24 Hidden Facebook Features Only Power Users Know
Think
you're a Facebook expert? There are so many things you can do on the social
networking site that you probably don't know about everything.
Despite
its issues, Facebook remains the principal digital public square of today.
While politicians may like Twitter, and most young'ns might prefer the
ephemeral Snapchat or photo-centric Instagram, Zuck & Co's ubersocial
network is still an extremely important virtual venue. And plans are afoot to merge the chat
functionality of Instagram and WhatsApp into Messenger, so get ready for
Facebook or nothing.
The
last year-plus of scandals have yet to make much of an impact on Facebook's
bottom line. In the US and Canada, it had a small dip in the first quarter of
2018, but rebounded to its best ever Q3 in 2018, according to Statista. Monthly active
users on the platform in the US/Canada are also still climbing, albeit only at
around one million new users per quarter.
While
Facebook's business model has evolved to include its mobile incarnation and
other associated apps, Facebook.com still has a faithful
following. Chances are, you're still using it, even if the many scandals—like Cambridge Analytica,
Russian meddling in elections, getting hacked, and data sharing with big companies like
Amazon and Microsoft—have you fuming.
Facebook—which
is not synonymous with the internet, just like AOL wasn't!—
boasts one of the world's most complex and multi-faceted websites. It rivals
many standalone software apps with the sheer amount of personalization, tweaks, and tinkering available to visitors.
In
fact, there are so many things you can do on Facebook.com that you probably
don't know about everything. We're talking about all the official, baked-in,
easily accessible functions just a few clicks away. As you'll see, there are
even some functions that appear to be leftovers from bygone eras that we're not
even sure Facebook still knows are there. Take a look and awaken your inner
power user social super-star.
·
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. This is where Facebook sends all the missives 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 Messenger icon () at the top of your home
screen. 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.
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.
Restrict
Select Friends from Seeing Posts
If
you mark a post on Facebook as Public, then everyone can see it, and everyone
can share it. That's how being "Public" works. However, if you make
most of your posts so only your friends can see it, there's a quick way to make
a list of people who, while they'll still be your Facebook friends, won't see
it!
Go to the page of the friend you want to restrict. Click the Friends drop-down menu and select Add to Another List. They may already be on a bunch. Scroll to the bottom of the menu and you'll see Restricted. You'll get a warning that says that friend no longer will see what you post unless it's Public.
Go to the page of the friend you want to restrict. Click the Friends drop-down menu and select Add to Another List. They may already be on a bunch. Scroll to the bottom of the menu and you'll see Restricted. You'll get a warning that says that friend no longer will see what you post unless it's Public.
·
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? 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? You actually won't see it until you save
something for the first time. Then a little purple "Saved" ribbon
appears in your left-hand favorites bar (you may have to click the "See
More..." link to see Saved); click the hamburger menu () on mobile. Saved
Posts don't expire but might disappear if the original poster deletes it.
·
·
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 > Your Facebook Information and
click "Download Your Information." 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.
·
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.
·
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.
·
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.
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.
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 remove an interest
simply by hitting the on the upper-right of each interest. Under the
"Advertisers" 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 choose to stop
seeing ads from a particular advertiser altogether. Can you remove all of them
at once? No. You can't. That would be far too convenient.
·
Block
Facebook Mobile Browser Tracking
You
can't completely opt out of tracking on Facebook, but you can take steps to web
surf in without Facebook eavesdropping. 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.
·
Curate
Your News Feed
Your
News Feed is your home on Facebook. As such, 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 ellipsis menu () next to "News
Feed" at the top of the left rail and selecting "Edit
Preferences" from the drop-down menu. In 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 the future.
You
can also click "Unfollow people to hide their posts" to mute annoying
posters (they won't know they've been muted). You'll still be
"friends" but you won't see their posts on your News Feed unless you
re-follow them down the line. (Here's more on
that.)
You'll
also find options here to reconnect with people you previously unfollowed (as
if), and to discover Pages you might like.
·
See
All The Friends You Requested, 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.
·
Turn
Off Autoplay Videos
Do
you hate it 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.
You
can also turn on HD-video preference here, plus activate closed captions and
adjust how they'll look.
·
Embed
Public Content
Like
other social media sites or YouTube videos, Facebook allows you to embed
publicly available content on your own personal webpage. Just click the () menu
in the top-right of the post and click "Embed" to capture the code.
Click Advanced Settings to change the pixel width of the post to suit your
site, see a preview, and access lots of developer settings.
Send
Money Through Facebook
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 both have a valid debit card). In
addition (and 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 or credit card.
Once accepted, 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 via the Messenger icons. Click the dollar sign ($) in a
circle at the bottom of the chat window to send/request funds. Cha-ching!
·
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 is similar to this: . Hover
over it to see the Add Files designation.)
·
·
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 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 to get started.
·
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). You can 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."
·
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 instantly 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, Uno, Snake,
and Words With Friends. Users will have the opportunity to challenge friends no
matter what platform they are on.
Facebook
also has its own Twitch video streaming competitor called, unimaginatively,
Facebook Gaming, at fb.gg.
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.
·
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.
·
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
(^^^) = 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. Which is, of course, also
an option. Click the smiley "Insert an Emoji" icon on any post you're
making for the full menu.
·
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 row labeled "Facebook language" From the
drop down menu, change your settings to either "English (Pirate)" or
"English (uʍop ǝpᴉspdn)." Think that's a whimsical little feature
that you will never ever get sick of? You're wrong. It's actually quite
annoying.
·
Using
SMS Texts to Get Facebook Status, Access
Not
everyone wants the Facebook mobile app on their phones. And sometimes texting
is just easier. However, you can no longer update your Facebook status using
your phone's text/messaging options. That was a thing, circa 2009, but was
dropped in favor of Facebook's apps. Because advertising.
There
are things you can do in your SMS—like get a one-time-use password! Or get
notifications of posts to your Facebook timeline, but that way lies madness. To
set it up, go to Settings > Mobile on the desktop and set
up a phone number. Once that's set, text the letter "F" to 326-65
(FBOOK) (it could be different with different carriers and in some countries); you'll get a
confirmation code back to enter on the desktop site.
If
you need that one-time password, just text OTP. (This won't work if you have
two-factor authentication set up. Which you should.) If you get too many
notifications, text STOP.
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