Facebook is a great way to keep track of all the things you’ve ever done. You can see what friends have shared, what groups you’re in, and even what pages you’ve been on. But there are a few things you should keep in mind when using Facebook:
- Make sure to log out of Facebook if you no longer want to see your data.
- Don’t share personal information on Facebook unless you know it will be safe and private.
- Be careful about how much information you share on Facebook because it can be used for marketing purposes by your friends and family members.
Facebook keeps an Activity Log of absolutely everything you do—tracking things you like, post, or share on someone’s Timeline. You can view that Activity Log anytime you like. Here’s how.
What Activity Log Is Useful For
While being able to scroll back through every Facebook interaction you’ve ever had might seem a little terrifying (yes, you really did like that many cat photos) and even creepy, it’s actually useful.
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Look at your News Feed and you’ll see dozens of posts your friends have liked or commented on. If they haven’t shared them, those items don’t appear on their timeline. Your friends get all the same notifications from you. The only way you can see what they all might see is through your Activity Feed. Just look at each item and you’ll see who can see it. In the screenshot below, for example, all of Ferdy’s friends can see that I’ve commented on his post. It’s likely that Facebook’s algorithm has shown that activity to some of our mutual Friends as well.
Activity Feed is also good for making sure apps aren’t doing stuff without you knowing about it. Our editor, for example, says he checks it every time he gives a new app permission to do something, just to make sure it hasn’t posted to his timeline or done something crazy. You can see below that, although Spotify has pushed something to Facebook, only I can see it (the lock icon indicates that it’s private).
RELATED: How to Delete a Facebook Post
From the Activity Feed, you can even undo anything you’ve done on Facebook. Click the “edit” button (the little Pen icon) next to any post and you can unlike, delete, or hide that post. If someone decides to “frape” you by liking a few hundred Justin Bieber fan pages, Activity Feed is the simplest way to undo the damage.
How to Access Your Facebook Activity Log
Log in to Facebook, head to your profile, and then click the “View Activity Log” button at the bottom right of your cover photo.
Now you’ll see everything you’ve ever done on Facebook in one big list.
If you’re looking for specific posts, you can use the “Activity Search” box. You can also filter the feed so you just see specific posts by selecting one of the options in the sidebar on the left. And you can navigate by year with the sidebar on the right.
You can also view your Activity Log in the mobile app. Head to your profile and tap “Activity Log” underneath your cover photo.
