The Inbox You Didn't Even Know You Had
If you've been a Facebook user for a while, then you probably have a
folder full of unread messages that you didn't even know you had: the
"Message Requests" folder (formerly, the "Other" folder.)
This is where Facebook sends all the messages from people you're not
currently friends with. It could be filled with old high school flings
reaching out or a bunch of Nigerian spammers, who knows?! Only one way
to find out!
To review these messages, click the "messages" icon
at the top of your home screen (a chat icon with the Messenger lightning
icon in the middle). By default, you'll find yourself in the "Recent"
tab of your inbox. Directly to the right, you'll find the "Message
Requests" tab. After you click this, you may see a link that says "See
filtered requests." Click that and then you'll see all sorts of messages
from strangers on the internet. Have fun with that!
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2
See Who's Snooping In Your Account
Want to know if someone is logged into your Facebook account without your permission? First, go to your
Settings page. Under the
Security and Login
folder, you'll see "Where You're Logged In." Here you will find all
your active Facebook log-ins from desktop or mobile devices. It will
(usually) provide data on the location, browser, and device. If
something seems fishy, you have the ability to log out from individual
devices (click the menu > Log Out)
or all devices at once (scroll down and click "Log out All Sessions.")
This comes in handy if you log in to a friend's computer or on some
public laptop, but forget to log out.
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3
Save Posts for Later
Did you ever want to read a link that a friend shared on Facebook,
but didn't have the time at that particular moment? Then, when you
finally do have a moment, you either forgot about it, or it has been
buried under so much other junk that it's not even worth searching for?
We've all been there. That's why you should get acquainted with
Facebook's "Save for Later" function.
If there's anything you want to save for later, click the ellipsis menu () in the top-right of any post. Then click the Save Post/Link/Video
from the pull-down; the same method works on mobile versions of
Facebook. This will send the link to your Saved folder. "Where's your
Saved folder," you ask? Good question! You actually won't see it until
you save something for the first time. Then a little red "Saved" ribbon
appears in your left-hand favorites bar. Click that to find all your
favorite stored stories. Saved Posts don't expire but might disappear if
the original poster deletes it.
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4
Download a Copy of All Your Facebooking
Want your own personal copy of everything you've ever shared on
Facebook? I'm talking, ev-er-y-thing: Every post, every image, every
video, every message, and chat conversation (not to mention all the
settings you probably
don't even think about)? You can do that! Go to
Settings > General and click "Download a copy of your Facebook data" at the bottom. Follow the directions from there.
This feature lets you take a trip down memory lane, or just save your info should you ever decide to
delete your Facebook account. And of course, it reveals exactly what Facebook has saved about you. You might be surprised.
5
Find All the Photos Liked by...Anyone
Go to Facebook and start typing "photos liked by" in the search box at
the top. You'll see the autocomplete fill in a lot of suggestions
including "me," "my husband," "my girlfriend," "my friends," etc. Try
any combo and you'll get results based on your relationship status,
yourself, and who gave a thumbs up to what images. You can take it
further though—type in "photos liked by" followed by your friends names,
or even celebrities. Add something like "from 2018" or "this month" or
"last week" or the like to limit the time frame of the pics. You can
even add photos "of [name]" to the query to narrow things further.
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6
Choose a 'Legacy Contact' for After You Croak
Everyone on Facebook will die. Eventually. In anticipation of this unavoidable truth, Facebook lets you name
a legacy contact who will manage your account
after you are gone.
Your
legacy contact can write a pinned post for your profile, respond to new
friend requests (e.g. friends or family who weren't on Facebook at the
time of your demise), or update your profile and cover photo (do you
really want your final image to be you in your ironic SpongeBob
Halloween costume?) They can even download your Facebook data, minus any
messages you sent/received. You can also just opt to have your account
deleted after you die. Facebook will send an annual reminder to check
your legacy contact, unless you turn that option off.
Go
Settings > General > Manage Account > Edit. Under the Legacy
Contact tab, choose one of your Facebook friends to handle your digital
affairs. If you're a legacy contact for someone who's passed away,
use this form to tell Facebook about the person and ask to get it memorialized.
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7
Add Some Extra Security
It's a good idea to throw in some additional layers of security
on your Facebook account. No, don't worry that someone will break into
your account and start "liking" BuzzFeed articles like crazy. But
do be concerned that someone could get in and use the information they find to steal your identity and/or send
malware-laden links to friends.
Here are three smart things you can do to protect yourself, which you'll find under
Settings > Security and Login:
1)
Enable Two-Factor Authentication. It's a good idea to
implement
2FA on all your accounts. That means if someone wants to access your
account on a new device, they'll also need access to your phone.
2)
Get alerts about unrecognized logins. If somebody logs in to your account from an unrecognized device or browser, Facebook will
let you know.
3)
Designate 3-5 trusted contacts if you get locked out.
Trusted Contacts are Facebook friends who can securely help you regain
access to your account if you forget your password or lose your mobile
device—OR a nefarious person breaks in and decides to lock YOU out.
Remember, you can always
change your trusted contacts later, if you no longer trust them.
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8
Edit Your Ad Preferences
Do you hate-follow any celebrities or personalities on Facebook? A
while back, I gave former Alaska Governor Sarah Palin a follow. I was
just curious more than anything. But then I noticed that the ads on
Facebook feed began to... change. Let's just say, I started getting ads
for things I really wasn't all that interested in.
Facebook's
business is built around providing marketers with detailed information
on its users' interests, which Facebook's algorithms insinuate based
on—among other things—celebrities and personalities they've actively
followed. However, if you "like" something on Facebook that's a little
out of your usual media diet, you also have the ability to keep your ad
experience in check.
To curate your ads, go to
Settings > Ads >
Your Interests. You can delete an interest simply by hitting the X for
Remove on the right of each interest. Under the "Advertisers you've
interacted with" tab, you'll see all the advertisers whose ads you've
clicked on and/or were provided your information; remove anyone you
don't like in here with high prejudice.
Under the "whose website
or app you've used" and "whom you've visited" sub-tabs, you can even
choose to stop seeing ads from a particular advertiser altogether.
Unfortunately, you can't just do a "remove all."
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9
Block Facebook Mobile Browser Tracking
You can't completely opt out of tracking on Facebook, but you can
take steps to web surf in private. Opt out via a special third-party
site from the
Digital Advertising Alliance.
(Disable AdBlocker Plus or other similar software you may be running
before you visit that link.) Follow the directions, and make sure to
click the box next to Facebook and you can go about your internet
business without third-party advertisers getting all up in your bizness.
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10
Curate Your News Feed
Your News Feed is your home on Facebook. As such, you should try your
best to keep it clean, orderly, and free of distractions. You don't
want to be inundated with posts from that one brand or friend you follow
who just posts All. The. Time.
One of the most direct ways to do
this is by giving more voice to the things you want to see, while
removing the stuff you don't want. The quickest way to access this
feature is by clicking the three dots ()
next to "News Feed" at the top of the left rail and selecting "Edit
Preferences" from the pop-up screen. Click "Prioritize who to see
first," and choose the people, Pages, and brands you want to see more or
less of in your News Feed.
You can also click "Unfollow people to
hide their posts" to mute annoying posters (they won't know they've
been muted). This feature is also accessible by clicking the little
arrow in the top-right corner of a post and selecting "Unfollow
[Friend]." You'll still be "friends" but you won't see their posts on
your News Feed unless you re-follow them down the line.
You'll also find options here to reconnect with people you previously unfollowed (as if), and to discover Pages you might like.
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11
See All Your Friend Requests, Ever
What about all the people you asked to be your friend who ignored or
deleted your request? Facebook keeps track of that. At the top of the
Facebook page click the Friend Requests icon (two people in silhouette).
You'll see a list of suggested "People You May Know." At the bottom,
click the "See All" link. On the next page, under New Friend Requests
(assuming you don't have any) click "
View Sent Requests." Then you get a list of the people who hate you. Or maybe they just don't check Facebook that much. Probably both.
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12
Turn Off Autoplay Videos
Hate when a video starts without you clicking play? Kill that "feature." Go to
Settings > Videos
and set Auto-Play Videos to Off. Stat. You won't regret it. If you do
it on the desktop, it also turns off auto-play on your mobile devices,
and vice versa.
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13
Embed Public Content
Like other social media sites, Facebook allows you to embed publicly
available content on your own personal webpage. Just click the ()
menu in the top-right of the file and click "Embed" to capture the
code. When you look at the code, you can also click Advanced Settings to
change the pixel width of the post and see a preview.
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14
Send Money Through Facebook
In the digital age, there are lots of services that will allow you to
transfer money from your computer or mobile device, like PayPal,
Venmo,
Apple Pay,
and yes even Facebook (as long as the sender and recipient have a valid
debit card). In addition (and probably of greater interest to
Facebook), these payments allow users to purchase products and make
in-game purchases on the social network.
While this feature is largely tied to Facebook Messenger, you can use it on regular Facebook as well. To set it up, go to
Settings > Payments > Account Settings to enter a debit card. Once accepted, you can send (or request) funds to/from another user via Messenger.
To
use this feature on Facebook.com, open a pop-over conversation with one
of your contacts (accessible via either the New Message icon ()
in the bottom-right-hand of your screen or through the Messenger link
in the right side of the top rail). Click the dollar sign ($) in a
circle at the bottom of the chat window to send/request funds.
Cha-ching!
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15
Transfer Files Over Facebook Messenger
If you open a Facebook Messenger window—the small one on Facebook.com—there's a little paper clip icon ()
along the bottom. This allows you to Add Files—it uploads and sends a
file directly from your computer. The receiver can just click on the
included link and download from there. Of course, never download
anything from someone you don't know. (On
Messenger.com, the icon looks like a pile of pictures; hover over it to see the Add Files designation.)
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16
Upload '360' Pics and Vids
You've probably seen the occasional immersive "360" degree photos (and some videos) popping up in your Facebook feed.
On the desktop version, viewers can explore a field of vision in all
directions using their mouse or keyboard. On mobile, users can pivot
their device to look all around. It's not just for specialists—you also
have the opportunity to upload your own 360-degree images and video. Use
your smartphone to capture a panorama picture or "photosphere" and
upload it to Facebook—the social network does the rest to make it easily
visible to your friends.
Immersive videos are a bit more
complicated and need some of that aforementioned high-end hardware, but
if you happen to have some,
here's how you would get started.
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17
See What's Happening All Around the World
Facebook Live
is an increasingly important medium (we use it quite a bit here at the
ol' PCMag). One of its coolest features is an interactive live map at
facebook.com/livemap (only available for desktop).
Scroll
(click and drag) and zoom in and out (use the mouse wheel) all around
the map of the world. Blue circles indicate current live streams and how
popular they are (larger dots = more viewers). Placing your mouse
cursor over each dot will present a preview. There are a lot of local
news broadcasts, televised soccer matches, and giggling teenagers. It's a
strangely engrossing experience.
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18
Order Food on Facebook
Speaking on behalf of all New Yorkers, THIS is the ultimate feature (we
order a lot of takeout!) You can order food for takeout or delivery
through partnerships with services like GrubHub, Delivery.com, Slice,
EatStreet, and others.
Some
restaurants have direct links to order on their pages, OR you can look
through options by clicking over to the "Order Food" icon (it’s a plate
with some flatware) in the left-hand "Explore" rail (you may have to
click "see more"). On the mobile app, click the design hamburger (in the
top-right corner on Android, bottom right on iOS) and scroll down to
the fork/knife icon () to order.
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19
Make a Fundraiser
Want to help someone (perhaps even yourself) financially? Use the power of the crowd. On the web, click the
Fundraiser icon (a little gold coin with a heart in the middle) in the left-hand Explore rail (or via the
menu on the mobile apps). This feature lets you crowdsource funds via
donations, either for yourself or on behalf of another person or
organization. A lot of people use this feature to do a birthday
fundraiser for charity.
It's all pretty easy to set up, BUT there
are some things to know. Fundraising campaigns have to be approved by
Facebook before they go live. In order to receive funds, users will have
to link a checking account with Facebook. Also, since these campaigns
are considered "personal fundraisers," any donations are typically NOT
tax-deductible. Most importantly, Facebook implements a fee for any
donations for "operations and processing."
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20
Make a Frame
"Camera Effects" allows third-party developers to create
Snapchatesque photo/video overlays. While the AR-like video overlay
platform necessitates some technical know-how, any schmo with a command
of the basics has the ability to create a static frame. To create your
own static photo overlay, click on "Create a Frame" in the left-hand
rail (or menu in mobile) and click the "Create a Frame" button to enter the
Camera Effects Platform.
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21
Facebook Is a Virtual Arcade
Facebook has quietly built a fairly robust multiplayer gaming platform
(quietly after the days of Farmville anyway). It allows people to play
against friends through Messenger, on the Facebook mobile app, or on the
web. This section can be accessed by clicking the Games link in the
left-hand rail (or under the menu on mobile).
This section is home to dozens of free games from multiple genres
including classics like Pac-Man, Snake, and Words With Friends. Users
will have the opportunity to challenge friends no matter what platform
they are on.
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22
Visit Town Hall
I honestly didn't know who my local state senator was until I looked at this page. Good thing Facebook was there to tell me!
Facebook Town Hall
will tell you your local reps and executives based on your address, and
provide one-click access to follow each politician's page, from state
reps on up to the President—it also has one-click contact buttons. There
is an option to turn on a "constituent badge," which will mark you as a
constituent whenever you comment on your rep's page. You can even turn
on a voting reminder to let you know about elections in your area.
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23
Stop with the Birthdays
Facebook will tell you every morning who among your friends is
celebrating their arrival on Earth. If you hate that and birthdays in
general, you can stop the notifications. Go to
Settings > Notifications
> On Facebook > Edit. There are many things here you can curtail,
such as highlights of what you did on that day in the past, activities
of your closest friends, the launch of new local Pages, etc. But not far
down is the option to turn off the birthdays.
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24
Let's Blog
Sometimes you want to share something that is worth more than a few
sentences or a single image. If you don't have your own blog and haven't
heard of
Medium, you can take advantage of a Facebook "Note."
This
is a personal blog post that lives inside the Facebook ecosystem. Here
you can share paragraphs of text and multiple images (no HTML coding
knowledge required).
Just head on over to
facebook.com/notes, where you'll find notes from people you follow. If you want to add your own, just click the "
Write a Note" link in the top-right corner. Spill your thoughts using
the easy post editor, add a cover image if you desire, and share like
you would a regular Facebook post. If you can't finish your note in one
sitting, save it and publish later.
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25
There Are Lots of Secret Emoji
Emoji. They take away some of the horrible pain of writing in plain
language. Facebook will render all the usual face emoticons into
pictorial representations. But there are a whole bunch you may not be
using.
(y) = thumbs-up 'like' symbol
(^^^) = a great white shark
:|] = a robot
:poop: = well, you know
<(") = a penguin
You
can use these in posts, chats, and comments, but they don't always
render in mobile. You can find a full rundown of Facebook emoticons
here—the
kind you can use by clicking the smiley-face icon that brings up a menu
of all the emoji you're used to seeing on your smartphone.
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26
Detail Your Facebook Romance
If you want to see the detailed internet history of you and your significant other, go to
www.facebook.com/us,
and you will see the complete Facebook history with whomever you are
listed as in a relationship with ("us," get it?). If you're not listed
as being in a relationship, it will just go to your regular page because
Facebook thinks that you are just in love with yourself.
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27
Creep On You Friends' Relationships
See a post that one friend posted on another friend's wall? You have
the ability to see a detailed history of their friendship. Type in the
URL with the syntax of www.facebook.com/[first name][last name], directly followed by ?and=
and followed by the name of the second person. So, if you wanted to see
the detailed Facebook relationship of Texas Senator Ted Cruz and
Netflix talk show host David Letterman, the link would be: www.facebook.com/DavidLetterman?and=TedCruz.
(As you see above, those two haven't had much interaction when that
screen was captured; these days you can't even duplicate that screen, as
this only works with individual Facebook users, not with Pages for
brands/businesses.)
To see the history you have with someone, go to their page, click the
next to Message on their cover photo, and select See Friendship. It
gives you another syntax you can use similar to that above: www.facebook.com/friendship/[name]/[name]/?show_checkins=0. You're only going to see what you'd have permission to see according to each friend's privacy settings.
Be
sure to check the official URL of each person—Facebook can assign
strange characters into their official web address (for example, it will
add a number if there is someone else with the same name) and there may
be periods between first and last names. People can also put a weird
username in for their actual name.
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28
Upside Down or Pirate Speak
Remember 10 years ago, when pirates were all the rage for a minute?
Well, at one point the Facebook engineers got swept up in this ironic
buccaneer frenzy and programmed a peculiar Easter egg that allows you to
translate your Facebook interface into Pirate or Upsidedown speak.
Does this sound appealing to you for some reason? Go to
Settings > Language and click
Edit in the column "What language do you want to use Facebook in?" From
the drop down menu, change your settings to either "English (Pirate)"
or "English (Upside Down)." Think that's a whimsical little feature that
you will never ever get sick of?! You're wrong. It's actually quite
annoying.
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