With Meta constantly evolving how Facebook presents your information, it pays to stay current on what tools are actually available to you. This guide walks through how to use the “View As” feature so you can see exactly what the public sees when they visit your profile.
One important note upfront: while Facebook does let you preview your profile as the public sees it, you cannot view your profile as a specific friend. That capability was removed in 2019 after a security vulnerability compromised over 50 million accounts. It has not been restored.
Why This Matters
Privacy control. You may think your posts are locked down, but default settings can expose more than you realize. The “View As” tool gives you a quick way to audit what strangers can see without checking every post individually.
Professional presence. If you use Facebook for networking or business visibility, curating your public profile matters. Knowing what potential clients or partners see when they search for you helps you put the right foot forward.
How to Use “View As” on Desktop
- Go to facebook.com and log into your account.
- Click your profile name or icon to open your profile page.
- Under your cover photo, click the three dots (…) next to “Edit Profile.”
- From the dropdown, select View As.
- Your profile will now display as a member of the public would see it.
- When finished, click Exit View As in the upper right to return to your normal view.
How to Use “View As” on Mobile
- Open the Facebook app and tap your profile icon.
- Under your profile picture and name, tap the three dots (…).
- Scroll down and select View As.
- Your profile will display the public view.
- Tap the back arrow to exit.
Note: Facebook’s interface changes over time. These steps reflect the current layout as of early 2026. If the menu looks different when you’re reading this, look for similar options under your profile settings.
What “View As” Can and Cannot Do
What it does: Shows you your profile exactly as someone who is not your Facebook friend would see it. This is the “Public” view.
What it does not do: It cannot show you how your profile appears to a specific friend, a friend of a friend, or someone on your Restricted list. That functionality was removed in 2019 and has not returned. Any article or tool claiming to offer “View As Specific Person” is either outdated or unreliable.
What to Check When Viewing as Public
Your timeline. Scroll through and note which posts are visible. Anything you see here is available to anyone on the internet.
The About tab. Your city, hometown, workplace, contact details, and other personal info may be public by default. Check each field.
Photos and Likes. Browse these tabs to see which albums, tagged photos, and page likes are exposed.
Your Friends list. Decide whether you want the public to see who you’re connected to. This is a common oversight.
How to Fix What You Find
If the public view reveals more than you’re comfortable with, you have several options:
Adjust individual posts. Click the audience selector on any post (the icon showing “Public,” “Friends,” etc.) and change the visibility.
Limit all past posts at once. Go to Settings & Privacy → Settings → Privacy → Your Activity → Limit Past Posts. This bulk action changes all previous public posts to “Friends” only.
Lock down your About section. Edit each field individually and set visibility to “Friends” or “Only Me.”
Review app permissions. Connected apps may be posting on your behalf or exposing data. Check Settings → Apps and Websites and remove anything you don’t actively use.
A Note on Workarounds
Since the specific friend view is gone, some guides suggest creating a test account or using third party tools. Creating a second account technically violates Facebook’s terms of service. And third party tools that promise “View As” functionality are almost universally scams or security risks. The safest approach is to use Facebook’s built in privacy settings and ask a trusted friend to check your profile if you want a second opinion.
Make This a Regular Habit
Privacy settings aren’t something you set once and forget. Facebook updates its features and defaults regularly, and your own posting habits evolve over time. A quick “View As” check every few months takes about five minutes and can prevent surprises.
