You can review tags before they show on your profile
Facebook lets you set up a review process so that tags from other people don't appear on your profile until you approve them. When someone tags you in a photo, video, or post, the tag goes into a queue instead of showing when ready. You then get a notification and can decide whether to approve it, delete it, or leave it pending.
This feature is useful if you want to control your image — you can prevent unflattering photos or posts you disagree with from being permanently linked to your name. The setting takes about 30 seconds to turn on and works across all photos, videos, and posts where people tag you.
Key Takeaways
- Turn on tag review in Settings under Privacy, where you'll find "Review tags people add to your posts."
- Once enabled, every tag from anyone — including friends — waits for your approval before appearing on your profile.
- You'll receive a notification for each pending tag and can approve, delete, or ignore it from the notification or from your profile directly.
- Approving a tag makes it visible to whoever can see that photo or post; deleting it removes the tag entirely but doesn't delete the photo or post itself.
How to turn on tag review in Facebook settings
Open Facebook on your computer or phone and go to Settings. On a computer, click the downward arrow in the top right corner and select Settings and Privacy, then Settings. On a phone, tap the three horizontal lines (menu icon) in the bottom right, scroll down to Settings and Privacy, and tap Settings.
Once in Settings, look for the Privacy section on the left side (computer) or scroll down to find it (phone). Click or tap Privacy. Find the option that says "Review tags people add to your posts" and click the dropdown next to it. Change it from "Off" to "On." That's all you need to do — the setting takes effect when ready.
What happens when someone tags you
When tag review is on, the person who tags you sees the tag on their own post or photo right away. But the tag doesn't appear on your profile until you approve it. You'll get a notification that says someone tagged you, and you can act on it from there.
You can also see all pending tags by going to your profile, clicking the three dots (or menu icon), and looking for "Review tags." This shows you every tag waiting for approval in one place, so you don't have to hunt through notifications.
Approving tags you want to keep
When you approve a tag, it becomes visible on your profile to anyone who can see that photo or post. If the post is set to "Friends," only friends will see the tag. If it's "Public," everyone can see it. Approving a tag doesn't change the privacy setting of the photo or post itself — it only makes the tag visible.
You can approve a tag from the notification by clicking the approve button, or you can go to your profile's pending tags section and approve multiple tags at once. There's no limit to how many tags you can approve.
Deleting tags you don't want
If you delete a tag, it disappears completely — the tag no longer connects you to that photo or post. The photo or post itself stays on the other person's profile; you're just removing your name from it. Deleting a tag is permanent, so make sure that's what you want before you do it.
You can delete a tag from the notification or from your pending tags section. straightforward click the delete or reject button. The person who tagged you won't be notified that you deleted the tag, but they can see that the tag is no longer on their post.
Ignoring tags and letting them expire
If you don't approve or delete a tag, it stays pending indefinitely. Facebook doesn't automatically remove pending tags after a certain amount of time. This means you can leave a tag sitting in your queue if you're unsure about it, and come back to decide later.
However, leaving tags pending means they won't show on your profile, but they also won't go away. If you want to clean up your pending tags, go back to your review section and make a decision on each one.
Turning tag review off if you change your mind
If you decide you don't want to review tags anymore, go back to Settings, then Privacy, and find "Review tags people add to your posts." Change it back to "Off." Any tags that were pending will now appear on your profile when ready.
Turning off tag review doesn't affect tags you already approved — those stay on your profile. It only means that new tags from that point forward will show up without waiting for your approval.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I approve tags from some people but not others?
No, tag review is all-or-nothing. When it's on, every tag from anyone — friends, family, or strangers — goes into your review queue. You can't set it to only review tags from certain people. You have to approve or delete each tag individually.
Does the person who tagged me know if I delete their tag?
No, they won't be notified. They can see that the tag is no longer on their post, but Facebook doesn't send them a message saying you deleted it. If they ask why you're not tagged, you'd have to tell them yourself.
What if someone tags me in a comment instead of a photo?
Tag review only works for tags in photos, videos, and posts themselves. If someone mentions you in a comment by typing @yourname, that's different and doesn't go through the review process. You'll just get a notification that they mentioned you.
Can I review old tags that were already approved?
Yes, you can untag yourself from any photo or post at any time, even if you approved it years ago. Go to your profile, find the photo or post, and click the three dots. Select "Remove tag" or "Untag yourself." This removes your name from that item.
If I turn on tag review, will pending tags from before I turned it on be affected?
No, tag review only applies to new tags added after you turn the setting on. Tags that were already approved before you enabled tag review stay on your profile. Tags that were pending before you turned it on will appear when ready once the setting is active.