# New site setting to hide user profiles by default
**URL:** https://meta.discourse.org/t/new-site-setting-to-hide-user-profiles-by-default/245545
**Category:** Support
**Created:** [November 14, 2022, 5:16pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/new-site-setting-to-hide-user-profiles-by-default/245545 "2022-11-14T17:16:06Z")
**Posts on this page:** 5
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@thoka](https://meta.discourse.org/u/thoka)
#### Post date: [November 14, 2022, 5:16pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/new-site-setting-to-hide-user-profiles-by-default/245545/1 "2022-11-14T17:16:06Z")
Continuing the discussion from [2.9.0.beta12: Security fix, bug fixes and more](https://meta.discourse.org/t/2-9-0-beta12-security-fix-bug-fixes-and-more/245469):
> [@2.9.0.beta12: Security fix, bug fixes and more](https://meta.discourse.org/t/2-9-0-beta12-security-fix-bug-fixes-and-more/245469/1):
>
> New site setting to hide user profiles by default.
Thanks. Could you provide more information about that feature ?
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### Author:  [@JammyDodger](https://meta.discourse.org/u/JammyDodger)
#### Post date: [November 14, 2022, 5:26pm UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/new-site-setting-to-hide-user-profiles-by-default/245545/2 "2022-11-14T17:26:46Z")
It’s the new `default hide profile and presence` admin setting that sets the “Hide my public profile and presence features” on a user’s [Profile/Interface](https://meta.discourse.org/my/preferences/interface) page to be default enabled (thus hiding their profile and presence by default)
It was proposed in this #Contribute > Feature topic - [Opt-in to show user profile instead of opt-out](https://meta.discourse.org/t/opt-in-to-show-user-profile-instead-of-opt-out/227475)
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### Author:  [@thoka](https://meta.discourse.org/u/thoka)
#### Post date: [November 21, 2022, 6:46am UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/new-site-setting-to-hide-user-profiles-by-default/245545/3 "2022-11-21T06:46:48Z")
Could you elaborate a bit on the meaning of “public” in this context?
Who can see the user profile if the user has not opted in?
Is there a way to show profiles only for members of shared groups or more restrictively, for shared groups that require approval?
I have explained my reasons for requests like this here:
> [@Hide user profile pictures from public or allow to have different public and community avatars](https://meta.discourse.org/t/hide-user-profile-pictures-from-public-or-allow-to-have-different-public-and-community-avatars/211835):
>
> While implementing discourse for a german state school I face the challenge to hide avatars from public while inviting users to upload real images for inner community building. For public use scetched avatars (or any other user selected choice) would be the best option. Belonging to the “inner community” would be defined by group membership of some globaly configured groups. I’m thinking about the possibility to offer upload of different images for these two scenarios. I’m gratefull for any …
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### Author:  [@JammyDodger](https://meta.discourse.org/u/JammyDodger)
#### Post date: [November 21, 2022, 7:07am UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/new-site-setting-to-hide-user-profiles-by-default/245545/4 "2022-11-21T07:07:50Z")
I’m afraid it doesn’t change the behaviour of the setting in any way, only what is marked as the default.
If a user has ‘Hide my public profile and presence features’ enabled it will hide their profile and ‘x is typing’ indicator from anon and all non-staff users.
There are a couple of connected admin settings that also have an effect - `allow users to hide profile` and `hide user profiles from public` (which disables user information features for anon), but neither would limit avatar visibility.
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### Author:  [@system](https://meta.discourse.org/u/system)
#### Post date: [December 21, 2022, 7:08am UTC](https://meta.discourse.org/t/new-site-setting-to-hide-user-profiles-by-default/245545/5 "2022-12-21T07:08:11Z")
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