Take full control of your Facebook privacy with Custom Lists. Learn how to share posts only with selected friends and manage your audience effortlessly.
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| Not every Facebook post is for everyone. Use Facebook’s Custom Lists to decide who sees your updates. Here’s how to set it up and manage your privacy. Image: ChicHue |
Tech Desk – March 24, 2025:
Not all of your Facebook friends are interested in the same content. Some enjoy personal updates, while others prefer professional insights. There may also be times when you want to share a life event with family members but not with colleagues. Posting everything publicly or to all friends isn’t always the best option.
Facebook offers a built-in solution for this: Custom Lists. This feature lets users choose specific groups of friends to see certain posts, helping maintain privacy and control over shared content. Whether you're posting photos, status updates, or work-related news, Custom Lists let you decide who sees what.
This feature is particularly useful for managing professional and personal boundaries on social media. If you're a business owner, a freelancer, or someone with a diverse social circle, Custom Lists can ensure your posts reach only the right audience.
Using this feature enhances privacy, improves engagement, and allows users to separate personal and professional updates. Custom Lists are also useful for event-specific sharing, where only a select group of friends need access to particular information.
How to Create a Custom Friend List on Facebook
Custom Lists must be created on a computer. To begin, log in to Facebook on a desktop browser and select the ‘Friends’ option from the left-hand menu. Click on ‘Create List’ and give your list a name, such as ‘Close Friends,’ ‘Family,’ or ‘Work.’ After naming the list, click ‘Confirm’ to create it. Once the list appears on the left-hand side, tap on the name and then select ‘Add Friends.’ Type in the names of the friends you want to include. Facebook will automatically suggest friends as you type, or you can scroll down to select them manually. Once all the desired friends have been added, click ‘Save’ to finalize the list.
To create a custom list, you’ll need to use a computer.
Sign in to Facebook and click on the ‘Friends’ option from the left menu.
Click ‘Create List’ and give your list a name (e.g., Friends, Family, Office).
Tap the Confirm button to create the list.
Click on the newly created list and tap ‘Add Friends’ on the right side.
Type or scroll to select friends, then click ‘Save’ to finalize your list.
If you ever need to edit, rename, or delete a Custom List, this can be done through the ‘Manage List’ option in the News Feed.
How to Use Custom Lists from a Smartphone
Once a Custom List has been created on a computer, it can be used from a smartphone when posting updates. While writing a new post, tap the down arrow next to the ‘Friends’ option. A menu will appear—select ‘Show All Lists’ to display your available Custom Lists. Choose the appropriate list and tap ‘Right’ at the top to confirm. The post will then be visible only to the selected group of friends.
Once you’ve created custom lists on a computer, you can use them from your smartphone as well.
While writing a post, tap the down arrow next to the ‘Friends’ option.
Select ‘Show All Lists’ to view your custom lists.
Choose the list you want to share the post with.
Tap ‘Right’ at the top to confirm.
More Privacy Features for Facebook Posts
Beyond Custom Lists, Facebook provides several other options to refine post visibility. Users can choose ‘Only Me’ for private posts, ‘Friends Except’ to exclude specific individuals, or ‘Specific Friends’ to manually select who can view a post. The ‘Public’ setting makes a post accessible to everyone, including those outside the friend list.
By combining Custom Lists with these privacy options, Facebook users can have complete control over their content, ensuring it reaches only the intended audience.
Why Custom Lists Matter More Than Ever
In an era where online privacy is a growing concern, the ability to decide who sees personal updates is crucial. Whether it’s about managing work-life balance, protecting sensitive content, or simply avoiding unnecessary interactions, Facebook’s Custom Lists provide a practical and effective solution.
Following these steps for creating a more personalized, organized, and private Facebook experience, ensuring that their content reaches only the people who truly matter.