How to delete unwanted Facebook apps
The social network's updated app settings page makes it easier to rid yourself of any apps you no longer need or want.
Want to see which third-party apps have access to your Facebook friends list and other key information? A new tweak to the settings screen can easily show you.
One of the pros or cons of Facebook, depending on your perspective, is the way in which the site can hook you up with third-party apps and games. Such a feature expands Facebook's capabilities through apps that aren't built into the service, allowing you to play different games, for example. You can also use this feature to share recommendations and information on Facebook from other sites, such as Amazon or Netflix.
Third-party apps sometimes raise privacy concerns as they not only have access to your public information but to your friends list and other information you choose to share. That's why it's a good idea to occasionally review the list of apps that you've connected to Facebook.
On Monday, the social network revamped its app settings page, according to the blog site Inside Facebook. So now seems like as good a time as any to review how to remove unwanted apps.
- Log into your Facebook account. Click the down arrow on the top toolbar and click the option for Settings.
- In the Settings screen, click the setting for Apps. Facebook displays a list of all the apps to which it's connected.
- Hover over an app that you wish to modify or remove.
- Click the Edit Settings icon. Review the settings for the app and make any changes you feel are needed. For example, you can change the audience who can see that you use this app as well as who can see any posts that the app makes on your behalf. Scroll down the screen further, and you may be able to turn off other settings, such as whether the app can post certain information on your behalf.
- Click Save after you've made your changes.
- If you wish to remove an app entirely, hover over it and click the Remove button (X). Facebook will explain what happens if you remove the app and ask for confirmation to get rid of it. Click the check mark to delete all activity for the app and then click the Remove button. Facebook then removes the app.
Note that if many apps are listed, you'll probably have to click the Show All link to view them all.
Adding an app to Facebook is typically a quick and seamless process, so you may not even be aware of all the apps that you add over time. Reviewing your list of apps and removing the ones you don't want is certainly a task worth doing periodically.