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by Kristin Burnham

Facebook Tests Two New Security Features

Opinion
Oct 28, 2011 2 mins
Facebook Social Networking Apps

If you're locked out of your Facebook account, a new security feature will send codes to your most trusted friends so they can help you regain access. Another new security features provides a more secure way to access Facebook applications.

Facebook announced yesterday that it will be testing two new features aimed at keeping your account more secure. “Trusted Friends” will provide another option to regain entry into your account if you’re ever locked out, while “App Passwords” gives you the option to obtain a unique password for an application.

Trusted Friends:

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Facebook equates this feature to giving a house key to your friends when you go on vacation. If you ever forget your password or can’t access your Facebook account, Facebook will send codes to the three to five people you have selected as trusted friends. They can then pass along that information to you so you can log in.

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Facebook says you’ll only need three codes to get back into your account, but it recommends picking five trusted friends so you have back-up. Your trusted friends should be people you can easily call and who will respond to you quickly, it says.

To access “Trusted Friends,” choose “Account Settings” from the drop-down menu in the top-right of your screen, then select “Security” from the list on the left. Click on the “Trusted Friends” section, then select “Choose Trusted Friends.” Scroll through your friends or search for specific ones, then confirm your choices. You can edit your list of trusted friends from this page anytime.

App Passwords

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You can access many applications by logging in with your Facebook credentials, though in some cases, you might want to have a unique password for that application. Facebook’s new “App Passwords” lets you generate app-specific passwords

App Passwords may be especially useful if you’ve opted into Login Approvals—a security feature that requires you to enter a code that Facebook texts to your phone when you log in from an unrecognized computer. Security codes don’t always work when using third-party apps, such as Xbox, Spotify or Skype, which is why this new feature can be helpful.

To use this, choose “Account Settings” from the top-right drop-down menu, then select the “Security” tab on the left. Click “Edit” next to “App Passwords” in the middle, then “Generate App Passwords.” Visit this section of your Security Settings page to remove app passwords or generate new ones.

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