No 8 in the Series: 20 Useful Things To Make You A Facebook Super-User
Tighten your Facebook security before somebody else has a go at it.
Facebook is not just a place for holiday photos, birthday reminders and that one cousin who argues with strangers in comment sections. It is also connected to your messages, photos, friends, family, memories, groups, business pages and sometimes other websites you logged into using Facebook.
So yes, it is worth spending ten minutes tightening the bolts.
This is not about becoming paranoid. It is about doing the sensible basics properly: a strong password, two-factor authentication, login alerts, trusted devices, privacy checks and removing old apps you forgot you ever clicked on.
How to tighten your Facebook security
The quickest way to begin is through Facebook’s Accounts Centre. On mobile or desktop, look for:
Settings
Accounts Centre
Password and security
Facebook changes menus more often than most people change tea towels, so if the wording has moved slightly, search inside settings for password, security, login alerts or two-factor authentication.
Start with Security Checkup
Facebook has a security area that brings several of the important settings together. Use it first. It is the neatest way to catch the obvious problems before going hunting through every setting manually.
Run the checkup
Go to Accounts Centre, then Password and security. Look for Security checks or Security Checkup.
Work through anything Facebook flags. If it tells you your password is weak, change it. If two-factor authentication is off, switch it on. If a device looks suspicious, log it out.
Use a password that belongs only to Facebook
I know. Password advice is boring. Unfortunately, boring is often what keeps your account out of the hands of some chancer trying to flog fake sunglasses through your profile.
Change weak or reused passwords
Your Facebook password should be:
- long
- unique to Facebook
- not based on your pet, child, birthday, football club or anything sitting proudly on your profile
- stored in a password manager if you use one
If you use the same password on Facebook and anywhere else, change it. If one site leaks your password, the first thing crooks try is the same password everywhere else. Charming little hobby, isn’t it?
Turn on two-factor authentication
Two-factor authentication means your password is not enough on its own. If somebody gets hold of your password, they still need the second step, usually a code from your phone or authentication app.
Switch on 2FA
Go to Accounts Centre → Password and security → Two-factor authentication.
If you can, use an authentication app rather than text messages. Text messages are better than nothing, but an authentication app is the stronger choice for most people.
When Facebook gives you recovery codes, save them somewhere sensible. Not in a Facebook message to yourself. That would be like hiding your spare key under a mat labelled “spare key”.
Check recognised devices and authorised logins
This part matters. Facebook may trust devices you use often, which is convenient, but convenience and security are not always best friends.
Remove devices you do not use
In Two-factor authentication, look for sections called Recognized devices, Authorized logins or similar.
Remove old phones, old tablets, borrowed laptops, work computers you no longer use and anything you do not recognise.
If you sold or gave away an old device, do not just shrug and hope. Remove it from the trusted list.
Turn on login alerts
Login alerts tell you when somebody logs in from a device or browser Facebook does not recognise. Do not ignore those emails or app notifications. They are not decorative.
Make sure alerts are on
Go to Accounts Centre → Password and security → Security checks → Login alerts.
Choose in-app notifications and email. If you receive an alert and it was not you, act fast:
- change your password
- log out of other sessions
- check your email and phone number are still yours
- check two-factor authentication is still on
Review where you are logged in
This is the list that makes people say, “Oh, I forgot about that tablet.” Sometimes that is all it is. Sometimes it is not.
Log out of anything suspicious
In Password and security, look for Where you’re logged in or similar.
You will usually see the device, browser, location and rough time. Locations can be a bit off because of networks and mobile data, so do not panic if it says the next town over. But if you see a device you do not own, log it out.
If in doubt, log out of all sessions and sign back in fresh. Mildly annoying, but much better than playing account-recovery bingo later.
Remove old apps, games and websites
Remember when every quiz wanted access to your Facebook profile? “Which potato are you?” apparently needed half your life story. Those old apps and websites are worth clearing out.
Bin what you no longer use
Search settings for Apps and websites.
Remove anything you do not recognise or no longer use. If you use Facebook to log into an important service, update that service first so you do not accidentally lock yourself out.
This is especially important if you have been using Facebook for years. Old permissions hang around like mystery cables in a kitchen drawer.
Run Privacy Checkup too
Security is about stopping people getting into your account. Privacy is about controlling what people can see when they are already on Facebook. You need both.
Check who can see what
Find Privacy Checkup and work through the options.
Pay particular attention to:
- who can see your future posts
- who can see your friends list
- whether search engines can link to your profile
- who can look you up using your email address or phone number
- tag review and profile review
This is where you stop handing information to scammers on a silver platter. Very generous of you, but no.
Watch for scam messages and suspicious friend requests
A hacked Facebook account is often used to message friends and family, because people are more likely to trust a message from somebody they know. That is how the “Can you vote for my child?” and “I need a quick favour” nonsense spreads.
Red flags to take seriously
- A friend sends you a strange link with no proper explanation.
- Someone asks for a login code, WhatsApp code or Facebook code. Never share those.
- A new friend request arrives from someone you are already friends with.
- Someone says they are locked out and needs your help receiving a code.
- You get a login alert you do not recognise.
If it feels odd, check with the person another way. Phone them, text them, WhatsApp them directly. Do not reply to the suspicious message and hope for the best.
What to do if you think your Facebook account has been hacked
- Change your Facebook password immediately. Use a new password you do not use anywhere else.
- Log out of other sessions. Kick out every device you do not recognise.
- Check your email address and phone number. Make sure a scammer has not added theirs.
- Turn two-factor authentication on. Use an authentication app if possible.
- Check recent posts and messages. Warn friends if spam or scam messages were sent from your account.
- Review connected apps. Remove anything suspicious.
- Secure your email account too. If somebody controls your email, they can often reset your other accounts.
The quick Facebook security checklist
- Use a strong, unique Facebook password.
- Turn on two-factor authentication.
- Save your recovery codes somewhere safe.
- Remove old recognised devices.
- Turn on login alerts.
- Check where you are logged in.
- Remove old apps, games and websites.
- Run Privacy Checkup.
- Switch on tag review if you want control over what appears on your profile.
- Be suspicious of unexpected links, codes and duplicate friend requests.
That is enough to put you ahead of most Facebook users. You do not have to understand every technical bit behind it. Just close the obvious doors and stop leaving the digital windows wide open.
In the next blog, we will look at how to tweak the adverts Facebook insists on showing you, because if we must see them, we may as well make them slightly less ridiculous.
Digitally Done – giving you back a little bit of control!
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