Understanding Facebook Restricted List – Everything you need to know


Last Updated on August 26, 2021

Understanding Facebook Restricted list is a complex privacy option for users that want to manage how their posts are shown and to whose News Feed.

We have earlier published articles on restricted list which include the steps to restrict someone from seeing one’s posts, the difference between blocking someone and adding someone to a restricted list.

In this guide, we will expand our earlier posts into more frequently asked questions on understanding Facebook Restricted list..

They include;

  1. How to restrict Facebook friend from seeing my posts,
  2. Is restricted list same as blocking someone?
  3. Can restricted friends see my likes?
  4. Can restricted friends see past posts?
  5. How do i know if i’m restricted on Facebook?
  6. Can restricted friends comment on my posts?
  7. Can restricted friends see what others post on my wall?
  8. If i restrict someone on facebook can i still see their posts?
  9. Can someone on my restricted list tag me?

How to restrict Facebook friend from seeing my posts

We have written a very long guide on how to add friends to restricted list or individually restrict someone from seeing your posts.

Click here to read in details. or continue the excerpt below on how to restrict  friends from seeing your posts.

  1. Open Facebook either using a Facebook App or through web browser
  2. Try to make a post
  3. Under the privacy option (which is usually Friends or Public), click on it to open more options.
  4. From the privacy options, select Friends except…
  5. Select friends that you would like to restrict from seeing your posts in the future.
  6. If you are using Facebook App, click on the back icon to go back. If you are using a web browser, click on Save Changes.
  7. If you discard the post while using Facebook App, your new privacy settings will be dismissed. It is better to publish the post so that your settings will be adopted.

If you want to add more than one person to Restricted list, then follow this link.

Is restricted list same as blocking someone?

Restricted list and Blocking play two different privacy roles. They are not the same thing but they offer privacy control on who sees your posts.

Blocking

Blocking a friend simply means that you no longer want his/her friendship on Facebook. When you click Block, they will be deleted from your friend list and blacklisted never to see your profile again.

When you block a friend, he will know and can never communicate with you till he/she gets a new Facebook account. They will know that they have been blocked.

Restricted List

restrict someone from posts

Friends on restricted list cannot see posts, photos, videos you share to friends only. Before you make a post, you should probably choose audience to “Friends”. If it is chosen to public, everybody sees your posts.

But when you add a friend to a restricted list, he won’t be notified, he may not know, he won’t see your posts, pictures.

Remember that you’re still friends but your posts are only shared with them when you choose Public as the audience, or when you tag them in the post.

IMPORTANT READ: Reasons Why Facebook Messenger Chat Sent but not delivered

Can restricted friends see my likes?

If you make a post that is set to Friends, they won’t be able to see the post talk more of seeing the likes and comments.

But If your post’s privacy setting is made Public, Yes they will see the posts and the likes.

Can restricted friends see past posts?

A restricted friend will see your past posts if their audience was set to Public but if they were set to Friends, they won’t be able to see them again.

Even when they have liked, commented on the post, it will become hidden from them.

In order to hide your past posts from restricted friends, you need to limit past posts to Friends audience group. Follow the steps below.

How to limit past posts from Restricted friends

Limit who can see past posts

  1. Login to facebook.com
  2. At the right side, click on the dark dropdown caret
  3. Then click Settings
  4. At the left side of Settings’ page, click Privacy
  5. Under Privacy Settings and Tools, you should see Your activity
  6. Under Your activity, click on Limit Past Posts
  7. Accept the option to limit your posts to Friends.

Your friends on except, restricted list won’t be able to view your posts again.

How do i know if i’m restricted on Facebook?

Sadly, there is no option on Facebook to know when someone has been added to restricted list.

The only option is to manually use friends of friend account to see their timeline.

Can restricted friends comment on my posts?

If you make a post that is set to Friends, they won’t be able to see the post talk more of commenting on them.

But If your post is made to Public, Yes they will see the posts and comment on them.

Can restricted friends see what others post on my wall?

There are two situations in who sees what posts are shared on someone’s timeline. You have access to who sees what posts people share on your wall.

If you had set your audience privacy to Public, that means that everyone including restricted friends will see your posts.

But if you had set your audience privacy to Friends, that means that restricted friends will not see posts from your friends on your wall.

If I restrict someone on Facebook can i still see their posts?

Yes, you can still see their posts. You may not be able to their posts if they had already restricted you.

Can someone on my restricted list tag me to their post?

Yes! They can tag you. Since you’re still friends on Facebook, they can tag you on their posts.

Remember, if your past post was tagged to your restricted friend, they can still see the post even when you limit past posts.

YOU MAY LIKE TO READ: What does Ignore Messages means on Facebook Messenger?

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5 responses to “Understanding Facebook Restricted List – Everything you need to know”

  1. So if I’m in the friends group

    And I get restricted

    Their prior posts set to friends that I could see before, won’t show to me anymore?

    • Their old posts before you get restricted will still be shown to you. Only newer posts after you are restricted won’t be shown.

  2. Can Restricted friends still post stuff to your timeline? I have controls in place that ask me to review these type of posts for approval before they post to my timeline but somehow, one person is still able to post directly to my timeline without me approving. So I am trying the restricted option to see if that stops them from posting to my timeline wall?

    • A restricted friend can still post on your timeline, you’re still friends but they won’t get to see your updates.

      On the second hand, someone can still post on your timeline. You don’t need to approve that.

      The only thing you approve of is when someone tags you in their post to be shown on your timeline. (of course, you have set that any tagged post has to be approved by you).

      To stop anyone from posting directly on your timeline, you have to completely turn off friends to post on your timeline.

      No one will ever post o your timeline including on your birthday.

      • What is you post something in your timeline and select a specific audience? If you select them as a visible audience as a “Specific friends”, but they are restricted, can they see the post? Technically it’s. It a public post, but they are selected as a viewable audience for that post….

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