Can My Facebook Friends See if I Look Through Their Photo Albums?

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When it comes to photos on Facebook, one of the most popular questions users have is whether or not it's possible for friends to see if you have been looking at their photo albums. If you're checking what an old friend is up to or looking at your crush's profile, you understandably don't want to be caught snooping. The good news is that if you're wondering, "can you see who viewed your Facebook?", the answer is no. Additionally, apps are sometimes published that claim to show people who is "stalking" their timeline or photos, but these don't do what they claim to.

Can You See Who Views Your Facebook Profile?

No, your friends can't see if you look their profile or photo albums, according to Facebook. Your privacy as a viewer is completely protected. Facebook has been consistent in its assurances that it does not keep any information on whose profiles you visit, or whether or not you spend time looking at photos of your friends, friends of friends or strangers. This also means that you can't find out who viewed your Facebook profile either. Of course, if you comment on a photo or accidentally click the "Like" button, it's practically guaranteed that your cover will be blown.

Understand Facebook's Photo Privacy Settings

Facebook offers several privacy settings for photos and photo albums, allowing you to choose who can see them and who can't. The basic settings include friends, only yourself, or everyone. However you can also customize these settings for each album or each photo you upload to your timeline. You can specify that a photo album can be seen by specific people, or hidden from specific people.

So, generally speaking, if you can see the photos in a Facebook album, it's because the person who put them there has allowed you to see them. Or at least, it's because they haven't chosen to strengthen their privacy settings beyond Facebook's default.

What About Those "Who Stalks Your Profile" Apps?

If you use Facebook for any period of time, you will eventually encounter an app that says something like "find out who views my Facebook profile." There are no such apps, so if you have installed one already, you can uninstall it by going to the app's page. You should probably consider doing this immediately because if an app developer is not honest about what the app does, there's a good chance he's not telling you what the app might do – like accessing the personal information on your timeline.

How to Report an App

If you see that a friend's timeline includes a post about a new app that enables you to see who is looking at your photos or stalking your profile, you might want to let him know this isn't true. Facebook recommends that you report any app that violates Facebook policies, including those that claim they can show you who is viewing your timeline or photos.

To report an app, you first need to search for it in the Facebook App Center (see Resources for link). When you click on the app's name, you will see a "Report a Problem" link. Click on this link to specify the problem and report it to Facebook. You can also send a message to the app developer using this same link.