Tech · Meta AccountMeta account change: Automatic rollout, but you choose which profiles connectAired October 28, 2026 at 4:12 AM UTCWritten October 28, 2026 at 4:18 AM UTCRead the write-upThis storyTranscript · LOADING0:07Meta is moving users into Meta account automatically.0:10The replacement for account center brings more account controls together.0:13Reaching across social apps and connected devices, users can't decline the upgrade,0:18but they still decide which profiles belong together.0:20What can you keep separate, and what could connecting more services put at risk?0:24Meta will replace account center, and connections you've already made will carry0:28over.0:28You can still keep different profiles in different meta accounts.0:31Adding WhatsApp remains optional unless you've already linked it.0:34A single password across apps and devices is also your choice.0:38Some Australians are already receiving emails or in-app notices about their0:41changeover.0:42Meta announced the update on April23,2026 , with a gradual rollout over the0:47following year.0:48T here is no single switchover day for everyone.0:50You'll be notified when your account changes.0:53So some people will still see Account Center while others see Meta account.0:56MetaQuest headsets are included alongside AI Glasses and the company's apps.1:00Meta Account supports Facebook, Instagram, Messenger, Threads, and Meta AI.1:04People using Quest or AI Glasses may already know the account name.1:08The updated system extends it across more services.1:11Meta says the aim is easier sign in and quicker setup when you add another app or1:15device without creating another login from scratch.1:18Your profiles and everyday use of the apps should stay the same.1:21Parents also get one family center dashboard for supervised teen settings across1:25Instagram, Facebook, Messenger, and MetaHorizon without switching between accounts.1:29WhatsApp stays separate if you've never added it to Account Center and don't choose1:33to add it now.1:34If you've already connected it, that link carries over.1:36You can remove WhatsApp again at any time, and its personal messages and calls1:40remain end to and encrypted.1:42WhatsApp also keeps pass key management inside its own app.1:45Sharing an account management hub doesn't let Meta read those encrypted1:49conversations.1:50For other profiles, you can keep Facebook in one meta account and Instagram in1:54another.1:54You can also move a profile out after the update arrives.1:57In Facebook, select your profile picture, then settings in privacy, then settings.2:01Open Meta account and choose Manage Account.2:03Select Manage beside the app you want to separate, then move out of this Meta2:07account.2:07Before migration, you may still see the older interface.2:10Your current login information should carry over.2:13You don't have to create one universal password.2:15The shared hub brings password management.2:17Two, factor authentication and the account email address into one place.2:21App-specific choices stay within each app.2:23Who sees your Facebook posts remains a Facebook setting, while permission to tag you2:27in Instagram photos remains an Instagram setting.2:29Instagram joins Facebook and Messenger in supporting pass keys under the April2:33announcement, with more apps to follow.2:35Passkeys let you sign in using a fingerprint, face recognition, or your device2:39password, offering an alternative to typing a traditional password.2:43Meta also says its security systems monitors suspicious activity around the clock.2:47Its streamlined security checkup recommends protections, including multi, factor2:51authentication, and login alerts.2:53Those are safeguards the company offers.2:55Whether the new system changes your chance of an account takeover is a separate2:59question from how much an attacker could reach if one happens.3:01Cybersecurity lecturer Jennifer Williams at McCoy University thinks the new system3:05is likely no more or less secure than its predecessor.3:08But she warns that a breach could have a greater impact across connected services.3:12She urges users to use strong, unique passwords and two factor authentication.3:17Williams warns an attacker could exploit private messages for blackmail, impersonate3:21a user, contact friends and family, or publish posts in their name.3:25Her concern extends to WhatsApp when connected, where its encryption protections3:28still apply.3:29These are possible consequences rather than breaches reported from this rollout.3:33Her warning is about the potential reach of a compromise.3:35Ryan Coe, director of the University of Queensland Cyber Research Center, warns that3:40linking activity across services could make users easier to track and profile.3:44He describes a richer, more comprehensive picture of a person with greater3:48commercial usefulness.3:49That concern goes beyond an attacker getting in.3:52How the convenience and safeguards compare with those concentrated risks in everyday3:56use is still unclear.3:57For now, the controls are clear.3:59Meta will change the account management system automatically while users choose4:03which profiles to connect.4:04Whatsapp stays separate unless already linked or deliberately added, and users can4:08move profiles out after the new interface arrives.Explore with HeyDexFollow via RSS
