Facebook allows you to connect with third party apps and websites to enhance your experience on the platform. However, you may wish to revoke access to certain apps you no longer use or don’t trust. Revoking app permissions ensures those third parties can no longer access your Facebook data.
Why would I want to revoke app access?
There are a few key reasons you may want to revoke access to third party Facebook apps:
- You no longer use the app or website and don’t need it connected to Facebook anymore
- You’re concerned the app is accessing too much of your Facebook data
- You want to limit the amount of apps that can access your profile for privacy reasons
- An app appears suspicious or seems to be spamming your friends
- An app has gone out of business but still has legacy access
Revoking permissions for unused or concerning apps helps protect your privacy and limit unwarranted access to your profile.
How can I see which apps I’ve allowed?
To see which third party apps you’ve granted access to your Facebook account:
- Go to your Facebook Settings
- Select “Apps and Websites” in the left column
- You’ll see a list of “Active” and “Expired” apps you’ve connected to Facebook
This page shows all the apps, websites, and services you’ve approved to connect with your Facebook account. It’s a good idea to periodically review this list to make sure you still want each integration active.
How do I revoke app permissions?
You have a couple options to disconnect third party apps from Facebook access:
Revoke access individually
- Go to Settings > Apps and Websites
- Locate the app you want to remove and click “Remove”
- Confirm you want to revoke app permissions
This will instantly remove the integration and revoke access to your Facebook data. Use this method for specific apps you no longer want connected.
Remove access in bulk
- Go to Settings > Apps and Websites
- Select “Edit” at the top right
- Check the boxes next to each app you want to remove
- Click “Remove”
- Confirm you want to revoke access to the selected apps
Checking multiple apps and removing in bulk is useful if you want to do a clean sweep and disconnect a bunch of unused or concerning integrations.
What happens when I remove an app?
When you revoke access to an app or website, here’s what happens:
- The app will immediately lose all access to your Facebook profile and data moving forward.
- The app will be removed from your “Active” apps list and added to “Expired.”
- Any posts the app made on your behalf remain on your Timeline.
- You may need to repeat login credentials if you reconnect with the app later.
In effect, removing an app ensures it no longer has access to any new data from your profile, but your past interactions will remain.
What types of app access can I revoke?
Apps integrated with Facebook can request varying levels of access. Here are some common permissions apps may request and what revoking access entails:
| Permission | What Access is Revoked |
|---|---|
| Posting ability | App can no longer make posts on your behalf |
| Manage Pages | App no longer has admin access to your Facebook Pages |
| Read inbox messages | App cannot view or respond to your Facebook messages |
| Access friend list | App can no longer see your Facebook friends and connections |
| Access profile info | App cannot access your personal Facebook profile data |
These are some common examples of permissions apps may request. Each permission allows a different level of access to your account. Review requested permissions carefully when connecting new apps.
What happens if I reconnect with the app?
If you remove an app but later decide to reconnect and grant access again, here’s what happens:
- You’ll have to go through the permission approval process again
- You may have to re-authenticate or log in to the app
- The app will have access to your current Facebook data when reconnected
- The app will not regain access to any past Facebook data from before you revoked access
Reconnecting an app essentially starts the access process from scratch. The app doesn’t retain any legacy permissions or data.
Can I permanently delete an app integration?
When you remove app access, the app is moved to your “Expired” apps list. To permanently delete the app:
- Go to Settings > Apps and Websites
- Click on “Expired” apps
- Locate the app and click on the downward arrow
- Select “Delete”
This will permanently delete the app connection from your account and remove it from your Expired list. Use this if want to permanently dissociate with an app.
Are there any risks to removing apps?
There are a couple caveats to be aware of when revoking third party app access:
- You may lose access to app content and functionality that requires Facebook integration
- Disconnecting an app with financial ties could impact linked payment accounts or methods
- Apps may retain data they already collected prior to you revoking access
So while removing app access helps limit sharing of your current Facebook info, be aware past interactions and data sharing cannot be undone.
Conclusion
Revoking third party app access helps protect your Facebook privacy and limit unnecessary data sharing. Review your app permissions periodically and remove any unfamiliar, suspicious, or outdated integrations. You can revoke access individually or in bulk, and reconnected apps will have to go through the permission process again.
Be thoughtful about which apps you allow to access your Facebook information. And if any integrations cause concern down the road, promptly disconnect them.