Meta has announced an upgrade to its Accounts Center, aimed at giving you greater control over your personal data across its platforms. This update combines various data control features for Facebook, Instagram, and Messenger into a single, easy-to-use interface. The move builds on a previous update released in January, which began the integration of these various controls.
Download your personal data with ease
According to Meta, you can now download your information from both Facebook and Instagram simultaneously through the Accounts Center. This could include anything from photos you’ve uploaded to both platforms to other kinds of data you might be interested in. The aim is to simplify users’ understanding and use of these features, often buried deep within app settings.
“Download Your Information and Access Your Information are now centralised in Accounts Center, and you can now download information from both your Facebook and Instagram accounts at the same time,” says Meta. “For example, you might want to download photos that you’ve uploaded to both platforms – now you can, with a single action. Or you can still choose to download your information for Facebook and Instagram separately.”
New features for Instagram users
Meta is also introducing new features previously exclusive to Facebook, such as “Activity Off-Meta Technologies” and “Transfer Your Information”. Now, these options are available for Instagram as well. This means you can see what data Meta has collected about you from other websites and apps, allowing for better management of your information across each app.
The “Transfer Your Information” feature enables you to move all your Instagram photos and videos to other services. While it’s still being determined how many Instagram users view their uploads as treasured memories, this new feature gives you more flexibility in managing and storing your content.
What this means for users
This overhaul is part of Meta’s broader strategy to make its Accounts Center a more robust tool for managing your data and settings across its suite of apps. It also has the added benefit of making the apps more interconnected, which could be advantageous for Meta, especially given the ongoing antitrust discussions about potentially breaking up the company.
You can now access these new features in the “Settings” menu on Facebook, Instagram, and Messenger.
