Meta overhauls its cross-app account management system

Meta announced on Thursday an updated Meta Account system designed to make it easier for users to sign in to and manage their Meta accounts and connected devices.

At present, the Meta ecosystem has expanded significantly, making account management increasingly complex for users who may have separate logins for Facebook, WhatsApp, Meta AI glasses, and other services. While the existing Accounts Centre already helps streamline some of this experience, the new Meta Account system is intended to simplify it further. The company said the rollout will take place over the next year.

With a Meta Account, users can create a single password that works across all accounts in the Meta ecosystem. These logins can also be secured with passkeys, which use fingerprints, facial recognition, or device passwords for authentication. Meta said the system will also include security recommendations, helping users stay current with multi-factor authentication and receive login alerts across devices.

“Settings that apply across Meta apps and devices are managed in one place through your Meta Account — similar to how Accounts CCentreworks today,” the company wrote in a blog post. “Now, more settings can be centrally managed this way, including your password, two-factor authentication, and the email address associated with your account. Because these don’t change from app to app, you shouldn’t have to update them separately.”

The Meta Account will also introduce improved tools for parental supervision, allowing parents to monitor teen activity across apps more easily without switching between multiple platforms. Through the Family Centre dashboard in Meta Account, parents can manage settings for Instagram, Facebook, Messenger, and Meta Horizon from a single location.

“Settings that are specific to an app remain managed independently, so you can also tailor your experiences for each. These kinds of choices are personal to how you use each app, so they live right where you’d expect: inside the app itself,” Meta explained. “For example, who can see your Facebook posts is a Facebook setting. Similarly, whether someone can tag you in a photo on Instagram is an Instagram setting.”

Meta also clarified that users will not be forced to link all their accounts. Those who prefer to keep their logins separate can still do so, and accounts can be added to or removed from a Meta Account at any time, depending on user preference.