Navigating MyFitnessPal's Privacy Settings
When you add friends on MyFitnessPal (MFP), you are building a support network, but it is important to know exactly what information you are sharing. While some data is shared publicly or with friends by default, other, more sensitive information is kept strictly private. The key takeaway is that MyFitnessPal gives you significant control over what your friends and the public can see by adjusting your 'Diary Sharing' and other privacy settings.
What is Never Visible to MFP Friends
Your privacy is a core component of the MyFitnessPal experience. Some of your most personal data is kept confidential regardless of your sharing settings. The most notable example is your actual, up-to-date weight. While you can track your progress privately, this number is never automatically displayed to friends or the public. Other information, such as specific body measurements you may record, are also kept for your eyes only. This ensures that you can track sensitive progress without fear of exposure.
Diary and Activity Visibility: Your Choices
The visibility of your food and exercise diaries is completely up to you. By default, both are private. You have three main options for sharing:
- Private (Myself Only): This is the default setting. No one can see your food or exercise logs.
- Friends Only: This option allows only the friends you've added on MFP to view your diaries. They can see what you ate and how much you exercised on a given day. Some platforms may also show calorie and macro totals.
- Public: This makes your diary visible to all other MyFitnessPal users.
To change this setting, you can navigate to the 'Settings' menu, then 'Diary Sharing'. You can also choose to lock your diary with a key or password for selective sharing. Sharing your diary can be a powerful motivational tool, allowing friends to offer encouragement and accountability, and enables convenient features like copying a meal from a friend's diary.
Your Profile and Social Feed
Your MyFitnessPal community profile and activity feed are public by default, but you can change this. When public, your profile may display your username, profile photo, and achievements you have shared. Any status updates or progress photos you post on your activity feed will also be visible. However, you can toggle your profile to be private in your privacy settings.
Information Visible to MFP Friends (If Enabled)
- Food diary entries, including meals and specific foods logged.
- Exercise log entries, showing workouts and activities.
- Total calories and, depending on the platform, possibly macronutrient breakdowns.
- Milestone achievements (e.g., reaching a new logging streak).
- Status updates and posts you make on your feed.
- Private messages sent between friends.
Information Always Kept Private from MFP Friends
- Actual weight and weight history.
- Specific body measurements.
- Specific dietary restrictions or health conditions you may have privately logged.
- Goals and calorie targets (unless explicitly shared in a post).
Diary Sharing vs. Profile Visibility: A Comparison
To better illustrate the differences, here is a comparison of what is visible to friends based on different privacy settings. This table focuses on the two main adjustable privacy components: your daily diary and your public-facing profile/feed.
| Feature | Diary Sharing: 'Friends Only' | Profile Privacy: 'My Friends Only' |
|---|---|---|
| Food & Exercise Diary | Visible to friends | Invisible to non-friends; default is Private |
| Weight | Always private | Always private |
| Activity Feed Posts | Visible to friends and those who can see your profile | Visible to friends; hidden from non-friends |
| Profile Photo & Username | Visible to friends and others depending on profile settings | Visible to friends |
| Copying Meals | Friends can copy your meals | Friends can copy your meals if diary is also shared |
Conclusion
MyFitnessPal offers robust privacy controls that empower users to choose exactly what they share with their friends and the wider community. While your weight and other sensitive metrics remain consistently private, the visibility of your diary and profile are fully customizable. For a supportive environment, sharing your diary with friends is a popular option for mutual encouragement and accountability. By reviewing and adjusting your settings in the app's 'Privacy Center,' you can ensure your sharing preferences align perfectly with your comfort level. For further details on managing your data, you can consult the official MyFitnessPal support pages at https://support.myfitnesspal.com/hc/en-us.
