FACEBOOK TIPS AND TRICKS YOU'RE NOT USING
When
it comes right down to it, Facebook is actually a fairly basic website. Yes, it
makes some things harder than they need to be, and it does like to change the
look around. Still, the basics of sharing updates, photos and videos with
friends stays the same. And if that's all you ever use it for, that's perfectly
OK. That simplicity is one of the reasons it's so popular. That's also why
Facebook has a habit of adding new features without really making a big deal
about it. Sure, you can find announcements on Facebook's press pages, but who
goes there - besides me, of course?
It
is a bit of a shame because sometimes Facebook really does have good ideas. And
I'm about to share 10 of them with you so you don't have to miss out.
Save interesting Facebook items
Do you every find yourself endlessly scrolling
through a friend's Facebook news feed for a link to that interesting story you
didn't have time to read before? Well, now you can save links, places and
entertainment pages for later.
Note: This is a brand new
feature, so it might not be available in your account yet. If not,
try it again in a few days. Also, it's only for shared links - it won't work
for photo, video and status update posts.
Just hit the download arrow at the upper right of
a post and select the Save option. Or on a place or entertainment page, hit the
Save option next to Like.
You can look at your saved content later in
the "Saved" area. It's in the left column along with News Feed,
Messages and Events. Once you click it you'll get the Saved screen.
Hide your online status
If you're getting unwanted messages through
Facebook's Messenger chat system, there's an easy fix. Load your Facebook page,
then take a look at the Messenger list on the right side. If you don't see it,
click where it says Chat in the bottom right corner of the screen.
Click the gear at the bottom of the list, then
click the "Advanced Settings" link. From there, you can turn off
chat for everyone or choose which friends can and can't see when you're
online. It's a low-effort way to politely keep people from bothering you.
Block status updates from over-sharers
Have you ever had a friend who just posts too
many cat pictures? Hard to imagine, I know, but it's tough to tell someone that
their cats aren't quite as cute as they imagine.
Don't unfriend them just yet, though. All you
have to do to stop receiving updates from a social media over-sharer is click
the down arrow on the upper-right hand side of one of their status updates.
Then click the "Unfollow" button to
stop receiving updates from that person. You can turn their updates back on by
going to their profile and refollowing them. Simple!
Sync Facebook's calendar with Google Calendar
If you've signed up for an event on Facebook, or
just want to keep track of everyone's birthdays, syncing your Facebook calendar
to your Google Calendar is easier
than you'd think.
First, log in to Facebook and click on the
"Events" link in the left column. At the bottom of the right column,
you'll see links for Upcoming Events and Birthdays. Right-click on the link you
want and choose Copy Link Location.
Then open your Google Calendar. In
the left column, find Other Calendars. Click the down arrow in the Other
Calendars page, and then click "add by URL." Paste the link that you
copied from Facebook, and click Add Calendar.
After a few seconds a new calendar option will
appear. It will update automatically, however Google says that it might take a
few hours sometimes.
Stop Facebook from tracking you
Facebook makes its money by figuring out what
you're doing on and off of the website.
The company tracks almost everything that its users do in an effort to understand
them.
If you'd rather not be turned into a statistic
for Facebook to sell on the open market, a browser extension can stop all of
Facebook's tracking attempts.
Facebook Disconnect is a browser extension that's
available for both Firefox
and Chrome. Install it in your browser and it
blocks Facebook from getting information about what websites you're visiting.
Make Facebook talk like a pirate
Have you ever wanted Facebook to automatically
translate all of your friend's posts into pirate slang? No? Well, you can do it
anyway.
Click the upside down triangle in the upper
right-hand corner of the Facebook page, then click the "Settings"
link. Where it says "Language" click the Edit button, then navigate
to the "English (Pirate)" option. Now, enjoy the results!
You can switch it back to regular English by
doing the same thing except picking the "English (U.S.)" option
instead. There are a couple of other funny languages you can set, but I'll let
you explore those on your own.
Turn off Facebook's notification sounds
Tired of having Facebook notify you every time
someone likes a post that you've made? You can turn off Facebook's notification
sounds.
Click the upside down triangle in the upper
right-hand corner of the Facebook page, then click the "Settings"
link. In the left column select Notifications.
Where it says "On Facebook," click the
"View" link and uncheck "Play a sound." Then click the
"Save Changes" button.
Combine your profile picture and cover photo
Have you ever seen a Facebook page where the
cover photo and profile picture look like a seamless photo? It takes some
graphics skill to pull it off.
Or you can use Tricked Out Timeline. This Web tool lets
you upload an image and turn it into a cover photo and profile picture
combo that looks really slick.
How to access Facebook chat from your desktop
Facebook's built-in Messenger is a fun way to
chat with friends, but tying up your browser with it is a little annoying.
Fortunately, you have the option of using a regular chat program instead.
First, you'll need an IM client that supports
Jabber/XMPP messaging. iChat, Pidgin, and Adium will all
work.
Fire up your chat program of choice. Find the
"Accounts" option, then click "Manage" and create a new
account.
If you're using Pidgin or iChat, you'll have to
select either Jabber or XMPP as the account type. Adium users can just pick
"Facebook."
Type your Facebook profile ID and password.
To get the profile ID, open your Facebook page and click the Home button at the
top. Then look at the Web address. The profile ID is whatever comes after
"www.facebook.com/".
For example, mine would be
"kim.komando". If you never set your name, it might say,
"profile.php?id=123456". You want to use the number that comes after
"id=".
If you're using Pidgin, there's a few extra steps
to take. Where it says "domain" type in "chat.facebook.com"
and for "local alias" type in your name as it appears in your
Facebook profile. Now click the Advanced tab and for "port" enter
5222 and for "connect server" type in "chat.facebook.com".
You should be set.
Find hidden unread messages
Not many people know this but you might be
getting messages from people and don't know it. If someone sends you a message
and you have no mutual friends, Facebook automatically filters their message
into the "Other" message folder.
To find the "Other" folder, click the
word bubble icon at the top of the page. Then next to where it says
"Inbox" click "Other.".
You might see a surprising amount of messages
piled up in here, because Facebook never notifies you about any messages
received from people who aren't in your network.
In fact, when I originally told my listeners
this tip, one girl tried it found a message her birth mother had sent her a few
years before. Who knows what you'll find!
