Review and Approve Your Facebook Timeline Posts - A Guide

Controlling Your Facebook Timeline Visibility
For users who desire greater management of their Facebook timeline content, a straightforward yet often overlooked feature exists.
This built-in functionality allows you to review and approve posts where others have tagged you before they become visible to your Facebook network.
How Tag Approval Works
The tagging approval process provides a layer of control over what is shared on your profile.
Instead of posts appearing automatically when someone tags you, they are held for your review.
Benefits of Using Tag Approval
- Privacy Protection: Ensure only content you approve is displayed on your timeline.
- Reputation Management: Prevent unwanted or inappropriate content from being associated with your profile.
- Content Control: Maintain a curated view of the information shared about you on Facebook.
Enabling Tag Approval
Activating this feature is a simple process within your Facebook settings.
By enabling tag review, you effectively gain pre-publication rights over any post in which you are identified.
Utilizing Facebook's tag approval settings empowers you to curate your online presence and safeguard your privacy.
This feature is a valuable tool for anyone seeking to maintain a controlled and positive image on the platform.
The Benefits of Utilizing Facebook's Timeline Review
Many Facebook users encounter individuals whose tagging habits can be disruptive. This includes frequent tagging in irrelevant posts – such as political opinions, event promotions, or multi-level marketing schemes – or excessive photo tagging. These actions can lead to unwanted content appearing on your profile.
If you wish to control what appears on your Facebook timeline, the "Timeline Review" feature is essential. It provides a layer of control, requiring your approval before any post you are tagged in is published to your profile and shared with your network.
Related: Managing Facebook Timeline Posts Without Unfriending Contacts
Before enabling Timeline Review, it’s important to understand its limitations. This feature doesn't remove content from Facebook entirely; it simply prevents it from appearing on your timeline. Rejecting a tagged post doesn’t delete it, it only hides it from your profile.
Furthermore, Timeline Review doesn't affect the visibility of posts to the tagger’s friends. If you share mutual connections, those friends will still see the tagged content, regardless of your review settings. The feature solely controls what is displayed on your personal profile page and in the feeds of those who aren't connected to both you and the tagger.
It’s also crucial to note that this feature doesn’t regulate posts directly on your Facebook wall. Timeline Review specifically filters posts where you are tagged, not posts made directly to your timeline. Adjusting wall posting permissions requires a separate configuration, as detailed in our dedicated tutorial.
Currently, Timeline Review operates as an all-or-nothing setting. There is no option to designate "trusted" friends whose tags are automatically approved. Therefore, even tags from close contacts, like a spouse sharing family photos, require individual approval before appearing on your timeline.
Despite these limitations, Timeline Review remains a valuable tool for managing unwanted content. It effectively prevents the dissemination of undesirable posts – such as unsolicited political views or promotional material – to your broader Facebook network.
Activating Timeline Review on Facebook
The process of enabling and utilizing timeline review is quite simple. This feature can be activated either through the Facebook website or the mobile application, though performing the action on the website is generally quicker.
Enabling Timeline Review via the Website
To activate timeline review using the Facebook website, first log in to your account. Then, click the small downward-facing triangle located in the upper right corner of the blue navigation bar and select "Settings".

Within the left-hand navigation panel, choose the "Timeline and Tagging" option.

Locate the setting labeled "Review posts friends tag you in before they appear on your timeline?" within the "Timeline and Tagging" menu. This setting is initially disabled. Click "Edit" to modify it.

A menu will appear; within it, select the dropdown and change "Disabled" to "Enabled".

The changes are applied instantly, and no confirmation or save action is required.
Enabling Timeline Review on the Mobile App
Should you be accessing this guide on your mobile device and wish to immediately adjust the settings, the following instructions detail the process for the Facebook mobile app. While slight variations may exist between app layouts on different platforms, these iOS screenshots should provide clear guidance.
Tap the "More" menu button within the navigation bar, then select "Settings" from the displayed menu.

From the resulting menu, select "Account Settings".

Within the "Settings" menu, choose "Timeline and Tagging".

As with the website, select the option "Review posts friends tag you in before they appear on your timeline?".

Activate "Timeline Review" by toggling it to the "on" position.

Similar to the website, the changes are implemented immediately without requiring confirmation.
Utilizing the Timeline Review Feature
Having activated the timeline review function, let's examine its practical application. For demonstration purposes, a colleague posted a Minions meme and tagged our account. On a scale of unwanted tags, such memes fall somewhere between invitations to candle parties and notifications of alleged illegal activities.
When tagged by another user, a notification will be displayed.

This notification typically reads "[user] tagged you in a post. Review and approve this addition to your timeline" and includes a post preview. Selecting either the phrase "Timeline Review" or the preview image will direct you to the post in question.

From this view, you can choose to either "Add to Timeline" or "Hide" the post.
As you approve or reject items, a summary of each action is shown, illustrating how the post will appear on your Facebook profile.

Keep in mind that adding a post to your timeline will share it with your friends, display it on your profile, and integrate it into your overall Facebook presence. Conversely, hiding a post prevents these actions, though it doesn't delete the post or remove the tag itself. Should you desire complete removal, you can visit the post and manually untag yourself, or report the content if it violates Facebook’s policies or the law.
Although not flawless, timeline review offers a valuable method for filtering unwanted posts. This process helps to maintain a cleaner timeline and avoids potentially irritating your connections with undesirable content.
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