In Summary
- Many of us spend a lot of time on social networks (most notably Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram) on our devices. In fact so much so that we often do not bother logging out from them.
- Not logging out is all right as long as your device remains with you, but what if you give it to someone else, or misplace it, or lose it? Or what if someone is able to hack into your account?
- Fortunately, there are ways of logging out from a device even if you do not have it with you. We tell you how to remotely log out of Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram.
Facebook, Instagram, and Twitter have pretty much become a way of life for many of us. We jump from one platform to another through the day so much so that it has become difficult to imagine life without this virtual hop-scotch.
However, with great social network usage come the perils of compromised privacy. One of the worst fears in the first world is to lose your device, or accidentally leave your social media logged in on someone else’s device, giving someone else access to your social media. Even if you keep your device with yourself, there is still the chance of getting your social media account hacked which is a more common occurrence these days than you would think.
So what do you do if you find yourself through the thick of a social media login catastrophe (pardon the exaggeration) with your account in the hands of another person? Well, there are ways to save the day before any real damage is done. Even if someone has access to your social media accounts miles away, you can easily remotely log out of your account, a move that can save you from online scams in case your account is hacked or save you from some embarrassment.
All you need to do is follow these simple steps mentioned and you will be remotely logged out of your accounts.
Table of Contents
How to Log Out of Facebook on All Devices
1. Log in, and get to “Menu” or “Account:”
In order to log remotely out of all sessions from Facebook, you first will need to log in to the social media platform on a device. You can log in on a smartphone or computer depending on what is available and can use either browser or app. Logging in will get you on your feed. On your feed page, you have to find the “Menu” which will be on the bottom right side or top right (depending on your device) of your screen on the app – it is in the form of three horizontal lines. Once you have located “Menu” on your display, click on it.
Things are a bit different on the PC – you will have to find the “Account” button in the top right-hand corner (it is a tiny arrow pointing downwards) of your display.
2. Select “Settings and Privacy” and then pick “Settings” again:
In “Menu,” you will find a list of options open up on your screen. From these options, you have to pick “Settings and Privacy.” Under this will be another option called “Settings” (yep, that term seems really popular). Select it.
3. Pick “Password and Security” or “Security and Log in”:
In this second set of Settings, you will find a list of new options. If you have logged in through an app, you will find an option called “Password and Security” on your screen, you have to tap on that.
In case you are using a browser on a PC, on the left pane, you will find the “Security and Login” option, present right under “General” tab on top. Click on it.
4. Voila! You can see where you’re logged in:
This will again take you to a screen with a number of options (Facebook does seem to like elaborate menus), and here you have to head to an option called “Where You’re Logged In.” As its name indicates, this will show you a list of devices into which you are logged into Facebook. The two latest devices which you used to log into Facebook will be shown here. If you want to see all the devices where you are logged in, choose “See All” on the app, and “See More” on the browser.
And there you are – you will see all the devices on which you are logged into Facebook.
5. Find your device and Log out:
Once you have the list of all the devices you are logged into, you can simply pick the options present on your screen to “Log out of all sessions” or you can click on the three-dot icon next to each individual device, click on that and then select the “Log out” option.
Related Read: How to Delete Instagram Account
How to Log Out of Instagram on All Devices
1. Log in:
Just like with Facebook, you will have to first log in to your Instagram account using a smartphone or a computer. You can use the Instagram app or a browser depending on your convenience.
2. Go to your “Profile:”
Once you have logged in, Instagram will take you to your feed. From here, you have to go to your “Profile” page. On your smartphone, you can do so by tapping on your display picture icon present on the bottom right corner of your screen.
If you are using a browser on a PC, you will find the icon on the top right-hand side of your screen. Click on it and a drop-down menu will appear, from here select profile.
3. Get to them “Settings:”
On your profile, you have to look for the “Settings” icon. If you are using the app, you will have to tap on the burger-menu icon present on the top of the screen which will open up a new menu where you will find the option of Settings. You have to tap on that.
In case you are using a browser on a PC, you have to tap on the “Settings” icon (shaped like a wheel or a gear) present next to your profile picture on the display. You can also skip the second step and get to settings directly from the profile option where you will find the Settings option in the same drop-down menu.
4. Getting into the Security zone:
If you are using the Instagram app, you will have to pick the “Security” option and then go to “Login Activity” after that.
If you are using a browser on the, you would get the “Login Activity” option under the “Settings” menu.
5. Log out:
After selecting the “Log in activity” option, you will get the list of all the devices you have logged into on Instagram. You now have to tap on the three tiny dot icon next to the device you wish to log out of and then tap on the “Log out” option on the pop-up box that appears, complete with the location of the device.
On the browser on the PC, you would find a small downward arrow next to each session, you have to click on the arrow and then on the “Log out” to log out of that session.
How to Log Out of Twitter on All Devices
Twitter is a little intriguing because the steps on the app and on the browser on the PC are strikingly different.
1. Log in (duh):
The first step here is the same as the last two. You have to first log in. You can log in via the Twitter app or on a browser on a PC.
2. Go to your Profile:
Once you have logged in, you will find yourself on the Twitter feed. You now have to tap on your profile picture on the screen. If you are using the app you will find the icon on the top left side of the screen.
On a browser on the PC, this picture is on the bottom left corner – ignore it. Instead, go for the three dots that signify “More” on the left column.
3. Go to “Settings and Privacy:”
After tapping on your profile, a drop-down menu will appear on your display with a list of options. You have to select the “Settings and Privacy” option from the list.
On the PC, tapping on the “More” option will show you “Settings and Privacy” as one of the options as well. Select it.
4. Get to “Account:”
Settings will present you with another window with a new array of options. From this list, you have to select the item on the top, “Account”.
5. Open “Apps and Sessions:”
The “Account” section will show you details about your account. Scroll down and you will see a section called “Data and permissions.” Under this will be an option called “Apps and session.” That’s where you need to be.
On the PC, you get the “Apps and sessions” under “Setting and privacy” – it is the second option (a slightly simpler world there)
6. Go to Sessions:
Once you have selected “Apps and Sessions”, you will have a new list of options on your screen. From these options, select the second one called “Sessions”. (Many phones do not allow you to take screenshots here). The process is the same on the PC.
7. Log out:
Once you have tapped on “Sessions”, you will get the list of all the devices you are logged in to (again, phones do not allow screenshots here). You can tap and select “Log out of all the other sessions” which will log you out of all the sessions except for the one that you are currently on or you can tap on the arrow on the right, next to each individual session, and then log out from there. Once again, the process is the same on the PC.
There you are. Losing your phone or getting your account hacked is not the end of the day – you can still log out of your social network accounts from another device. Still, it is more advisable to keep an eye on where your phone or notebook is or remember to log out!