Use a unique password
Do not reuse an email, banking, or shopping password. A password manager can remember it for you.
TNEJC practical resource
Safer social media in about 20 minutes.
Strengthen account security, reduce unwanted contact, and reveal less personal information to criminals on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, and X.
A familiar profile is not proof:A criminal may be using a friend’s stolen account. Verify unexpected requests by calling the person using a number you already trust.
Do these everywhere
Six protections for every account.
Complete these before opening the platform-specific instructions. Menu names can vary by app version, account type, and device.
Add a second step
Turn on two-factor authentication. Prefer a passkey, security key, or authenticator app when offered.
Review signed-in devices
Sign out phones, tablets, browsers, and locations you do not recognize.
Limit who can reach you
Restrict message requests, comments, tags, mentions, calls, and group invitations.
Reduce what strangers see
Hide personal details and consider a private account or friends-only posts.
Remove old connections
Delete unfamiliar connected apps and turn off contact syncing or discoverability you do not need.
Choose your platform
Open only the guide you need.
Facebook and Messenger are open first because they are common starting points for impersonation and relationship-building crimes.
fFacebook & MessengerStart here if Facebook or Messenger is your primary social network.+
Before you beginUpdate the app, then use its settings search if a label below has moved. Never follow “security” instructions sent by an unexpected account.
Complete Facebook Privacy Checkup
Facebook → Menu → Settings & privacy → Privacy Checkup
Review who can see what you share, how people can find you, your data settings, and account security. Choose Friends instead of Public for personal posts unless you intentionally maintain a public page.
Turn on two-factor authentication
Menu → Settings & privacy → Settings → Accounts Center → Password and security → Two-factor authentication
Select your Facebook account and follow the prompts. An authentication app or security key is stronger than a text-message code when available.
Keep in mind: Save Facebook recovery codes somewhere secure. Never give a login code to someone who contacts you.
Remove unfamiliar logged-in devices
Accounts Center → Password and security → Where you’re logged in
Open your Facebook account, review every device and location, and log out anything you do not recognize. Change your password if a session looks suspicious.
Limit posts and personal information
Settings → Audience and visibility → Posts / Profile details
Set future personal posts to Friends. Review your birthday, phone number, email, hometown, family relationships, and other details; hide anything strangers do not need to see.
Reduce unwanted friend requests and searches
Settings → Audience and visibility → How people find and contact you
Consider limiting friend requests to Friends of friends. Restrict who Facebook can suggest based on your email or phone number and turn off outside search-engine links to your profile if offered.
Approve tags before they appear
Settings → Audience and visibility → Profile and tagging
Turn on review for posts you are tagged in and tags people add to your posts. Limit who can post on your profile and who can see tagged posts.
Restrict Messenger requests
Messenger → Menu (☰) → Settings → Privacy & safety → Message delivery
Send unfamiliar people to Message requests or choose Don’t receive requests where appropriate. Do not move a new conversation to text, WhatsApp, or another app because the sender insists.
Remove old apps and block suspicious accounts
Facebook Settings → Your activity → Apps and websites
Remove services you no longer use or do not recognize. From any suspicious profile or message, use the menu to Block and Report the account.
◎InstagramControl who can follow, message, tag, mention, and see your personal posts.+
Before you beginUpdate the app, then use its settings search if a label below has moved. Never follow “security” instructions sent by an unexpected account.
Choose whether the account should be private
Instagram → Profile → Menu (☰) → Settings and activity → Account privacy
Turn on Private account if you want to approve followers. Review existing followers and remove people you do not know.
Keep in mind: Professional accounts cannot be private. Switch account type only if that fits how you use Instagram.
Turn on two-factor authentication
Menu → Accounts Center → Password and security → Two-factor authentication
Select your Instagram account. Prefer an authentication app or another stronger method when available, and save recovery codes securely.
Review where the account is logged in
Accounts Center → Password and security → Where you’re logged in
Log out any phone, browser, or location you do not recognize. Change the password immediately if you see an unfamiliar session.
Control message requests and group invitations
Settings and activity → Messages and story replies → Message controls
Send unfamiliar people to Message requests or choose Don’t receive requests. Limit who can add you to group chats, and do not accept unexpected video calls.
Limit tags and mentions
Settings and activity → Tags and mentions
Allow tags and mentions only from people you follow—or no one. Turn on manual approval so tagged posts do not appear on your profile automatically.
Turn on Hidden Words protections
Settings and activity → Hidden Words
Hide offensive comments and suspicious message requests. Add common criminal phrases, payment terms, or unwanted words to your custom list when useful.
Limit story visibility
Settings and activity → Hide story and live
Hide stories and live videos from specific accounts or share personal updates with Close Friends. Avoid posting travel plans or live location information publicly.
Remove connected apps and unwanted contacts
Accounts Center → Your information and permissions
Review uploaded contacts and connected experiences. Remove access or contact syncing you no longer want, and block or report suspicious accounts from their profile.
♪TikTokTighten account access and limit how strangers can contact or reuse your content.+
Before you beginUpdate the app, then use its settings search if a label below has moved. Never follow “security” instructions sent by an unexpected account.
Run Security checkup
TikTok → Profile → Menu (☰) → Settings and privacy → Security & permissions → Security checkup
Confirm the phone number and email used for recovery, review security activity, and address every warning TikTok displays.
Turn on 2-step verification
Security & permissions → 2-step verification
Choose at least two verification methods. Use a passkey or authentication app when offered, and never share a verification code with an unexpected contact.
Review trusted devices
Security & permissions → Manage devices
Remove phones, tablets, and browsers you do not recognize or no longer use. Change your password if an unfamiliar device appears.
Consider a private account
Settings and privacy → Privacy → Private account
Turn this on if you want to approve followers. Even with a private account, your username, profile photo, and bio may remain visible, so keep them free of sensitive information.
Restrict direct messages
Privacy → Direct messages
For Potential connections and Others on TikTok, choose Requests or Don’t receive. Do not move an unexpected conversation to another app because the sender asks.
Control comments, mentions, and tags
Privacy → Comments / Mentions and tags
Limit interaction to Friends or People you follow. Turn on comment filters and add keyword filters for unwanted investment, payment, romance, or prize messages.
Turn off downloads when you do not need them
Privacy → Downloads → Video downloads
Turn downloads off to make it harder for strangers to save and reuse your videos. Previously downloaded copies will not be removed from another person’s device.
Restrict Duet, Stitch, and content reuse
Privacy → Reuse of content (or Duet and Stitch)
Limit reuse to Friends or Only you when available. Review these permissions again before posting personal videos.
XXReduce unwanted messages, public exposure, connected-app access, and account takeover risk.+
Before you beginUpdate the app, then use its settings search if a label below has moved. Never follow “security” instructions sent by an unexpected account.
Turn on two-factor authentication
X → Settings and privacy → Security and account access → Security → Two-factor authentication
Use an authentication app or security key. X limits text-message authentication to eligible Premium subscribers, so do not rely on SMS being available.
Review sessions and connected apps
Security and account access → Apps and sessions
Review active sessions and log out anything unfamiliar. Open Connected apps and revoke services you no longer use or recognize.
Consider protecting your posts
Privacy and safety → Audience, media and tagging → Protect your posts
Turn this on if you want only approved followers to see your posts. Review existing followers because protecting posts does not remove people who already follow you.
Restrict Direct Message requests
Privacy and safety → Direct Messages
Turn off message requests from everyone unless you need public outreach. Keep low-quality message filtering on when available.
Limit who can find the account
Privacy and safety → Discoverability and contacts
Turn off discovery by email address and phone number if you do not need it. Remove uploaded contacts if you do not want them used for suggestions.
Control photo tagging
Privacy and safety → Audience, media and tagging → Photo tagging
Allow photo tags only from people you follow—or turn photo tagging off—to reduce unwanted exposure and impersonation attempts.
Limit or disable audio and video calls
Privacy and safety → Direct Messages → Audio and video calling
Turn calls off if you do not use them. If you keep them on, restrict who can call and enable Enhanced call privacy when available.
Block, report, and filter aggressively
Suspicious profile or post → More options (•••)
Block and report impersonation, spam, abusive contact, or deceptive payment and investment pitches. Use muted words and notification filters to reduce repeated contact.
When a friend’s account may be stolen
Check the message with CBYAStop the conversation and verify somewhere else.
- Do not send money, buy gift cards, invest, or share a verification code.
- Call the person using a number already in your contacts—not one supplied in the message.
- Take screenshots, then report and block the suspicious account or conversation.
- Warn the real person and mutual friends without replying to the suspected criminal.
If your account is taken over
Act quickly from a device you trust.
- Use the platform’s official account-recovery page—not a link sent in a message.
- Change the social-media password and any other account using the same password.
- Sign out unfamiliar devices and remove unknown email addresses, phone numbers, or apps.
- Turn on two-factor authentication and save recovery codes.
- Tell contacts not to trust recent requests from the account.
Source transparency
Reviewed against official platform guidance.
Instructions were reviewed in October 2026. Social-media companies change menus frequently, and some controls depend on app version, age, region, and account type.
Need copies for a conference or senior center?Open the TNEJC-branded, two-page US Letter handout for easy printing and distribution.
Open printer-friendly PDF