Giving your partner access to your Facebook account can be a big step in a relationship. It shows you trust them and want to share more of your online life with them. However, it also comes with risks, like your partner seeing private messages or having the ability to post as you. Here are some things to consider when deciding whether to give your partner Facebook access.
Reasons To Give Access
There are a few valid reasons why you may want to give your partner access to your Facebook account:
- To show you have nothing to hide and want to be an open book in the relationship
- So they can help manage or monitor your account while you’re away or sick
- To make it easier to share photos and memories from your life with your partner
- To allow your partner to wish your friends and family happy birthday or send event invites if you’re busy
Having access can foster intimacy, trust, and honesty in a relationship when it’s used appropriately. Knowing they can see your full profile may also deter you from questionable online behavior.
Risks of Giving Access
However, there are also a few risks to weigh when granting your partner Facebook access:
- They could snoop through your private messages and overstep boundaries
- They may get jealous over your interactions with friends or exes on Facebook
- They might accidentally post something embarrassing or inappropriate on your profile
- It could enable controlling, toxic behaviors in the relationship
- If you break up, they could continue accessing your account even after you’ve asked them not to
Because of situations like these, many relationship experts advise against giving full access to social media accounts. However, you know your relationship best.
Ways To Give Limited Access
If you want your partner to have some access, but are worried about potential problems, consider these safer alternatives:
- Make your profile fully public so they can see everything without logging in
- Friend/follow them from your account so they see all your posts in their feed
- Choose specific things to share with them through screenshots or screensharing
- Create a shared album where you both can add photos
- Remove tags/posts you don’t want them accessing before granting access
You can also give them your password with clear boundaries in place, like asking them not to message anyone or only allowing them to access it when you’re together.
How To Give Your Partner Access
If you decide to proceed with giving your partner full access to your Facebook account, here is how to do it:
On a Computer
- Go to facebook.com and log into your account
- Click on the arrow in the top right corner and select “Settings”
- On the left sidebar, choose “Security and Login”
- Under “Where You’re Logged In”, click “Add Account”
- Enter your partner’s email address and password to add their account
- Click “Add Account”
Your partner will now be able to log into Facebook through your account. When they go to facebook.com, they can click on the arrow beside “Log In” and switch between their account and yours.
On Mobile
The process is very similar on mobile:
- Open the Facebook app and tap the three-line menu icon
- Scroll down and choose “Settings & Privacy”
- Tap “Settings”
- Select “Security and Login”
- Tap “Add Account”
- Enter your partner’s email and password
- Tap “Add Account”
They’ll now have access to your Facebook account on mobile as well.
Setting Boundaries
While the technology makes access easy, it’s still important to discuss boundaries with your partner:
- What are they allowed/not allowed to do while logged into your account?
- How often are they allowed to access it?
- Do you want them to tell you when they’re logging in?
- Will you remove access if it leads to issues?
Setting clear expectations can prevent problems down the road. Check in periodically to make sure you both still feel comfortable with the arrangement.
You may also want to limit some previous posts or information they have access to see. Go through your account and edit or remove anything too personal or embarrassing.
Unfriend any exes or people you’d rather them not messaging. Review old messages as well. Being proactive will give you more peace of mind.
Removing Access
If at any point you change your mind and want to revoke your partner’s access to your Facebook, here’s how:
On a Computer
- Log into your Facebook account
- Click on the arrow in the top corner and choose “Settings”
- Select “Security and Login”
- Under “Where You’re Logged In,” find your partner’s email and click “Remove”
- Confirm by clicking “Remove” again
This will instantly log them out of your account on all devices.
On Mobile
- Open the Facebook app’s menu and tap “Settings & Privacy”
- Tap “Settings”
- Choose “Security and Login”
- Tap “Remove” beside your partner’s email/phone number
- Confirm by selecting “Remove” again
Double check that their access is fully revoked by having them try to log in or switch accounts.
Extra Security Tips
To further protect your account, consider these extra precautions:
- Enable two-factor authentication for logins
- Change your password periodically
- Remove trusted devices if you lose access to them
- Watch for unknown logins in your email
- Never use the same password across multiple accounts
Staying vigilant about security allows you to safely share aspects of your online life.
Conclusion
Giving your partner access to your Facebook account can strengthen intimacy and trust when done thoughtfully. However, consent and boundaries need to be established to prevent issues like snooping.
Limiting access, setting clear expectations, and maintaining separate accounts can work better for some couples. If you do grant full access, check in regularly and don’t hesitate to remove it if problems arise. With open communication, you can hopefully avoid Relationship Facebook drama.