10 Ways to Take Charge of Your Facebook Feed

Facebook is a blank canvas, waiting for you to shape it. If you’re tired of seeing endless photos of your friend’s meals, don’t worry—I’ve got you covered. And if you’re craving a good laugh, there’s a way to fill your feed with hilarious videos. It’s time to curate your Facebook experience and leave behind the stuff you’re not interested in. Say goodbye to oversharing and jealousy triggered by social media.

Here are some tips to help you regain control of what shows up on your Facebook feed. Let’s tidy things up and get rid of the things that nobody wants to see.

1. How to Keep Pages You Like in Your Feed

If I come across a page that I really like and I want to see more content from that page, I have the option to subscribe to it by liking the page. All I need to do is search for the page that I’m interested in, and when I click to visit the page, I’ll see a button that says “Like” on the cover photo.

Once I click the “Like” button, there are a few different choices for me to choose from:

• Choose See First Instead of Default. When you pick See First, you’ll always see the latest post from this page every time you open Facebook.
• Turn Notifications On or Off. If you turn notifications on, Facebook will let you know whenever the page publishes something new.

If you want the page to stop showing up on your feed, click the Liked button and select Unlike this Page.

The same rules apply if you want to keep up with a famous person or public figure. In that case, you can choose to Send a Friend Request or Follow them, depending on the available options.

2. How to Get Rid of or Hide Posts You Don’t Want to See

Sometimes, you might come across something on your social media feed that you don’t like. It could be a disturbing picture or a plea for likes that just doesn’t sit right with you. But you don’t want to unfollow the person or page that posted it. What can you do?

Well, here’s a simple solution: click on the little arrow icon in the top right corner of the post. Then, select the option that says “Hide post.” By doing this, you’re still able to follow your friend or the page, but that one particular post won’t show up in your feed anymore.

If you want to completely stop seeing updates from a page, you can simply select the option below: Unfollow [page name].

3. How to Save Posts for Later Reading

If you come across something you enjoy, there are two methods to save it to your Facebook account without showing it to your friends. Here are the steps:

(1) Share the post, but change the audience from Friends to Only Me.

Here’s how you can save a post:

(2) Just click the arrow down button located at the top right-hand side of the post you want to save. Then, from the dropdown menu, select “Save Link”.

Hey, guess what? I’ve got some really good news for you! Did you know that all the links you’ve saved are right there on the left sidebar, under the section called “Saved”? It’s super convenient because you can quickly access all your saved links from one handy spot. Pretty cool, right? So, go ahead and check out all those great links you’ve saved with just a simple click. Enjoy!

When you click on Saved, something amazing happens. You’re transported to a magical place filled with all the things you’ve saved in the past. And the best part? Everything is neatly organized into categories like Links, Videos, Products, Photos, and more! It’s like having your own personal treasure trove, just a few clicks away.

4. How to Handle Notifications

I can receive special notifications from Facebook that are different from the usual ones.

For example, I can choose to receive notifications for a Facebook page or a friend. This means that every time the page or my friend posts something new, I will be alerted.

(1) To start receiving notifications from a Page, simply hover over the page name, and you will find this option.

Hey there! When it comes to staying in the loop, I’ve got you covered. Just follow these simple steps:

1. First, go ahead and click on Notifications.
2. Next up, you can choose the specific type of shares you want to receive notifications for.
3. And the best part? You can choose more than one! So go ahead and select as many as you like.

That’s it! Now you’ll be all set to receive notifications for the shares that matter most to you. Easy peasy, right?

(2) If you want to receive notifications from someone, there are two ways you can do it. One way is to hover over their name, and the other way is to go to their personal page and hover over the Friends button. When you see the option to Get Notifications, click on it. This will ensure that you receive a notification every time they make a new post.

(3) Have you ever left a comment on a public post? Maybe on your local newspaper’s Facebook page? If you’d like to know if someone replies to or likes your comment, there’s a simple trick – you can turn on notifications for that specific post.

Here’s how: first, click the arrow down button located at the top right-hand side of the post. Then, from the dropdown menu, click on “Turn on notifications for this post”. And voila! Now you’ll be notified whenever someone interacts with your comment.

5. Taking Control of Your Facebook Profile

Right next to the notification icon, which looks like a globe, is an interesting combination of a lock and a hamburger icon. This unique icon leads you to a section called Privacy Shortcuts, where you have the power to manage how people view your Facebook profile. Let’s explore what you can do here:

(1) Controlling who sees your content. In this section, you can decide who gets to see what you post on Facebook. For example, you can set the default audience for your future posts to be only your Friends.

Below, you’ll find the View As feature. It allows you to see how your Facebook profile appears to others, such as the public or specific individuals like your boss, parents, or school teacher. To utilize this feature, simply click on “View As” and type their name in the provided field, and their perspective will be displayed for you.

(2) Moving on, you have the choice to determine who can send you friend requests. You can select either the Friends of Friends option or the Everybody option.

(3) The third option is about who you want to block. Simply enter the name of the person you want to block in the provided field.

6. How to Deal with Blocking on Facebook

So, now let’s dive into the topic of blocking on Facebook. In my previous section, I gave you some tips on blocking, but here, I’ll take it a step further. If you want to be a blocking expert, this is the place for you! Just follow these simple steps:

First, go to your Facebook page and click on “Settings.” From there, select “Blocking” or you can use this shortcut.

Now, let’s explore what you can find in the Blocking section:

• The Restricted List: This is where you can add friends who you want to restrict from seeing what you post to your friends on Facebook. Don’t worry, they can still see what you post that is set to Public. The best part is, they won’t even know they’re on this list! They will remain on your Friends list, though.
• Block users: If you want to completely cut off contact with someone who isn’t on your Friends list, this is the place to do it. Once you block them, they won’t be able to reach out to you anymore. But hey, if you ever change your mind, you can always unblock them.
• Block messages: Imagine this, someone can still leave comments on your Facebook posts and interact with you on your wall, but they won’t be able to send you a direct message on Messenger. This is a great way to keep unwanted messages out of your inbox!

I don’t want to receive annoying game invites or requests for lives and game items, so I can block them. The same goes for apps – I can block them so that nothing app-related shows up on my feed. And if I want to stop seeing updates from certain pages, I can block them too. It’s like unliking and unfollowing them all at once. To block someone, an app, or a page, I just need to type in their name. Thankfully, the autocomplete feature helps me find the right names easily.

Now, if I want to search for an old post that I want to reshare, I can use the Activity Log. It helps me find past posts and brings them back to the surface. There are two ways to get to the Activity Log.

(1) First things first, let’s get started. Head over to the upper right corner and locate the downward-pointing arrow, it’s just waiting for you. Give it a click, and from the options that appear, choose Activity Log.

(2) If you prefer, you can visit your own Timeline and locate the View Activity Log button.

To quickly access a particular year, simply scroll down a little and a menu called Timeline and Recent will appear next to your name. Click on Recent, then select the year you want to explore.

If you’d rather not search on your own, you can use the Activity Search feature. Just click on the magnifying glass icon in the top right corner. But I have to admit, the search function isn’t always the best. So, if you’re having trouble finding what you need, try using the Filters instead. They can be really helpful. One filter in particular that might come in handy is the Activity Log filter. It keeps track of everything you’ve done on the site, like sharing, saving, reacting, uploading, replying, commenting, and getting tagged in. It organizes everything in chronological order, so it’s easy to find what you’re looking for.

Filter: Timeline Review – This is where you go to see all the posts that people have tagged you in. You have the power to decide if you want to share these posts on your own Timeline. If you do, just click on Add to Timeline. If you don’t want to add a post, you can choose to Hide it or simply leave it as it is.

Tag Review Filter: When someone tags you on Facebook, this is the place where you can decide whether to approve or dismiss the tag. For example, let’s say you were tagged in a photo from a party where you were drinking with your friends, but you don’t want your wife to see it. By using this filter, you can prevent the tag from appearing on your profile. Make the most of this feature.

Your Posts Filter: This is where you can find all the posts, photos, videos, and links that you have shared on Facebook.

Filter: Posts where people mentioned you / Posts by others – In addition to the photos where you were tagged, this is where you can see any reference to your username. In my account, many of the posts in these two filters are the same.

Filter: Posts You’ve Hidden – Welcome to the black hole, my dear. This is where your unwanted tags go to disappear, forever trapped in the abyss of obscurity.

Specific Filters – Ah, the gateway to the forgotten depths of your Facebook journey. These special filters allow you to dive even deeper into the annals of your digital past. For those pioneers who joined the Facebook revolution long ago, spanning over a decade of memories, filters like these are a godsend. They will guide you to the exact treasure you seek, making your search easier and more fruitful.

8. How to Find What You’re Looking For

Hey there! The Search bar up there has transformed into something really impressive over time. All you have to do is type in what you’re wondering about, like “Mother’s Day,” and you’ll get an awesome mix of answers like websites, events, and organizations. It’s like a big treasure trove of information!

But wait, there’s more you can do! If you want to dive even deeper, just click on See all results on “Mother’s Day” at the bottom. You won’t believe how many helpful things you’ll find!

When you arrive on this page, you’ll see something like this. From here, you have the power to fine-tune your search results in several ways. You can narrow down your search by selecting the person who posted the content – it can be you, your friends, friends and groups, or a specific person. You can also filter your results by location if the content has been tagged with a specific place. Additionally, you can search by date to find content that was posted on a specific day. This gives you even more control over what you see in your search results.

Hey there! Did you know that you can use categories to narrow down your search results even further? Cool, right?

9. How to Find Pages Liked By Someone

Ever wondered what pages your friend, who loves online shopping, likes? If you’re curious to find out, just use the search box!

Simply type Pages liked by [your friend’s name] in the Facebook search box, and you’ll be able to see all the pages they’ve liked, starting with the most recent ones.

You can refine your search even further to find specific types of Facebook pages, such as Public Figures, Groups, Product pages, Company pages, Artists, and more.

10. Stay Safe with Security Features

Keeping your Facebook account secure is crucial, and Facebook offers a range of security options to help you with that. In this section, I’ll give you a brief overview of these features, and how you can access them under Settings > Security or by clicking here.

(1) Login Alerts

When you enable Login Alerts, you’ll receive a notification if someone tries to log into your account from an unfamiliar device or browser.

Important note: If you’re traveling and need to access Facebook from a device that isn’t yours, or if you’re using a new device you’ve just purchased, you may get a notification about it.

(2) Trusted Contacts

Let me introduce you to a group of people who have an important responsibility. They’re the ones you can turn to if you ever forget your Facebook password. I trust them to help you regain access to your account.

I’m not exactly sure how it works, but it involves your trusted contacts receiving a one-time security code from Facebook and passing it along to you. This code will allow you to regain control of your account.

(3) Your Browsers and Apps

Facebook keeps track of which combination of browser and device you use to log in. It knows which browser and device you use most often.

For example, if you sell your smartphone, you can remove the browser you used on that device. This will prevent the new owner from accessing your Facebook account.

(4) Where You’re Logged In

Hey there! Did you know that Facebook keeps a log of the location you last accessed your account? Yeah, it’s kinda weird. But don’t worry, I’ve got your back. If you ever notice that you’ve logged in from a location that definitely wasn’t you, you can put an end to that activity.

Oh, and by the way, have you heard about the Legacy Contact feature? It’s pretty cool. You can actually assign someone to take care of your Facebook account after you’re gone. They’ll have the power to decide what happens to it. Neat idea, huh?

Now, there are also some other options that you might want to check out. There’s this thing called the Code Generator, which can help enhance your account security. Then there are App Passwords, Public Key, and Login Approvals. It’s all up to you to explore these different ways to keep your Facebook account safe and sound.