The app I'm using says I need to download something, fill out a survey or sign into Facebook again to see special content. Is this true?

No. An app should never force you to log in again, fill out a survey, enter a promotion, download a toolbar or take any other unrelated action. The only thing that an app can require you to do to see content is to Like its profile page.

If you believe that an app is abusive, please report the app.

Can I know who’s viewing my timeline or how often it’s being viewed?

No, Facebook does not provide a functionality that enables you to track who is viewing your timeline, or parts of your timeline, such as your photos. Third party applications also cannot provide this functionality. Applications that claim to give you this ability will be removed from Facebook for violating policy. You can report applications that provide untrustworthy experiences.

Can people see my private messages on my timeline?

No. Private messages only appear in your Inbox on Facebook. Learn more about what's on your timeline.

What personal information is shared with sites that use social plugins?

None of your information – your name, basic info, what you like, who your friends are, what they have liked, what they recommend – is shared with external sites you visit with a plugin. Because they have given Facebook this space on their sites, they do not receive or interact with the information that is contained or transmitted there. Similarly, no personal information about your actions is provided to advertisers on Facebook.com or on the other site.

Can people tell that I've looked at their timeline?

No, Facebook does not provide a functionality that enables people to track who is viewing their timeline. Third party applications also cannot provide this functionality. If you come across an application that claims to offer this ability, Facebook encourage you to report it. You can report applications that provide untrustworthy experiences.

Common Myths About Facebook

Will Facebook ever charge for service?

No. Facebook a free service for everyone.

Do advertisers have access to my personal information?

No, Facebook's ad targeting is done anonymously by our system, without sharing personally identifiable information with advertisers. If advertisers select demographic targeting for their ads, the system automatically matches those ads to the appropriate audience. Advertisers only receive anonymous, aggregated reports to let them know that their ads were seen by the groups they targeted.

Does Facebook sell my information?

No. You have control over how your information is shared. Facebook do not share your personal information with people or services you don't want. Facebook do not give advertisers access to your personal information. Facebook do not and never will sell any of your information to anyone.

For further information on Facebook's advertising system, please visit the Ads Help Center here.

What does the "Custom" privacy setting mean?

The Custom privacy setting lets you specify who is able and not able to view the content you share. When you choose Custom a pop-up box will appear. From the box, you can choose to share with or exclude specific networks, friends, and Friend Lists.

What does "Public" mean?

If you're comfortable making something you share open to anyone on the internet, you can choose Public from the audience selector before you post. Public includes people who are not your friends on Facebook, people who are not in your school or work networks and anyone on the internet.

Can I change the audience for something I share after I publish it?

Yes, you can use the audience selector to change who can see anything you share after you share it.

How can I control what my friends see in their news feeds?

Your friends may or may not see the things you share in their news feeds, depending on:

The privacy setting for each post that you share. To control whether or not specific friends have the option to view your stories, you can change the settings for each piece of content you post.
Your friends' news feed preferences. Your friends may request to view more content you share, or to hide content that you share.

Privacy Controls for Stories You Share on Facebook

When I share something, how do I choose who can see it?

Before you post, look at the audience selector. Use the dropdown menu to choose who you want to share a post with.

Public

Friends

Only Me

Custom

You'll see this tool most places you share content, whether it's a status update or information on your timeline.

In most places, the tool remembers the audience you shared with the last time you posted something and uses the same audience when you share again unless you change it. For example, if you choose Public for a post, your next post will also be Public unless you change this audience when you post.

If you want to change who you're sharing with, open the dropdown menu and choose a different audience. Remember: anyone you tag in a post, along with their friends, may see the post.

To make it clear who you're sharing with, the audience you select appears along with whatever you're saying, most places you share. You can also use the audience selector to change who you are sharing with after you post something.

Note: When you post to another person's timeline, that person controls what audience can view the post.

Posting about pets: What do I do if I have a pet I cannot keep?

Facebook worked with the Humane Society of the United States on the following tips. For more information, visit humanesociety.org.

Finding a good home for your pet

If you ultimately decide that you cannot keep your pet, you have several options.

Your best resource is your local animal shelter. Most shelters screen potential adopters to make sure that they will be able to provide a safe, responsible, and loving home for your pet.

The easiest place to start your search for your local animal shelter is online at PetFinder.com. Here you can enter your zip code and find a list of animal shelters, animal control agencies, and other animal care organizations in your community. You may also want to look in your phone book. Animal shelters are called by a variety of names, so look in the Yellow Pages under listings such as "animal shelter," "humane society," or "animal control." Public animal care and control agencies are often listed under the city or county health department or police department. You can also call information at 411.

If you have a dog of a specific breed, there may be a breed rescue organization in your area that will accept him and work to find him a new home. Purebred rescue groups are usually run by people with in-depth knowledge of a specific breed. Rescue groups usually keep adoptable animals until they can be placed in loving, permanent homes. To locate a rescue group that specializes in your dog's breed, contact your local animal shelter go to PetFinder.com.

In some cases, breed rescues only work with animal shelters and may not accept pets directly from owners. Be sure to find out as much as you can about the rescue group, and always carefully screen a breed rescue organization before relinquishing your pet. You should make sure the current animal residents appear well-cared-for, that the group screens potential adopters, and that the group offers post-adoption support services. Do not be afraid to ask questions.

Finding a new home

If you decide to try to find a new home for your pet yourself, rather than relying upon a local animal shelter or rescue organization, be sure the animal's best interests remain your top priority. Finding a new home for a pet can be difficult. A "good" home means a home where the animal will live for the rest of his or her life, where he or she will receive attention, veterinary care, proper nutrition, and be treated as part of the family.

If you choose to find a home for your pet yourself, follow these guidelines:

Advertise through friends, neighbors, and local veterinarians first; then try the newspaper, if all else fails. Your chances of finding a good home are increased when you check references with someone you know.
Visit the prospective new home in order to get a feel for the environment in which your pet will be living. Explain that the pet is part of your family and that you want to make sure she will be cared for properly and that you want to see how the animal responds to the new home. Screen potential homes carefully.
Don't be fooled. If anyone refuses to allow you to visit their home, do not place your pet with them. Individuals known as "bunchers" routinely answer "free-to-good-home" ads, posing as people who want family pets when, in actuality, they sell pets to animal dealers. Dogfighters have also been known to obtain domestic animals for baiting through "free to good home" ads. These people are "professionals" who may even bring children or their mothers with them when picking up pets.
Always be mindful of your own safety when you go to interview potential adopters or if you allow a prospective adopter to enter your home.
Carefully consider all the elements of the new home: Will your pet get along with small children? Is the family planning to keep the dog chained outside as a watch dog? Will the cat be kept only as a mouser? Does the family have a veterinary reference? Do not be shy about asking questions. Your pet's life and happiness may depend on it.
Ask for a valid form of identification (preferably a driver's license). Record the number for your records and require the new owner to sign a contract stating the requirements of adoption upon which both parties agree. As part of the contract, require the new owner to contact you if he or she decides at some point that they must give up the pet.
Have your pet neutered or spayed before he or she goes to the new home. This will make the animal more adoptable and help stop irresponsible breeding.
If your pet is chronically ill or has behavior problems, it may be difficult to find him a suitable home. A new owner may not be willing or able to deal with these issues, and it may also be difficult for the pet to adjust to a new home. The decision to humanely euthanize such a pet should not be made without thoughtful input from a veterinarian, a behaviorist, and the family, based on how well they believe their companion would adapt to a new home.

Finding a quality home for your pet can be a difficult and time-consuming process. Remember: Your local animal shelter has a qualified staff trained to screen and counsel adopters. Relinquishing your pet to your local shelter may be the best option for you and your pet.

Tagging and linking Twitter

What can I tag ?

You can tag people, places, and pages in anything you share. You can also tag people in the text of posts or comments by using the @ symbol before typing their name.

Who can tag me?

Anyone can tag you in photos and other posts. Tags from people you're not friends with may appear in your timeline review where you can decide to allow them on your timeline. Remember, posts you chose not to allow on your timeline may appear in news feed and elsewhere on Facebook.

How can I sync my Twitter account to my Facebook Page, so that my Facebook Page posts automatically post as Tweets/are tweeted?

Link your Facebook and Twitter accounts here. As a Page admin, you'll be able to share status updates, links, photos, notes, and events with your followers on Twitter, directly from Facebook. You can choose the kinds of things you want to share both on Twitter and Facebook.

How do I link names and tag in a post?

You can tag friends in your Facebook status and other posts. To tag a friend, type the "@" symbol. Then pick the friend you want to tag from the dropdown menu that appears. If the dropdown menu appears and you don't want to tag a name, just continue typing your post and the options will disappear. Note that you can also mention friends in comments in a similar way.

Learn more:

How to Post & Share

Sharing Status Updates

How do I share a status or other content on Facebook?

Depending on whom you'd like to share with, there are different ways to share content on Facebook:

Sharing with a broad audience: Use the share menu that's located at the top of your home page and timeline to let others know what's on your mind. You can update your status and share photos, videos, links and other application content. Things you share will appear as posts on your timeline, and can appear in your news feed. To control whether or not specific people have the option to view your stories, you can change the privacy settings for each piece of content you post.
Sharing with a small group of friends: Use the Groups feature to share content with a select group of people, like family members, your soccer team or your book club.
Sharing with an individual: You can use the share menu at the top of a friend's timeline to write or share something on his or her timeline. Friends of your friend will also be able to view your post. If you'd like to share something privately, you can always send someone a private message.

Join Community Forum.Learn more about friends from other people.

Find questions and answers from other users in Facebook Community Forum.

How to export my email address book ?

Outlook
To export a CSV or tab-delimited text file from Outlook:

Open Outlook
Select "Import and Export" from the File menu
When the wizard opens, select "Export to a file" and click "Next"
Select "Comma separated values (Windows)" and click "Next"
Select the Contacts folder you would like to export and click "Next"
Choose a filename and a place to save the file (for instance, "Contacts.csv" on the Desktop), then click "Next"
Confirm what you are exporting: make sure the checkbox next to "Export..." is checked and click "Finish"

Outlook Express
To export a CSV or tab-delimited text file from Outlook Express:

Open Outlook Express
Select "Export" from the "File" menu
Click "Export", and then click "Address Book"
Select "Text File" (Comma Separated Values), and then click "Export".
Choose a filename and a place to save the file (for instance, "Contacts.csv" on the Desktop) and click "Next"
Click to select the check boxes for the fields that you want to export, and then click "Finish". Please be sure to select the email address and name fields
Click "OK" and then click "Close"

Windows Address Book
To export a CSV file from Windows Address Book:

Open Windows Address Book
From the "File" menu, select "Export", then "Other Address Book..."
When the "Address Book Export Tool" dialog opens, select "Text File (Comma Separated Values)" and click "Export"
Choose a filename and a place to save the file (for instance, "Contacts.csv" on the Desktop) and click "Next"
Click to select the check boxes for the fields that you want to export, and then click "Finish". Please be sure to select the email address and name fields
Click "OK" and then click "Close"

Mozilla Thunderbird
To export an LDIF file from Mozilla Thunderbird:

Open Mozilla Thunderbird
Select "Address Book" from the "Tools" menu
When the address book window opens, select "Export..." from the "Tools" menu
Choose a filename and a place to save the file (for instance, "Contacts.ldif" on the Desktop) and click "Save"

Palm Desktop
To export a CSV file from Palm Desktop:

Open Palm Desktop
Display your contact list by clicking the "Addresses" icon on the lefthand side of the screen
Select "Export" from the "File" menu
When the dialog box opens, enter a name for the file you are creating in the "File name:" field; select "Comma Separated" in the "Export Type" pulldown menu; be sure to select the "All" radio button from the two "Range:" radio buttons
A second dialog box "Specify Export Fields" opens. Leave all of the checkboxes checked, and click "OK"

Palm Desktop (vCard)
To export a vCard file from Palm Desktop:

Open Palm Desktop
Display your contact list by clicking the "Addresses" icon on the left hand side of the screen
Select the contacts you would like to export
Select "Export vCard..." from the "File" menu
Choose a filename and a place to save the file (for instance, "Contacts.vcf" on the Desktop), then click "Save"

Entourage
To export a tab-delimited text file from Entourage:

Open Entourage
Select "Export" from the "File" menu
Select "Local Contacts to a list (tab-delimited text)"
Click the "Next" arrow
Choose a filename and a place to save the file (for instance, "Contacts.txt" on the Desktop), then click "Save"
Click "Done" in the confirm dialog

Mac OS X Address Book
To export a vCard file from Mac OS X Address Book:

Open Mac OS X Address Book
Select the contacts you would like to export
Select "Export vCards..." from the File menu
Choose a filename and a place to save the file (for instance, "Contacts.vcf" on the Desktop), then click "Save"

LinkedIn
To export a CSV file from LinkedIn:

Sign into LinkedIn
Visit the Address Book Export page
Select "Microsoft Outlook (.CSV file)" and click "Export"
Choose a filename and a place to save the exported file (for instance, "Contacts.csv" on the Desktop)

Other
Many email clients and PIM programs allow contacts to be exported to a file. We support the following types of contact file:

Comma-separated values (.csv)
vCards (.vcf)
Tab-delimited text (.txt)
LDAP Data Interchange Format (.ldif)

Please check your email client's documentation to see whether contact export to one of these formats is supported. If it's not, you can make a suggestion for Facebook to add support for the contact file format that your email client is capable of exporting.

How do I import my contacts from other accounts?

You can import your contacts from other accounts (ex: email or Skype) by signing in to your account on the Find Friends page. Depending on your email provider, addresses may be imported from your mail folders as well as your contacts list. Remember : you must only to import contacts from your personal accounts.

Will the email addresses I imported be saved?

Facebook doesn't give out the email addresses of the contacts you import, but Facebook may store them and use them to suggest friends for you in the future. If you don't sign up for Facebook, Facebook won't save the contacts you've imported.

How do I remove contacts I imported to Facebook from the Find Friends page ?

You can remove all of the contacts you imported at once, or you can manage your contacts using this list.

Although Facebook can't retract invitations that have already been sent, you can delete contacts from your Invite History list. This will prevent any future invitation reminders from being sent to these people.

How do I manage the contacts I upload from the Find Friends page(ex:remove contacts,send reminder invitations,etc)?

If you invite friends to join Facebook from the Find Friends or Invite Your Friends pages, Facebook will save a list of the people you've invited and send them reminders to join.

Use this list to see which friends have joined, remove contacts, and send additional reminders. You can also delete all of your contacts, canceling any scheduled invite reminders, by clicking the Remove All Imported Contacts link.

How do I filter search results(ex:see all of my high school classmates)?

If you're having trouble finding what you're looking for when you search Facebook, try filtering your search results. To do this, simply click the See more results for... link at the bottom of the search box. Then, use the filters on the left side of the screen to narrow your results.

Here's how you could use the People filter to find everyone who attended your high school during the years you were there:

Type something into the search bar at the top of any Facebook page
Click the See more results... link at the bottom of the dropdown
Click People from the Search Filters menu on the left
Locate the dropdown menu in the Search Tools section and select Education (Note: You can also filter by hometown, workplace, or add your own filter)
Enter the name of your school and select a year

How do I make sure that my friends can find me on Facebook ?

Here are a few things your can do to make sure your can friends find you:

Use your real first and last name on your account
Add an alternate name to your account, if people know you by another name (ex: nickname, maiden name)
Adjust your privacy settings to allow people to find you in search (learn more)
Fill in your basic info (ex: contact info, hometown) so people can find you when they use our search filters

Finding Friends on Facebook

Find Your Friends

After you join Facebook, there are three ways to find your friends or invite them to join:

Search for friends
You can search for your friends by typing their names or email addresses in the search bar at the top of any Facebook page. If you don't see the person you're looking for, you can filter your search results:

Type in the name of a friend in the search bar
Click the See more results... link at the bottom of the dropdown
Click People from the Search Filters menu on the right
Use the filter dropdown menu to filter your search results by location, education, or workplace, or add another filter option (ex: searching for your hometown will show you all of the people who have that town listed on their account as well)

Import your contacts
You can import your list of contacts from other places (ex: your email account) and we'll find your friends for you or your can browse through people you may know, all from the Find Friends page.

Type Find friends in the search bar at the top of any Facebook page and click on the first result.
Click the name of the account you want to use (ex: AOL)
Enter your login information for that account (ex: email and password). Note: Facebook won't store your password.
Click Find Friends.

After Facebook imports your contacts, you'll have the option to send a friend request to any of your friends that already have a Facebook account (just click Add Friend) or send an invitation to friends who aren't on Facebook.

Invite friends individually
You can also invite your friends individually from the Invite Your Friends page. Simply enter in the email addresses of anyone you want to invite, add a personal message (optional), and click Invite Your Friends.

Note: When you invite friends to join Facebook, Facebook will save a list of those contacts so you can see who you invited and send reminders. You can always manage your list of contacts, and control the invitations and reminders those friends receive. Learn how.

What's New on Facebook

Facebook always working on building new features and improving existing ones. Here's where you can learn about all the changes and give Facebook your feedback. They're listening.

Introducing Timeline
Tell your life story with a new kind of profile.

Your Cover
Fill the top wide, open space with a unique image that represents you best. It's the first thing people see when they visit your timeline.

Your Stories
Share and highlight your most memorable posts, photos and life events on your timeline. This is where you can tell your story from beginning, to middle, to now.

Your Apps
The movies you quote. The songs you have on repeat. The activities you love. Now there's a new class of social apps that let you express who you are through all the things you do.

More About Timeline

Preview your timeline
Once you get timeline, you'll have 7 days before anyone else can see it. This gives you a chance to get your timeline looking the way you want before other people see it.

Decide what to highlight
To help you get started, your timeline includes some of your top photos and stories. Hide or highlight whatever you want and add anything that's missing.

Control who sees your stuff
Only the people you originally shared a post with can see it on your timeline. If you want, you can go back and change who sees a post, delete it or just hide it from your timeline.

Facebook Basic Information

Does it cost money to use Facebook? Is it true that Facebook is going to charge to use the site?

Facebook is a free site and will never require that you pay to continue using the site. You do, however, have the option of purchasing Facebook credits, which can be used to send gifts or to purchase items on applications or games. In addition, if you choose to use Facebook from your mobile device, please note that you will be responsible for any fees associated with internet usage and/or text messaging as determined by your mobile service provider.

What is the minimum age required to sign up for Facebook?

In order to be eligible to sign up for Facebook, people must be 13 years of age or older.

Can I create a joint Facebook account or share a Facebook account with someone else?

Facebook accounts are for individual use. This means that Facebook don't allow joint accounts. Additionally, you can only sign up for one Facebook account per email address. Since each account belongs to one person, Facebook require everyone to use their real name on their account. This way, you always know who you're connecting with. Learn more about our name policies. After you create an account, you can use Friendship Pages to see your interactions with any friend, all in one place.