On Facebook, turn on Timeline Review and Tag Review to approve tagged posts before they appear on your profile.
Want control over what friends tag you in? You can screen every tag before it lands on your profile. This guide shows the exact menus on phone and desktop, how to approve or hide tags, and the privacy switches that decide who can see tagged content. You’ll also find a quick table with the tap-by-tap paths so you can get it done in seconds.
Reviewing Tagged Posts On The Platform: Quick Steps
There are two switches that do the heavy lifting:
- Timeline Review: lets you approve posts you’re tagged in before they appear on your profile.
- Tag Review: lets you approve tags people add to your own posts before those tags show.
Turn both on, then check pending items from your Activity Log. The sections below walk through each path with clear wording for iPhone, Android, and desktop.
Table: Where To Turn On Tag Screening (Phone And Desktop)
| Task | iPhone/Android Path | Desktop Path |
|---|---|---|
| Enable Timeline Review | Menu ▸ Settings & privacy ▸ Settings ▸ Profile and tagging ▸ “Review posts you’re tagged in…” ▸ On | Profile ▸ three dots ▸ Activity log ▸ left menu: Profile and tagging ▸ “Review posts you’re tagged in…” ▸ On |
| Enable Tag Review | Menu ▸ Settings & privacy ▸ Settings ▸ Profile and tagging ▸ “Review tags people add to your posts…” ▸ On | Profile ▸ Settings ▸ Profile and tagging ▸ “Review tags people add to your posts…” ▸ On |
| Open Pending Reviews | Profile ▸ three dots ▸ Activity log ▸ “Timeline, photo, and tag review” | Profile ▸ Activity log ▸ “Timeline, photo, and tag review” |
Turn On Timeline Review (Screens Posts You’re Tagged In)
This switch stops a tagged post from auto-appearing on your profile. You’ll get to approve or hide it first. On phone, open the menu, head into Settings, then Profile and tagging, and switch on “Review posts you’re tagged in before the post appears on your profile?”. On desktop, use Settings or the left menu under Profile and tagging and flip the same switch to On. You can read Meta’s wording on the help page under Turn on Timeline Review.
Turn On Tag Review (Screens Tags People Add To Your Posts)
Friends can tag themselves or others in photos and posts you publish. With Tag Review switched on, those tags wait for your approval. Go to Profile and tagging and turn on “Review tags people add to your posts before the tags appear on Facebook?”. Meta documents this here: Review tags that people add.
Check Pending Items From The Activity Log
After both reviews are on, new tags and tagged posts flow into a review queue. The Activity Log shows that queue and lets you approve, hide from profile, or remove tags. On phone, open your profile, tap the three dots, pick Activity log, then open “Timeline, photo, and tag review.” On desktop, reach the same view from your profile header.
Approve, Hide, Or Remove: What Each Action Does
Approve
Approving a tagged post adds it to your profile. The post still follows the original poster’s audience setting. If they set Friends, it stays Friends; if Public, it stays Public.
Hide From Profile
This keeps the post off your profile while leaving the tag intact. The post still exists on the original poster’s timeline and in feeds where it already appears.
Remove Tag
This detaches your name from the post or photo. The original post remains, but it is no longer linked to your profile. You can see Meta’s help wording here: Remove a tag.
Control Who Sees Tagged Content On Your Profile
Two privacy switches decide how much reach a tag gets on your profile:
- Who can see posts you’re tagged in on your profile? — limits visibility on your own profile.
- When you’re tagged in a post, who do you want to add to the audience if they aren’t already in it? — adds your friends to the audience when someone else tags you, if you allow it.
Find both under Profile and tagging. Meta explains these options on the help page for audience controls: Choose who can see a post you’re tagged in.
Step-By-Step On Phone (iPhone Or Android)
- Open the Facebook app.
- Tap the menu icon, then Settings & privacy, then Settings.
- Open Profile and tagging.
- Turn on:
- “Review posts you’re tagged in before the post appears on your profile?”
- “Review tags people add to your posts before the tags appear on Facebook?”
- Return to your profile ▸ three dots ▸ Activity log.
- Open Timeline, photo, and tag review to approve or hide items.
- Optional: In Profile and tagging, set “Who can see posts you’re tagged in on your profile?” to Only me, Friends, or a custom list.
Step-By-Step On Desktop
- Open your profile on facebook.com and click your profile avatar to confirm you’re on your page.
- Click the profile … button, then pick Activity log to see review queues.
- Open the left menu for Profile and tagging to find both review switches.
- Set the audience options for tagged content on your profile.
Table: Privacy Controls That Affect Tagged Content
| Control | What It Does | Where To Set |
|---|---|---|
| Timeline Review | Holds posts you’re tagged in for approval before they appear on your profile. | Settings ▸ Profile and tagging ▸ “Review posts you’re tagged in…” |
| Tag Review | Holds tags people add to your posts until you approve them. | Settings ▸ Profile and tagging ▸ “Review tags people add to your posts…” |
| Who Can See Posts You’re Tagged In | Limits visibility of tagged posts on your profile (Only me, Friends, etc.). | Settings ▸ Profile and tagging ▸ Visibility section |
| Add To Audience When You’re Tagged | Lets your friends be added to the audience of someone else’s post that tags you. | Settings ▸ Profile and tagging ▸ Audience section |
Find And Clean Up Old Tags
You can tidy past tags from one place. Open your profile, tap the three dots, and pick Activity log. Use the filters for Photos and videos and Posts you’re tagged in. From each item, remove the tag or hide it from your profile. Meta describes the Activity Log here: What’s included in Activity log.
Best Practices So Tagging Doesn’t Get Messy
Set A Tight Default Audience For Tagged Items On Your Profile
Pick Friends or Only me for “Who can see posts you’re tagged in on your profile?”. That way, even if you approve a tag, you won’t over-share on your profile page.
Keep Both Reviews On
Timeline Review stops surprise posts from landing on your profile. Tag Review stops unwanted tags on your own photos. With both on, you catch nearly everything before it spreads.
Use Custom Lists
Create a Restricted or custom list for contacts who shouldn’t see tagged content. Then set your profile’s tagged-content audience to a list that excludes them.
Respond Fast
When a tag notification arrives, open the item and choose Approve, Hide from profile, or Remove tag. Quick action keeps your profile tidy and avoids awkward resharing.
Troubleshooting Common Snags
You Don’t See The Review Switches
Make sure you’re in the right menu: Settings & privacy ▸ Settings ▸ Profile and tagging. The two switches sit in the “Reviewing” section. If you manage a Page with the new Page experience, personal profile settings don’t govern Page tags.
Someone Tagged You In A Public Post You Don’t Like
Open the post, open the three-dot menu, choose Remove tag. Then set your profile visibility for tagged posts to a tighter audience. If the content breaks rules or feels unsafe, use the Report option on that post.
You Approved A Tag By Mistake
Open Activity Log ▸ Timeline, photo, and tag review. Find the item and switch it to Hidden from profile or remove the tag.
Friends Still See A Post After You Hide It From Your Profile
Hiding only affects your profile page. The original post still exists wherever the poster shared it. If that’s a problem, ask the poster to change the audience or remove it, or report it if needed.
Quick Reference: What Each Setting Protects
Timeline Review
Blocks auto-appearance of posts that tag you. You decide what shows on your profile.
Tag Review
Blocks auto-appearance of tags that people add to your own posts. No one gets tagged on your photo until you say yes.
Audience Controls
Limit who can see tagged items on your profile and whether your friends get added to the audience when someone tags you elsewhere.
Pro Tips For Faster Reviewing
- Pin the path in your head: Profile ▸ three dots ▸ Activity log ▸ “Timeline, photo, and tag review.” Two taps, then approve or hide.
- Use notifications: Tap a tag notification to jump straight to Approve or Remove tag.
- Batch clean: In Activity Log filters, open Photos and videos and Posts you’re tagged in, then process a week or month at a time.
- Set “Only me” during busy events: When you expect lots of tags (reunions, conferences), tighten the profile audience first; loosen it later.
What About Photos You Posted?
When you upload photos, friends might try to tag themselves or others. With Tag Review on, those tags wait for approval. If a tag slips through on older uploads, open the photo, tap the tag, and remove it.
Safety Notes
Review queues give you control, but they don’t block someone from tagging you in the first place. That’s normal behavior on the platform. Your goal is to cut reach on your profile and stop your name from linking to posts you don’t endorse. Use Remove tag on anything you don’t want tied to your name. For content that crosses lines, use Report and send the reason. Meta does act on reports in many cases.
Recap: The Three Moves That Keep Tags In Check
- Switch on Timeline Review and Tag Review in Profile and tagging (Tag Review • Timeline Review).
- Process pending items from your Activity log queue (Activity log overview).
- Set tight audience controls for tagged items on your profile (Audience settings for tagged posts).