You can review tags before they appear on your profile

Facebook lets you control whether tags show up on your profile by turning on tag review. When this setting is on, any tag someone adds to a photo or post with you in it goes to a review queue first. You see it, decide whether to approve or reject it, and the tag only becomes visible if you approve. This means you can catch unflattering photos, misspellings of your name, or posts you don't want associated with your profile before anyone else sees them.

The setting works across all photos and posts — both old ones and new ones. Once you turn it on, every tag waits for your decision. If you turn it off later, previously approved tags stay visible, but new tags will post when ready without your review.

Key Takeaways

  • Tag review is a setting you turn on in your privacy controls that makes all new tags wait for your approval before showing on your profile.
  • You can approve or reject tags one at a time from a notification or from your profile's tag review queue.
  • Turning on tag review does not affect tags that are already on your profile — only new ones going forward.
  • You can also untag yourself from any post or photo at any time, even if you approved the tag originally.

How to turn on tag review in your settings

Open Facebook and go to the menu in the top right corner (the three horizontal lines). Scroll down and tap Settings & Privacy, then Settings. Look for Privacy in the left menu and tap it. Find the section called Who can tag you in posts? and tap the dropdown next to it. Choose Friends or Custom depending on who you want to allow tags from, then check the box that says Approve tags before they appear on your profile. Tap Done.

On a computer, the path is the same: click the menu in the top right, go to Settings & Privacy > Settings, click Privacy on the left, and find Who can tag you in posts? Check the box for Review tags people add to your own posts before the tags appear on your profile. The setting saves automatically.

Where to find tags waiting for your review

When someone tags you, you get a notification. Tap or click the notification to go straight to that tag's review screen. You can also find all pending tags by going to your profile, tapping the menu (three dots on mobile, the down arrow on desktop), and selecting Review tags. This shows every tag waiting for your decision in one place.

On mobile, you can also check pending tags through your notifications. Look for the bell icon at the bottom of the screen, tap it, and scroll to find tag notifications. Each one has an Approve or Reject button right there.

How to approve or reject a single tag

When you open a tag for review, you see the photo or post and the person's name who tagged you. Below that are two buttons: Approve and Reject. Tap or click Approve to let the tag show on your profile and in your timeline. Tap or click Reject to remove it without notifying the person who tagged you — they won't see a message saying you rejected it, but the tag straightforward won't appear on your profile.

If you reject a tag, the photo or post still exists on the other person's profile or timeline. Only the tag linking it to you is removed. The person can tag you again later, and it will go back into your review queue.

What happens after you approve or reject tags

Approved tags show up on your profile, in your timeline, and in your tagged photos section. Friends can see them depending on your privacy settings for that post or photo. Rejected tags disappear from your review queue and never appear on your profile, but you can still see the photo or post on the other person's profile if they haven't deleted it.

If you change your mind about an approved tag later, you can untag yourself at any time. Go to the photo or post, tap the menu (three dots), and select Remove tag. This works whether you approved the tag yourself or it was added before you turned on tag review.

Tag review for photos you post yourself

Tag review applies to tags other people add to photos and posts. If you post a photo and tag your friends in it, your friends do not need to approve those tags — they appear when ready on the photo. However, if your friends have tag review turned on and you tag them in a photo you post, the tag goes to their review queue, and they can reject it if they want.

You can also turn on a separate setting to review tags before they appear in photos you upload. In the same Privacy settings, look for Review tags people add to your own posts before the tags appear on your profile and check that box. This makes tags on your own photos wait for your approval too, which is useful if other people sometimes upload photos to your profile or tag you in group photos.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does the person who tagged me know if I reject their tag?

No. When you reject a tag, the person does not get a notification or message. The tag straightforward does not appear on your profile. They can see the photo or post on their own profile, but it will not be linked to you.

Can I approve tags from some people and reject from others automatically?

Not automatically. You review each tag individually. However, you can limit who can tag you in the first place by changing the Who can tag you in posts? setting to Friends only or a custom list, which reduces the number of tags you have to review.

If I turn off tag review, what happens to tags I already approved?

Approved tags stay on your profile. Turning off tag review only affects new tags going forward — they will post when ready without waiting for your review. Any tags you rejected stay rejected.

Can I see all my tags in one place?

Yes. Go to your profile, tap the menu, and select Photos or Tagged photos. This shows all photos you are tagged in. You can also go to Review tags from the same menu to see only tags waiting for your decision.

What if someone keeps tagging me in things I don't want?

You can reject their tags each time they add them. If it becomes a pattern, you can also restrict that person by going to their profile, tapping the menu, and selecting Restrict. This limits what they can see on your profile and makes their messages go to a separate folder.