Marion Lhostis24 May 2021 at 10:550 p.m.

Facebook Messenger, more commonly called Messenger, is a very popular instant messaging application and intimately linked to the Facebook social network of which it is an extension.

In order to dialogue on Messenger easily and in peace, it is useful to have some information about this application: in short, who we are dealing with, in particular - and this is what will take care of us in this article - in terms ofaccount management and security.

A messaging that has serious efforts to be made in terms of confidentiality

Messenger is hardly one of the good students in terms of privacy, it's even exactly the opposite!At the beginning of this year, the application was indeed designated as the most intrusive of all instant messaging by the American magazine Forbes.Facebook Messenger indeed collects the personal data of its users such as email address and telephone number, but also connection information, stories and of course all the content of conversations (text, photos, videos, links, emojis, etc.).

The messages sent since the application are not encrypted, it is also initially to be able to offer more confidential messaging that WhatsApp was bought by the Facebook group in 2014. Competing applications of Messenger such as Telegram or Signal'Elsewhere on this black point to make themselves known since users of these messaging are increasingly anxious to protect their personal conversations and other file exchanges.

To avoid loading the mule a little more and rather try to use Messenger with serenity, we advise you to pay attention to the safety of your account.

Take your first steps on the application

The first thing to do when you want to use Messenger is of course to download the application.This step is not to be overlooked and must already be the subject of particular vigilance.It is indeed strongly advised to download it from a very safe place, that is to say: either from the Google Play Store, or the App Store for our Apple friends, or on the official website ofMessenger or even from our secure space dedicated to downloads.

Messenger is a completely free application.If you are asked for any amount of money or even enter a payment method to access your account: just flee.

Once the application is installed, you have to start by creating an account.To be well accompanied during this important step, you can consult our tutorial "How to create a Messenger account?"».We advise you not to accept all the requests for Messenger access, but to unlock them little by little according to your future needs.

Secure your Messenger account: the importance of the phone number

When creating your account, you will be asked to indicate your phone number.However, if you come to change it or have used someone else's to create your account, it is essential to know how to modify your phone number on Messenger, otherwise you are putting your personal data in danger andAccess to your account.

In the same way, remember to discover how to hide your phone number on the strangers on Messenger.If it is not necessarily disturbing that your friends and contacts have your number, do not leave it visible in the eyes of all.Your number is indeed a sensitive data which has value and which, moreover, allows you to access your account: it would therefore be a shame to leave it at the mercy of unscrupulous individuals.

Connect without risk to new devices

Your mobile number will also be able to use you to increase the safety of your account, especially if you know how to activate the double authentication connection to Messenger.Two protections are better than one and, in fact, this method of identification considerably reduces the risks of being hacked his account.It is engaged when you connect to a new device and allows you to make sure that no one you can go to your messenger space.

Of course, if you find this secure connection mode that is too restrictive, you can still cancel it.We also have a tutorial to help you: "How to deactivate the connection with double authentication to Messenger?"».

Since everyone can connect from a different mobile or from a PC, you also have to think about disconnecting.Fortunately, if you forget to log out and no longer have access to the device in question, there are solutions.By discovering now how to disconnect from a distance on Messenger, you will go on good bases in terms of safety and can avoid unnecessary stress and worries.

As we mentioned right now, Messenger is not only accessible via a smartphone, so it is interesting to know how to use Messenger on computer.There are indeed several ways to join this instant messaging on PC, it's up to you to determine the one that suits you best.

Preserve your privacy and the right to confidentiality

On Messenger as on any network or messaging, nothing forces you to indicate your real name or date of birth.If you use a nickname, maybe you will be more difficult to find.This is the goal, but it can also prevent some of your friends from counting you in their contact list.To assign you the username you want and that will help your loved ones find yourself, find out how to create a username on Messenger.This feature is also much appreciated by companies since it can allow potential customers to get in touch with them more easily.

Choose a profile photo in accordance with your desire for confidentiality

Protecting yourself and your identity is also paying attention to the images that are published on social networks and instant messaging.This is even more true for Messenger, because the application does not allow you to completely mask your profile photo on the web.As for the stories that can also be published from Messenger, you choose who can view them.

For more confidentiality, do not integrate the same photos on your private and professional networks, and if you are particularly concerned with preserving your image, do not publish your face, at least do not make it appear on your profile photo.Do not hesitate to consult our tutorial "How to change your profile image on Messenger?""But also this one:" How to hide his profile photo to the strangers on Messenger?Who will teach you to limit the dissemination of your profile image on the web.

Leave Messenger: Security priority

If the management of Messenger data is a problem for you or, for any other reason, you have decided to break with the application, do not make the error to simply uninstall the application of your smartphone.Indeed, leaving an account online which contains as much personal information with the risk of being hacked one day or another would be very imprudent.It is therefore important to know how to delete your Messenger account.

When an account is deleted, the data immediately disappears from the visible part of the Internet: no visitor will have access to it.The information then disappears from Facebook servers in a few months for the majority of them - copies can indeed last.Before deleting your account, you can also request a copy of all of your data on Facebook.

The other solution, less radical, is to suspend your use of Messenger and Facebook by deactivating your account.A number of users enjoy discussing Messenger but do not use Facebook and do not wish to display a page on this media.In our tutorial "How to deactivate your Messenger account?"», We first tell you how to close Facebook while keeping the possibility of using Messenger, then how to deactivate instant messaging.

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