Open Facebook settings, tap Profile and Tagging, and enable Timeline Review to find and manage pending posts.
Want a clean profile with no surprises? Timeline Review lets you approve posts you are tagged in before they show up on your profile. This guide shows fast paths on the app and desktop, how to turn it on, and what to do when the menu labels look different across versions.
What Timeline Review Does
When someone tags you, the post can land in a review queue instead of displaying on your profile. You decide if it appears on your profile or stays hidden. The original post still exists on the author’s profile and in feeds based on their audience. Your choice only controls your profile view.
You can review items from the notification bell, from the Activity Log, or from Profile and Tagging settings. You can approve, hide, or remove your tag. You can also turn on Tag Review to approve tags that people add to your own posts.
Access Paths By Platform
Use these quick routes. Names can shift slightly by app version, but the flow stays the same: profile menu → Settings → Profile and Tagging → Reviewing.
| Platform | Menu Path | What You Can Do |
|---|---|---|
| iPhone App | Menu (☰) → Settings & privacy → Settings → Profile and Tagging → Review posts you’re tagged in | Enable Timeline Review, open review queue, approve or hide |
| Android App | Menu (☰) → Settings & privacy → Settings → Profile and Tagging → Review posts you’re tagged in | Enable Timeline Review, open review queue, approve or hide |
| Desktop Web | Profile pic (top right) → Settings & privacy → Settings → Profile and Tagging → Review posts you’re tagged in | Enable, manage queue, edit who can see tagged posts on your profile |
Find Timeline Review On Facebook — Step-By-Step
On iPhone And iPad
- Open the Facebook app and log in.
- Tap Menu (☰) in the bottom bar.
- Tap Settings & privacy, then tap Settings.
- Scroll to Profile and Tagging.
- Under Reviewing, tap Review posts you’re tagged in before the post appears on your profile?
- Choose Enabled.
- Tap Review posts you’re tagged in to open your queue and approve or hide items.
On Android Phones
- Open the app and sign in.
- Tap Menu (☰) in the top bar.
- Tap Settings & privacy → Settings.
- Open Profile and Tagging.
- In the Reviewing section, set Review posts you’re tagged in… to Enabled.
- Open the review list and approve or hide each post.
On Desktop Web
- Go to facebook.com and log in.
- Click your profile picture in the top right.
- Choose Settings & privacy → Settings.
- From the left menu, click Profile and Tagging.
- Find Review posts you’re tagged in before the post appears on your profile? and click Edit.
- Select Enabled. Use Review posts you’re tagged in to manage the queue.
View And Manage Your Review Queue
There are three reliable entry points to the queue. Pick whichever is fastest for you at the moment.
From Notifications
When someone tags you, you usually get an alert. Tap the alert to jump straight into the pending item. Approve to show it on your profile, or choose hide to keep it off your profile view. You can also remove your tag.
From Activity Log
- Open Menu → Settings & privacy → Activity log.
- Find the Timeline review or Tags filter.
- Open each item, then approve, hide, or remove tag.
From Profile And Tagging
Open Settings → Profile and Tagging, then tap Review posts you’re tagged in. This shows everything still pending. You can also set the audience for posts you are tagged in on your profile, which controls who can see approved items on your profile page.
For the official wording and current labels, see Facebook’s help article titled Review posts you’re tagged in. It also shows where the Enabled switch sits on desktop and mobile.
Turn On Tag Review For Your Own Posts
Tag Review is a related setting. It complements the setting above and lives in the same menu. Facebook’s Help Center page on tag review and timeline review explains the two toggles in plain language.
- Open Settings → Profile and Tagging.
- Under Reviewing, set Review tags people add to your posts before the tags appear on Facebook? to Enabled.
Privacy Tips That Work With Review
These small changes keep your profile tidy and reduce surprises from old posts or broad audiences.
Limit Who Sees Tagged Posts On Your Profile
In Profile and Tagging, set Who can see posts you’re tagged in on your profile? to a narrow audience, such as Friends or a custom list. This setting only affects the copy on your profile page. The author’s original post follows their audience choice.
Use View As
Open your profile and use View As to see how your profile looks to people who are not friends. This is a fast way to confirm that the review queue is empty and that approved posts look the way you expect.
Limit Old Public Posts
If you have older public posts, switch them to a narrower audience with Limit past posts in Privacy settings. That change does not block tags, but it reduces exposure for older content.
Why You Might Not See The Option
Menus can move around. Names change a little between iOS, Android, and the web. These are the most common reasons the setting seems missing and what to try next.
| Issue | Likely Cause | Quick Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Review toggle not visible | App build or region uses slightly different labels | Search Settings for “Profile and Tagging” or use a browser and open the same menu on desktop |
| No Reviewing section | Collapsed sections | Expand Profile and Tagging and scroll; look for two toggles: posts you’re tagged in, and tags people add |
| Can’t approve from alert | Notification opens the original post | Back out to Activity Log → Timeline review, then approve or hide |
| Approved item not on profile | Audience on your profile set to a narrow list | Change “Who can see posts you’re tagged in on your profile?” to Friends or a custom list |
| Still appears on author’s page | Your action only controls your profile | Remove your tag or ask the author to change their audience or delete |
| Pending list empty | No new tags or the tag was removed | Check Activity Log filters and the notification tray |
Desktop Vs. App: Small Label Differences
On desktop, the left rail shows Profile and Tagging. On mobile, it sits inside Settings after the Menu. The review toggles live inside a section named Reviewing. One toggle covers posts you are tagged in. The other covers tags people add to your posts.
On some builds, the queue link shows as Timeline review. On others, it reads Review posts you’re tagged in. Both lead to the same list. If you still do not see it, open a browser on a laptop and check the same path there.
Smart Habits For A Cleaner Profile
Use Lists When You Approve
When you approve a tagged post, choose a tight audience on your profile. Create a list named “Close friends” or similar and use that when the tag is casual. Keep broad audiences for posts you enjoy and want visible.
Keep Tag Review On
Leave Tag Review on all the time. It catches stray tags on your own posts, like when a friend tags more people than you want. You can approve tags one by one to keep control without slowing normal posting.
Report Spam Tags
If a stranger tags you in a promo post, remove the tag and report it. That helps reduce repeats. You can also block the account. Your Activity Log keeps a trail if you need to double-check later.
Control Visibility After You Approve
Approval is only step one. After you add an item to your profile, tap the audience icon on that post to fine-tune who can see it on your profile page. Many people keep a default of Friends. You can narrow it to a smaller list for candid photos or posts tied to a school or workplace. That way your profile stays friendly without turning into a bulletin board for every tag.
For big events, set a custom list with a short name. Use that list when you approve tags from a wedding, a festival, or a crowded meetup where lots of people post at once. You will keep the memories while curbing wide reach on your profile.
Activity Log Filters That Save Time
The Activity Log is a power tool when you want to batch decisions. Open the log and search for “review.” Filter by year or by content type, then work through items in a single sitting. If you clear the pending list and new tags keep showing up, check the log again with a date filter to catch fresh posts that arrived while you were working. A weekly sweep takes minutes and pays off with a calmer profile.
Safety And Privacy Checklist
- Turn on both review toggles in Profile and Tagging.
- Use View As to confirm changes.
- Trim old public posts with Limit past posts.
- Use two-factor authentication for your login.
News outlets and privacy guides echo the same advice: keep both review toggles on and set a tight audience when needed. That small routine prevents most profile surprises.
Quick Recap You Can Act On
- Turn on Timeline Review in Settings → Profile and Tagging.
- Open your queue from Notifications, Activity Log, or inside Profile and Tagging.
- Pair with Tag Review for your own posts.
- Limit who sees approved tags on your profile.
- Use View As to confirm nothing slips through.