How to View Private Facebook Account | 6 Proven Ways

Facebook released its “Locked Profile” feature in May 2020, which has made it easier for people to make their profile private thereby hiding posts, photos, and even their profile picture from anyone who’s not on their friend list.

So if you’ve ever come across a private profile—maybe someone you used to know or someone you're curious about—it’s normal to wonder what’s behind the curtain. Don’t worry, there are easy ways to view private Facebook accounts.

In this guide, you’ll discover 6 proven methods to help you learn how to view a private Facebook account—without crossing any lines or violating anyone’s privacy. Let’s break it down, step by step.

Part 1. Understanding Facebook's Privacy Settings

Before trying to view a private profile, know what’s hidden:

Why do people set profiles to private?

• Avoid strangers seeing personal posts
• Prevent employers/family from snooping
• Reduce spam and scams

🚫 What Doesn’t Work (Avoid Scams!)

Many websites claim: "View private Facebook profiles instantly!" These are all fake.

❌ Third-party apps (Most are malware) 

❌ "Hacking" tools (Facebook bans these) 

❌ Fake friend accounts (Against Facebook’s rules)

Instead, use these 6 legal methods:

Part 2. 6 Methods for Viewing a Private Facebook Account

Viewing a private Facebook account isn’t difficult as long as you use the right methods. Now let’s discuss six methods to view a private Facebook account.

Method 1. Use a reliable parental control App – Msafely

Msafely is one of the most effective tools you can use to view a private Facebook account—especially when you want detailed insights without directly interacting with the person. Msafely is rated as one of the best parental control apps and now offers a wide range of powerful features that help you monitor Facebook activity remotely, quietly, and securely.

The app works on both Android and iPhone and once it's set up, it runs silently in the background, leaving no visible trace on the target device.

After connecting to the target’s phone, Msafely syncs the phone's Facebook activities like calls, and texts, to your secure dashboard via the cloud, making it easy to track Facebook activity anytime and from anywhere.

Key features that make Msafely stand out

Here’s a closer look at the top features that make Msafely ideal for viewing private Facebook profiles:

•  View private Facebook profile photos

Msafely grants access to hidden Facebook profile photos—even if the user has locked their profile. You’ll be able to see updated profile images and albums that wouldn’t normally be visible to the public.

•  Monitor Facebook messages and calls

You can read both incoming and outgoing Facebook Messenger chats. Msafely also logs call data, including contact names, call durations, and timestamps—giving you full visibility into how the person interacts on Facebook.

•  Track Facebook stories and posts

Msafely allows you to view the user’s Facebook stories and any posts they share, including photos and status updates—content usually hidden on private profiles.

•  Live location tracking via Facebook activity

Msafely analyzes location-based Facebook interactions, this helps you track the target device’s real-time location. You can also view historical location data to see where the person has been.

•  Monitor Facebook activity feed

Access likes, reactions, comments, and status updates in a clean timeline, giving you a broader view of the person’s behavior on the platform.

How to set up Msafely to view a private Facebook account

Step 1. Head to Msafely’s official website and sign up using your active email.

Step 2. Select whether you’re monitoring an Android or iPhone.

Step 3. Choose the plan that fits your monitoring needs, complete payment, and receive setup instructions.

Step 4. Log into your control panel to begin tracking Facebook activity and more from your dashboard.

Method 2. Send a friend request

Sometimes, the simplest way is the most effective. You can send a friend request if the Facebook profile you're attempting to visit is private. After you've been accepted, you'll typically be able to see posts, photos, tagged posts, and more—depending on the privacy settings of the individual.

📈To increase your chances of the person accepting your friend request, follow these tips:

✔ Add a short, friendly message with your request (especially if you’re not close).

✔ Ensure your own profile looks authentic—others will be more inclined to accept requests from someone with whom they are familiar or feel at ease connecting.

✔ Be patient. Some people check friend requests less often, or they may want to verify who you are before accepting.

Method 3. Check mutual friends’ activity

If you share mutual friends with the user whose private Facebook profile you're trying to view, you're in luck. Even though someone has made their profile private, pieces of their activity can be viewed through mutual friends. Here's how you can capitalize on that:

Look at mutual friends' timelines and tagged photos.

Look through likes, comments, or posts that the private user may have interacted with.

Sometimes you'll be able to see profile pictures, groups they're associated with, or recent public postings they've made if their actual account is private.

Method 4. Search Google & Facebook smartly

Another way of viewing an individual's private Facebook profile is by searching for the person's full name on Google and on Facebook. Type their name in quotes for a more targeted search, like:

"Peter Jones Facebook" or "Janet Davies profile site:facebook.com"

This can pull up cached pages, public posts, or even photo tags that aren’t entirely hidden, even if the profile is locked.

On Facebook, try checking their username or possible profile URLs. You might come across public likes, groups, or comments they’ve interacted with that reveal more about them.

Even though you won’t be able to view full posts on a private account, you might still find partial profile previews, cover photos, or public interactions—especially if their privacy settings aren’t fully airtight.

Method 5. Look for linked accounts (Instagram, LinkedIn)

Most people use the same username or name across multiple platforms. So, even if their Facebook is private, there’s a good chance their Instagram, LinkedIn, or Twitter might be more open. Look for links in bios, shared photos, or even mutual content posted across platforms.

For example, someone may post a story on Instagram and then share it on their Facebook. If you can find and follow their Instagram account, you might gain some insights into their Facebook activity too. LinkedIn can also be helpful—users often list personal links or use the same profile pictures, giving you clues to confirm identity.

This method won’t unlock private Facebook posts directly, but it can help you piece together a clearer picture of the person through their other online footprints.

Method 6. Ask them directly

Honesty is usually really the best policy. So, if you're genuinely curious about someone’s Facebook profile—maybe you're reconnecting with an old friend or want to see more of a colleague’s posts—the easiest approach is to just ask.

Send them a friendly message or comment and mention that you noticed their profile is private. Let them know why you’re interested in connecting. If there’s a valid reason, many people will happily send you a friend request or adjust their privacy settings temporarily.

While it may feel bold, being straightforward is often faster than trying workarounds—and it respects the person’s digital boundaries.

Part 3. Bonus Tip: How to Protect Your Own Facebook Privacy

With so many personal details floating around online, it is important to have some control over who can see what on your page. Facebook's privacy settings are a little overwhelming, but once you know where to look for them, securing your account becomes relatively easy.

Here are 6 smart ways to protect your Facebook privacy:

#1. Limit the audience for past posts

Maybe you posted a lot back in the day—and now you’d prefer those updates to stay private. You can change who sees all your previous posts in one go. Just follow these steps;

• Go to Settings > Privacy.
• Under Your Activity, select Limit the audience for posts you’ve shared with friends of friends or Public.
• Click Limit Past Posts

#2. Turn off public search

Prevent your Facebook profile from appearing in search engine results like Google. This stops strangers from easily finding you outside the platform. Here’s how to do this

• Go to Settings > Privacy
• Scroll to How People Can Find and Contact you
• Next, select if you want your profile to be linked to by search engines other than Facebook.

#3. Disable facial recognition and tag suggestions

Facebook uses facial recognition to suggest tags in photos, but if you’d rather not be part of that, you can turn it off. Go to Settings > Privacy > Face Recognition. Then change the setting to No to stop Facebook from recognizing you in photos.

#4. Strengthen your account security

Privacy means nothing if your account gets hacked. Take a few steps to protect your login info. Use a strong, unique password that you don’t use anywhere else Enable two-factor authentication under Settings > Security and Login. Finally, review your login activity and log out of unfamiliar devices.

#5. Turn off instant personalization

Facebook shares your public info with partner websites like Yelp and TripAdvisor by default. If that makes you uneasy, disable this feature. Follow these steps;

• Go to Settings > Apps and Websites
• Find Instant Personalization and click Edit
• Uncheck Enable instant personalization on partner websites

#6. Control your audience for posts, photos, and personal info

Customize who sees what by adjusting your audience settings. When posting, click the audience selector icon (usually a little globe or friends icon) and choose Friends, Only Me, or Custom.

Go to Settings > Privacy and review who can see your photos, videos, and information. Make sure you avoid setting posts to Public unless you’re okay with the whole internet viewing them.

Part 4. Final Verdict: Can You Really View Private Facebook Accounts?

Yes, it’s possible to view private Facebook accounts—but it depends on the method you use. In this guide, we covered six ways that can help you gain insights into how to view private Facebook accounts. Even though simple tricks like smart Google searches or checking linked accounts might give you some limited info, tools like Msafely offer a much more complete view.

So, there is no doubt that If you're looking for the most effective way—especially when it comes to accessing private messages, photos, or detailed activity, Msafely is your best bet. It works discreetly and gives you a full behind-the-scenes look without alerting the target user.

Msafely works discreetly and gives you a full behind-the-scenes look without alerting the target user. This way you can view anyone’s Private Facebook profile.

Part 5. FAQs

Q1. How to view Facebook private account photos?

Spy apps like Msafely can help you view private photos without needing a friend request. Alternatively, you can send a friend request, and if accepted, you’ll be able to see their photos.

Q2. How do I read a private Facebook account without following?

Msafely allows you to monitor private Facebook profile photos without following. You can also check mutual friends' activity to see if the private profile is visible through their interactions.

Q3. How do I read a private Facebook profile without an account?

If you don’t have a Facebook account, you could search for linked accounts on platforms like Instagram or LinkedIn. You can also use Msafely to access private social media activity linked to Facebook profiles.

Q4. How can I view a private Instagram account that has been shared on Facebook?

If the private Instagram account is shared on Facebook, you can view it by sending a follow request on Instagram. If linked to Facebook, Msafely can also help you monitor their Instagram activity.

Q5. How to view a private Instagram account through Facebook?

You can check mutual friends' posts or send a follow request on Instagram. If the account is linked to Facebook, Msafely lets you track their Instagram activity even if the account is private.