How To Manage Messenger Alerts About Unrecognized Logins

With so many hackers and cybersecurity threats, it’s never been more important to secure your accounts and protect your privacy. This goes for online messaging apps, like Messenger, too. One of the best ways to boost your privacy is to activate alerts when someone attempts to access your account.

Fortunately, it’s a relatively easy process. This guide will show you how.

How to Enable Unrecognized Login Alerts on the Messenger Mobile App

Facebook Messenger comes with a whole host of different privacy and security settings to toggle on or off, including login alerts. It’s worth activating these alerts to let you know if anybody is trying to secretly access your account, and here’s how:

1. Open the Messenger app on your mobile device of choice – this method works on both Android and iPhones/iPads. Tap the “Gear icon,” which you should see at the top of the screen.
   
2. Next, find the “Accounts Center” option and then locate “Password and Security.” Tap on it to proceed.
   
3. Find the “Login Alerts” setting and press to access it, then tap to fill in the circle beside “In-app notifications.”
   

Bonus Note: After doing this, it’s worth returning to the “Password and Security” menu and finding the “Where you’re logged in” button. Tap on it and then hit “Log out all the unrecognized devices” to automatically log anybody out who might have access to your account. This method might log you out too, but you can get back into your account as normal by simply entering your email and password.

How to Enable Unrecognized Login Alerts via the Facebook App

You can also make use of the standard Facebook app to switch on login alerts for both Facebook and Messenger. Here’s how:

1. Open up Facebook’s app on your smartphone or tablet, and find the three horizontal line icon in the top right corner. Tap it.
   
2. Scroll down until you see “Settings and Privacy.”
   
3. Hit the “Settings” button.
   
4. Followed by “Password and Security.”
   
5. Tap on “Get alerts about unrecognized logins.” You can then select where you’d like to get your login alerts – options include your email address, Messenger notifications, or Facebook notifications on trusted devices.
   

How to Enable Unrecognized Login Alerts on Facebook.com

One final method to turn on alerts is through Facebook’s website, via a browser on your computer. The process is similar to the above methods:

1. Open up Facebook in any internet browser and log into your account (if you’re not already logged in). Click on your profile pic on the left side and then hit “Settings & Privacy.”
   
2. Followed by “Settings.”
   
3. Then “Security and Login.”
   
4. Find “Logins alerts” and click the “Edit” button beside it. Select where you want to receive login alerts, and save the changes before leaving the menu.
   

Other Ways to Protect Your Facebook Messenger Account

Activating Messenger login alerts is a smart and effective method to safeguard your account. However, it’s only one of several security measures that Facebook has in place to protect you. If you delve into the security and privacy settings, there are various other tools you can use to stay safe on Messenger.

• Let’s talk about passwords to start off. Passwords are your account’s first line of defense, and it’s crucial to have a strong password to make it hard for hackers to crack. Use a mixture of letters and numbers in your password, and don’t use the same one for multiple accounts.
• If it’s been a while since you last changed your password, consider updating it. Cybersecurity experts strongly recommend people to refresh their passwords every few months, or at least once a year.
• Another clever method to protect your account is to enable two-factor authentication, or 2FA. With 2FA switched on, your account has twice as much protection. Each time you log in, you’ll have to enter your password and a code that is either emailed or texted to you. This makes it so much harder for anyone else to get into your account, even if they know the password.
• Finally, we recommend being cautious with your personal information. Don’t let other people know passwords and key-codes for your accounts. Keep that info private, and don’t click on any suspicious links or enter your password anywhere besides the official Messenger and Facebook apps.

FAQs

What happens when I receive an unrecognized login alert?

Once login notifications have been turned on, you’ll receive them whenever someone accesses your account. The login will pop up on your device or in your email inbox, depending on which settings you chose. At that point, you can tap on “This was me” if the login was you, and no further action is needed. If you don’t know who logged in, press the “This wasn’t me” button, and Facebook will guide you through the password reset process to protect your account.

Can Messenger be logged in on two devices?

Yes, it’s possible to log into the same Messenger account simultaneously on multiple computers, or a computer and a phone, for example. This can be useful for people who want to chat with friends and family on different devices, but it also opens the door to hackers.

How do I see if someone else is logged into my Messenger?

To do this, open Messenger and tap your profile image. Then find “Password and Security” via the “Accounts Center” menu and head to “Where you’re logged in.” This will show you all current devices that are logged into your account.

Is Messenger a safe and private app?

Messenger has decent levels of security and a range of features to protect user privacy, like passwords and 2FA, as well as encryption on every conversation. However, like any messenger app, it’s not entirely safe. There are ways for hackers and malicious users to get into your account and see your conversations. That’s why it’s such a good idea to turn on login alerts, use a strong password, and activate 2FA.

Stay Safe with Alerts and Other Messenger Security Tools

Every day, people get hacked on Messenger, but there are ways to avoid becoming a victim. Switching on login alerts is a smart and simple way to get started. But it’s also crucial to have strong passwords and never share your login data with anybody else.

Have you had your Messenger account targeted by hackers? Were you alerted about an unrecognized login? Let us know in the comments section below.