How to Secure Your Social Media Accounts

A universal security hardening guide for every major social media platform — protect your identity, privacy, and digital presence.

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Whether you've just recovered from a hack or simply want to protect yourself proactively, this guide covers the essential security steps that apply to every major social media platform.

Good to know

🔐 Defence in depth. No single step makes you completely secure. Apply as many of these measures as possible — each layer significantly reduces your risk.

Which platform are you on?

Every tip below applies across social media, but the exact settings live in different menus. Follow your platform's guide:

Facebook

Secure your Facebook

Instagram

Secure your Instagram

X (Twitter)

Secure your X account

TikTok

Secure your TikTok

Snapchat

Secure your Snapchat

Secure your LinkedIn

Step 1: Use a Strong, Unique Password

Use at least 16 characters with mixed case, numbers, and symbols
Never reuse passwords across accounts
Use a password manager like Proton Pass, Bitwarden, or 1Password
Avoid personal information in passwords

Tip

Where to change your password: Look for Security or Login & Security in your account settings.

Step 2: Enable Two-Factor Authentication (2FA)

Two-factor authentication adds a second verification step beyond your password.

Recommended 2FA Methods (Best to Worst)

Hardware security key (YubiKey, Titan Key) — Most secure
Authenticator app (Ente Auth, Proton Pass) — Very secure, widely supported
SMS text codes — Better than nothing, but vulnerable to SIM-swapping

Where to find 2FA on major platforms:

Facebook: Settings → Accounts Centre → Password and security → 2FA
Instagram: Settings → Accounts Centre → Password and security → 2FA
X / Twitter: Settings → Security and account access → Security → 2FA
LinkedIn: Settings → Sign in & security → Two-step verification
TikTok: Settings → Security → 2-step verification
Snapchat: Settings → Two-Factor Authentication

Important

⚠️ Save your backup codes! Store them in your password manager — they're your lifeline if you lose your phone.

Step 3: Review Login Activity & Active Sessions

Navigate to your Security or Login Activity settings
Review each active session — check device, location, and time
Log out of any session you don't recognise
Use "Log out of all other sessions" if available

Tip

Make this a monthly habit. Set a reminder to check login activity on all your accounts.

Step 4: Audit Connected Apps & Permissions

Go to your account's Apps or Connected Apps settings
Review each app — do you still use it?
Remove any apps you don't actively use or recognise
Be cautious of apps requesting write access or messaging permissions

Step 5: Lock Down Privacy Settings

Profile visibility: Set to private if you don't need public visibility
Search visibility: Disable search engine linking where available
Contact info: Hide email and phone from public view
Location data: Disable location tagging on posts
Message requests: Restrict who can DM you
Tagging: Enable manual approval for tags and mentions

Step 6: Secure Your Recovery Options

Use a secure email provider like Proton Mail as your account email
Make sure your recovery phone number is current
Consider a separate secure email exclusively for social media
Enable login alerts for new access attempts

Important

Your social media security is only as strong as your email security. If an attacker compromises your email, they can reset passwords on all linked accounts.