How Do I Tag Friends in a Post or Photo on Facebook?

By Your Name • Updated: November 13, 2025 • 6 min read

Tagging friends on Facebook is a simple way to include people in posts and photos so they’re notified and the content shows up on their profile (when allowed). Below you’ll find clear step-by-step instructions for mobile and desktop, how to control who can tag you, and troubleshooting tips if tags aren’t working.

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Quick overview

There are two common tagging actions on Facebook:

• Tagging in posts: Mention a friend so their name links to their profile (e.g., “Great day with @Alex”).
• Tagging in photos: Add a specific person to a photo so Facebook knows who appears in it.

How to tag friends in a post (mobile app)

1. Open the Facebook app and tap What’s on your mind? to create a new post.
2. Write your message.
3. Tap Tag people (you may see an icon of a person with a + or the word “Tag people”).
4. Start typing your friend’s name and select them from the list that appears.
5. Repeat for additional people, then tap Done or the checkmark.
6. Tap Post to publish.

How to tag friends in a post (desktop)

1. Go to facebook.com and click into the status box at the top of News Feed or your profile timeline.
2. Type your post.
3. Click the Tag friends icon (silhouette) or click the three dots and choose Tag friends.
4. Type a name, choose your friend, then click Save or close the tag box.
5. Click Post.

How to tag people in photos (mobile)

1. When uploading a photo, after selecting the image(s) you'll see an option Tag people — tap it.
2. Tap the person in the photo where their face (or area) appears.
3. Type their name and select them from the suggestions.
4. Tap Done, add any caption, and post.

How to tag people in photos (desktop)

1. Upload a photo via the status box or go to an existing photo on your timeline.
2. Hover over the photo and click Tag photo (or click the tag icon).
3. Click on a face or area, type the friend’s name and select them.
4. Click Save or Done Tagging.

Tip: If Facebook suggests names automatically, you can accept them. Automatic face recognition may offer suggestions for people who appear in your photo — you can disable that in settings (see privacy section).

How to remove or edit a tag

• To remove a tag from a post or photo: Click the three dots (⋯) on the post or the photo options, choose Remove tag or Remove Tagging.
• To edit who’s tagged: Open the photo/post, use the tag icon to add or remove people, then save changes.

Tagging privacy: who can tag you and reviews

Facebook gives control over tagging so you can avoid unwanted mentions:

• Tag Review: In Settings → Profile and Tagging, enable Review posts you're tagged in before the post appears on your profile. This doesn't prevent tags entirely — it lets you approve whether the tagged post shows on your profile.
• Who can tag you: Still in Profile and Tagging, you can limit who can tag you (Friends, Friends of Friends, etc.).
• Face recognition: You can turn off face recognition (if available in your region) to stop Facebook from automatically suggesting tags based on faces in photos.

Common problems & fixes

1. I can’t tag someone — their name doesn’t show up

Possible reasons: they blocked you, they limited tagging in their settings, you’re not friends (they allow tags only from friends), or there’s a temporary app glitch. Try updating the app or tagging them by typing their full profile name.

2. Tags aren’t appearing on my timeline

Check Tag Review in Settings — if enabled, tagged posts require your approval before appearing on your profile. Also check the post’s privacy: if the original poster shared it with a limited audience, it may not appear for everyone.

3. I don’t want to be tagged in photos

Enable Tag Review and change “Who can see posts you’re tagged in on your profile?” to limit visibility. You can also ask friends to avoid tagging you.

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Best practices

• Ask for consent before tagging people in sensitive photos or posts.
• Use tags to credit people (photographers, collaborators) or to include friends who’ll want to see the post.
• Review your profile’s tagged content periodically and remove tags that you don't want visible.

Quick checklist (mobile & desktop)

• To tag in posts: Create post → Tag people → Type name → Post.
• To tag in photos: Upload/select photo → Tag people → Click face/area → Type name → Save.
• To manage tags: Settings → Profile and Tagging → Enable Tag Review / Adjust who can tag you.

Need device-specific screenshots (Android, iPhone, Windows/Mac)? Reply with your device and I’ll add a step-by-step visual guide.

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