on.
- Confirm on the next screen.
On a computer the same option lives in the three dots menu on your profile page. If your screens look different, search Facebook's settings for the word lock. And if the option has gone completely, it may no longer be offered in your country, so move straight to step 2.
Step 2: make future posts public
- Tap the menu, then Settings and privacy, then Settings.
- Find the audience and visibility section and tap Posts.
- Set who can see your future posts to Public.
This only changes posts from now on. Every new post still has its own audience button next to your name, so you can switch one post to Friends whenever you like.
Step 3: open up older posts and photos
Facebook's Limit past posts tool works one way only. It moves old Public posts to Friends, and it can't move them back to Public in bulk. To make older posts public, open each one, tap the audience icon under your name, and choose Public.
Photos work the same way. Open the album, then change the audience for the album or for each photo. Your Profile pictures album lets you set past profile pictures one by one.
Step 4: decide what's public in your About section
Go to your profile, tap the About or See your About info area, and edit each detail. Work, education and city are reasonable to share publicly if you use Facebook for work. Phone number, email, birthday and relationship details are another matter, and I'd leave those on Friends or Only me.
Step 5: let people follow you
A public profile isn't much use if strangers can't keep up with you. In Settings, find the followers and public content section and set who can follow you to Public. Then people can see your public posts in their Feed without being your friend.
Check what strangers see
Use View as, found in the three dots menu on your profile, to see your profile the way the public does. Scroll the whole page. If something shows that you didn't expect, change its audience straight away.
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Still not showing? Common reasons
- Stories have their own setting. Facebook lists story privacy separately from post privacy, so open your Story settings and choose who can see them.
- Posts in groups follow the group. A post you shared in a private group stays visible only to that group's members, whatever your profile settings say.
- Friends' posts follow their audience. If a friend tags you in a Friends only post, strangers won't see it on your profile. That's their setting, not yours.
- Profile review is holding things back. If a lock switched on profile review, tagged posts may be waiting for your approval before they appear. Check your review queue.
- The change hasn't saved. Close and reopen the app, then look at the post's audience icon again.
Work through those and most mystery gaps clear up in a few minutes.
Should you make it public?
For a creator, coach, small business owner or job hunter, a public profile can help people find you and trust you before they ever message. For anyone else, I'd think twice. A public profile shows more than people realise: friends' comments, check-ins, the places you go and the people you tag.
A middle path works well for most people I talk to: keep your profile locked or private, and use a Facebook Page or professional mode for your public side. If you'd like to go back the other way later, here's my guide on how to make your Facebook profile private, and if lock is available where you live, my guide on locking your Facebook profile from strangers explains what it hides.
One safety note: never hand your login to anyone, or any app, that promises to make your profile public or remove a lock for you. These settings are free and inside your own account.
Frequently asked questions
How do I make my Facebook profile public?
Set your future posts to Public in Settings under audience and visibility, change older posts to Public one by one, and make the About details you want seen Public.
How do I remove a lock from my Facebook profile?
Go to your profile, tap the three dots next to Edit profile, choose the option to turn off the lock and confirm. On a computer, use the three dots menu on your profile page.
Will my old posts become public again after removing the lock?
Don't count on it. Facebook says locking moves past Public posts to Friends, so check older posts afterwards and change the ones you want back to Public.
Why can't I see the Lock profile option?
Facebook says profile lock is only available in certain countries. If you've never seen it, use the audience settings for posts, photos and About info instead.
Is my Facebook profile picture public?
Yes. Facebook says your current profile picture and cover photo are public, whether your profile is locked or not.
