Is There a Way to Have a Default on Facebook That Nobody Can See?

Some people don't want the whole world to see their face, especially online.

The website Facebook allows its users to stay current with friends and family fairly simply. Finding some of the website's more important features, though, can be tricky. Many people prefer a degree of anonymity, wishing to hide their face from public view but still use the website. Fortunately, it is possible to use Facebook without having a visible default profile picture.

Instructions

1. Skip the task to upload a profile picture when you create your Facebook account. Not uploading a picture at all is perhaps the easiest way to use Facebook with a default. The use of a profile picture is not required when creating an account, and you easily can skip the step then. Instead of your face, other users will see the image of a silhouette or a question mark.

2. Change your Facebook privacy settings. Click on the "Account" drop-down menu on the blue bar at the top of every page, and then select "Privacy Settings." On the next page, you will see a table of settings that breaks down which groups of people -- including "Everyone,"

   "Friends," "Friends of Friends" -- can see the individual components of your account.

   Click on "Customize Settings" to bring you to a pop-up window that contains drop-down menus and buttons for all of these components. Look next to "Photos and Videos I'm Tagged In" for a button labeled "Edit Settings." Press the "Edit Settings" button, and then select "Customize" from the menu that appears. Under the menu's "Make this Visible To," select "Only Me," and save your settings. Afterward, you are the only person who can see the photographs in which you are tagged.

3. Delete all photo albums from your Facebook profile. Click on "Photos" on the sidebar. Click on your album's title. If you wish to have those pictures on your Facebook account again, you must upload them again. Clicking on the "Edit Album" link at the top of the page causes a small window to pop up, and you can click on "Delete Album" in that pop-up window to erase all those pictures.

   The "Profile Pictures" album, however, does not have these options. If you wish to get rid of those pre-existing profile pictures, delete each one manually.

Tips & Warnings

• Facebook's privacy policies tend to evolve. Check them periodically to ensure you share only the images and information you wish to share.

• Profile pictures help friends and family recognize you. If you do not have a visible default on Facebook, it may be difficult for them to contact you. You also may be confused with a similarly named person on Facebook.

References

• Facebook: Controlling How You Share
• Facebook: Help Center -- Privacy for Photos