How to Stop People From Tagging You on Facebook (What Works and What Doesn't)

This is one of those Facebook settings that sounds like it should be a single switch and isn't. The help centre gives you several controls instead, and they each do a different job. Used together, they get you very close to a profile with no unwanted tags.

Here's what each setting does, where to find it and the gaps you should know about, all from Facebook's own help pages.

Who can tag you

Facebook says you can be tagged in posts and photos by friends and friends of friends. Tags from people you're not friends with may go to your timeline review, where you decide whether they appear on your timeline. There's no setting in the help centre that blocks tagging outright.

Step 1: review tags before they reach your profile

By default, when a friend tags you, the post appears on your profile automatically. To change that:

1. Click your profile picture in the top right of Facebook.
2. Select Settings and privacy, then click Settings.
3. In the left column, click Profile and tagging.
4. Turn on Review posts you're tagged in before the post appears on your profile?

Now every tagged post waits for your approval. Posts from people you're not friends with already go through review, even without this setting.

The big catch

That setting only controls your profile. Facebook is clear that posts you're tagged in may still appear in search, Feed and other places on Facebook. Approving or ignoring a tag decides whether it shows on your profile, not whether the post exists.

Step 2: limit who sees tagged posts on your profile

1. Go to Settings and privacy, then Settings.
2. Click Profile and tagging.
3. Click Who can see posts you're tagged in on your profile?
4. Choose the audience you want, such as Friends.

Again, hiding a tagged post from your profile doesn't hide it from the audience the poster shared it with elsewhere on Facebook.

Step 3: remove a tag you don't want

Where you're tagged	How to remove it
A post	Go to the post, click Options in the top right, then Remove tag
A photo	Go to the photo, click Options in the top right, select Remove tag, then click OK

Removing a tag takes your name off, but the post or photo stays visible to its audience, and people may still see it in Feed or search. If you want it gone completely, ask the person who posted it to take it down. There's more on untagging yourself on Facebook if you're doing a big tidy-up.

One extra detail: if you remove a tag from someone's story, the link to your profile goes, but photos from earlier stories may still show a sticker saying you were once tagged.

Step 4: decide which tag notifications you get

1. Go to Settings and privacy, then Settings.
2. Click Notifications in the left column.
3. Click Tags.
4. Choose who you want tag notifications from, such as Anyone or Friends, and whether you get them by push, email or SMS.

Keep these on if you're trying to control tags, because you can't review or remove a tag you never hear about.

Tags on your own posts

There's a separate setting for when other people add tags to something you've posted. Turn on Review tags people add to your own posts before the tags appear on Facebook? under Profile and tagging, and those tags won't show until you approve them. Facebook notes that approving a tag may make your post visible to the tagged person and their friends.

Mistakes that undo your settings

• Approving tags in a hurry. Once approved, the post shows on your profile to whoever you've allowed.
• Turning off tag notifications. You can't review a tag you never hear about.
• Assuming a hidden post is a deleted post. It's still visible to the poster's audience in Feed and search.
• Forgetting about your own posts. Other people can add tags to things you share unless you review those too.

What the tagged person sees

Facebook notes that when a tag is approved, the person tagged and their friends may be able to see the post. That's worth remembering when you're the one doing the tagging, too. If you're tagging friends, here's how tagging works, and it's polite to check they're happy before you put their name on a photo.

If you want fewer people to find you at all

Tag settings work best alongside your wider privacy settings. If strangers keep finding and tagging you, look at locking your Facebook profile or making your profile private as well.

My advice

Turn on Review posts you're tagged in, set who can see tagged posts on your profile to a small audience such as Friends, and keep tag notifications switched on. Then remove anything you don't want, and ask the poster to delete it if the tag alone isn't enough. That's as close to stopping tags as Facebook lets you get.

Frequently asked questions

Can you stop people from tagging you on Facebook?

Not completely. Friends and friends of friends can tag you, but you can review tags before they appear on your profile and remove any you don't want.

How do I approve tags before they show on my Facebook profile?

Go to Settings, Profile and tagging, and turn on Review posts you're tagged in before the post appears on your profile.

If I remove a tag, does the post disappear?

No. The post stays visible to its audience. Ask the person who posted it to take it down.

Can strangers tag me on Facebook?

Tags from people you're not friends with may go to timeline review, where you decide whether they appear on your profile.

Does hiding a tagged post hide it everywhere?

No. Facebook says it can still appear in Feed, search and other places to the audience it was shared with.

How do I get notified when someone tags me?

Go to Settings, Notifications, Tags and choose the audience and whether you want push, email or SMS alerts.