Facebook friends lists are visible to everybody by default, but users can hide them from everybody or make them visible only to select users. It is an easy process and can be done from Facebook's privacy settings. Users can hide their friends list from the general public, specific friends, or everyone. It can be done via the Facebook website or mobile apps on Android and iOS.
Privacy has always been a contentious issue on Facebook, but users have multiple options to protect their personal information. For example, people can hide their Facebook profiles from strangers to prevent unsolicited interaction or simply lock it up to keep their personal information private. However, users who don't want to go to such lengths can hide their friends list to protect their privacy.
Facebook explains that users can hide their friends list on the Facebook website or the mobile app. To do it on mobile, fire up the app and tap on the hamburger menu (three parallel lines). This will be at the top-right corner on Android and the bottom-right corner on iOS. On the Menu page, scroll down to the bottom, tap on 'Settings & Privacy' and then select 'Settings' from the expanded menu. On the next page, scroll down a little and tap on 'How People Find and Contact You' under the 'Audience and Visibility' section. Next, select 'Who Can See Your Friends List.' This will open a 'Friends List' page, allowing users to choose who can see their friends list on Facebook. To hide the list from everyone, select the 'Only Me' option. Users can also choose any of the other available options apart from 'Public' to hide their friends list from others. Facebook will save the changes automatically.
Hide Friends List On The Facebook Website
To hide friends list using the website, log into Facebook and then click on the tiny downward arrow at the upper-right corner. On the pop-up menu, click on 'Settings & privacy' and then go to 'Settings.' On the next page, select 'Privacy' on the left sidebar and then on the right pane, click on the 'Edit' link corresponding to 'Who can see your friends list.' Now click on the blue drop-down menu button and select who can access the friends list. Selecting the 'Only me' option will hide it from everyone.
Facebook isn't necessarily the most privacy-friendly platform. There have been plenty of controversies about how the company (now called Meta) tracks not only its own users but also non-Facebook users across the web. Still, users can do a few things to protect their privacy on the platform and hiding their friends list from strangers and potential stalkers is an excellent place to start.
Source: Facebook