The function permits a user to observe how their own profile appears to another user who is their friend. This allows for a quick check of the content that is visible to that specific connection. For instance, one might employ this feature to confirm shared posts or profile details are presented as expected to a friend.
Its significance lies in ensuring appropriate privacy settings are applied and that personal information is being shared only with intended audiences. Historically, this functionality evolved from earlier privacy tools that lacked this direct visual confirmation, leading to potential misunderstandings about content accessibility among different relationship types. This has been beneficial for users to audit their Facebook profile.