Review Your Privacy & Contact Settings
Understand what common privacy controls do and choose the settings that fit how you use your accounts.
Privacy settings vary across platforms, but they usually address a few key areas. Think about which of these matter most to you or the account holder: who can see your content, who can contact you, whether you're sharing location, what apps can access, how you're notified, and how people can find you.
What would you like to review?
Who can see your content
Private accounts
Limit who can follow the account and see posts. Good if you want to control your audience and keep content among people you choose.
Tradeoff: You may need to approve follow requests, and people can't discover you as easily.
Public accounts
Anyone can see posts and follow. This can make sense for creators, businesses, organizations, or people intentionally sharing publicly. It can also mean more visibility and reach.
Tradeoff: Your content is visible to a wider audience, including people you don't know.
Post-level control
Many platforms let you set visibility for individual posts even if the account is public—limiting a post to followers, close friends, or specific groups.
Tags and mentions
You can usually control whether people can tag you in posts or comments, and whether tagged content shows on your profile or requires approval first.
Key idea: There's no single "correct" choice. Public is not automatically wrong, and private is not automatically right. The important part is understanding who can see your content and being comfortable with that audience.
Messages & contact
Most platforms offer options to control who can reach you directly:
Everyone
Anyone can send you messages.
Followers or friends
Only people you follow back or who follow you can message you directly.
Message requests or filtered inboxes
Messages from people you don't know go into a separate folder you can review without seeing notifications.
Limited or nobody
Only people you explicitly allow can contact you, or messaging is disabled entirely.
Choose the option that fits how you use the platform and who you want to hear from. There's no universal rule—different situations call for different settings.
Location sharing
Location information can be shared in several ways:
Posts and check-ins
You manually tag a location when you share content. You can choose not to tag locations or limit who sees this information.
Photo metadata
Photos taken with a phone can contain location data in the file's metadata. However, many platforms remove this metadata when you upload, so the location may not be visible to viewers on that platform.
If you're concerned about location in photos, check your phone's camera settings or remove location data before sharing through other methods.
Dedicated location features
Some apps let you share your live location with friends or on a map. These are usually optional features you enable and can turn off anytime.
Device location permissions
Apps can request access to your device's GPS location. You can allow this for all the time, only while using the app, or never.
Key questions: Does the app need location for features I use? Who do I intend to share location with? Is sharing continuous or temporary? Can I turn it off easily?
App & device permissions
Your phone or computer controls which apps can access certain hardware and data. You can grant or limit access for each app individually.
Common permissions
- Camera: For video calls, photos, or video recording
- Microphone: For calls, voice messages, or voice commands
- Location: For maps, weather, or location-based services
- Contacts: For finding friends or auto-filling information
- Photos/Media: For sharing pictures or accessing your library
- Bluetooth: To connect headphones, speakers, or other devices
- Local network: To connect to devices on your home network
Principle: Allow the access needed for features you use. If an app doesn't need a permission for how you use it, consider limiting it. You can often change permissions later if you need a feature.
Account-level app permissions
Some apps you've connected to your account may have access to your data or the ability to post on your behalf. Periodically review and remove apps you no longer use.
Check a specific app to understand what it does and what settings may matter.
Notifications
Notifications are designed to bring you back to an app and keep you informed. If they feel distracting or create pressure to respond immediately, you have control.
What you can control
- Turn off non-essential notifications entirely
- Disable sound or vibration alerts for specific apps
- Set specific times when notifications are allowed
- Disable badges that show unread counts
- Group notifications so they don't interrupt as often
You're in control of how much each app interrupts you. You can change these settings anytime.
Helping someone else
If you're helping someone else review privacy settings—whether a child, older adult, family member, or friend—consider these factors:
Their goals and independence
Understand what they use the account for and what level of independence makes sense. For young people, privacy and supervision expectations often change as they grow. For older adults, needs may shift based on comfort and capability.
The purpose of the account
Is it for messaging friends, sharing hobbies, gaming, learning, staying connected with family, or something else? The purpose affects which settings matter most.
Household or shared expectations
Different situations have different comfort levels with privacy and visibility online. Your choices should reflect what makes sense in your context.
If you're establishing household expectations, Family Device Rules can help you think through shared expectations.
Topics to discuss
- Who should be able to contact them and how
- What information stays private
- Location sharing and when it's useful
- Purchases and spending limits
- What to do when something feels unsafe or uncomfortable
- How to ask for help without fear of immediate consequences
Having the conversation
Privacy settings work better when the person using the account understands why they exist. Get help structuring the discussion with conversation guidance.
Platform examples
App interfaces change frequently, so we're not providing specific step-by-step menu paths that may become outdated. Instead, here are the privacy areas to look for on each platform. Check the platform's official Help or Safety Center for current menu locations.
Consider reviewing:
- Account privacy (public vs. private)
- Message requests and who can message you
- Story audience and visibility
- Tags and mentions
- Activity status visibility
TikTok
Consider reviewing:
- Account privacy settings
- Who can message you
- Who can comment on videos
- Duet and stitch permissions
- Wellbeing and screen time features
Snapchat
Consider reviewing:
- Who can contact you
- Location sharing preferences
- Who can view your story
- Friend finder and contact sync options
Discord
Consider reviewing:
- Direct message permissions
- Server member message settings
- Privacy and safety filters
- Voice and video settings
- Which servers you've joined
Facebook and Messenger
Consider reviewing:
- Post visibility and audience
- Who can message you
- Connected apps and permissions
- Device location permissions
Remember
- There's no single "correct" privacy setting that works for everyone. Your choices depend on who you are, what you use the platform for, and who you want to reach.
- Understanding what a setting does is more important than following a checklist. Make choices that fit your comfort level and goals.
- Privacy settings are just one part of online safety. Judgment, communication, and awareness matter too.