Social media privacy settings worth changing

Updated September 2026 · 4 min read

Short answer

Every platform names its menus differently, and they change often, but the same few settings matter everywhere: who can see your posts and friends list, whether your location and contact details are visible, who can tag you, and whether search engines can find your profile.

Check these on every account

  1. Audience: limit who can see your posts, photos and friends list to people you know.
  2. Location: turn off location on posts and photos, and check which apps can see your location.
  3. Contact details: hide your email address, phone number and birthday, and stop people finding you by them.
  4. Tagging: require your approval before tags of you appear on your profile.
  5. Search: stop search engines from linking to your profile, where the platform allows it.
  6. Connected apps: remove old apps and games that can still read your account.

Habits that help

  • Post about places after you have left them, not while you are there.
  • Check your profile as a stranger would see it; most platforms have a "view as" option.
  • Review your settings after each major app update.

Your address is on people-search sites

That is how scammers find you. Safe Shepherd removes you and keeps watching for you to reappear.

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Questions

If my profile is private, is my information safe?

Not completely. People-search sites collect details from public records and other sources, not only social media.

Related

Safe Shepherd is not affiliated with any government program or the organizations linked here.