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How to check in on Facebook
Some Facebook users enjoy sharing everything, from photos to their current whereabouts. This is known as checking in. By granting Facebook access to your current location through your phone or computer, you can post your location or a photo for others to search. It’s a feature that can be a dream come true for private investigators. Why go knocking on doors to find someone when you can simply watch their real-time movements update on their Facebook page? Let’s explore how to use the check-in feature on Facebook.
QUICK ANSWER
To check in on Facebook, you first need to ensure that location services are enabled on your phone or computer, and you have granted Facebook access to that location data. Open Facebook, create a new post, and select Check In. Facebook will give you a list of nearby locations. Choose one, and it will be inserted into the post for you to publish.
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How to enable location services on the Facebook app
Whether you’re using an Android or an iOS device, the steps to enable location services are generally the same:
- Navigate to your phone’s Settings.
- Locate and select the Facebook app.
- Access the Location settings and turn them on.
How to check in on the Facebook app
To check in on the Facebook app:
- Enable location services on your device; check out our location services guides for iPhone or Android to learn how to do this.
- Give Facebook the necessary permissions to access your location. This usually happens when you check in for the first time, and Facebook requests location data access. Give it one-off access or access while the app is open.
As well as the check-in, you can also add a message, tag other Facebook users who are with you, and add a ‘feeling.’ The other options will not be available on a check-in post. If you try to choose one of them, the check-in will disappear. Make sure you also have the correct privacy setting for the post before publishing.
How to check in on the Facebook website
It’s a very similar check-in process on the Facebook website.
- Open a new status update post and click the coral red check-in logo.
- Select the location you are at by clicking it. If Facebook is having trouble finding you, check to see if you have enabled location access on your browser. If you’re still having issues, refer to our detailed Facebook troubleshooting guide. It may not always show the exact location, so choose the nearest place instead.
- The status update post will now insert the chosen location on a map. Now add anything else you want, like a message, a tag, or a feeling, and make sure you have the correct privacy setting. Maybe you don’t want the whole world to know where you currently are.
How to delete check-ins on Facebook
If you decide later that you have over-shared and you want to delete a check-in, that’s very easy to do. It just takes a few clicks or taps.
Delete check-ins on Facebook desktop site.
Click the three horizontal dots to the right of the post. In the menu that appears, click Move to Recycle bin.
Delete check-ins on Facebook mobile app
It’s the same deal on the mobile app. Click the three dots to the right of the post, and select Move to Recycle bin in the menu.
Moving the post to the recycle bin leaves it there for 30 days, during which time it can still be viewed in the Activity Log in your account settings. If you really need the check-in deleted permanently right now, you would need to go into your Activity Log and delete it from there.
How to turn automatic check ins completely off
To completely turn off automatic check ins, the most effective way is to turn off the Facebook apps access to your location. Here are the steps:
- Navigate to your phone’s Settings.
- Find the Facebook app settings.
- Tap on the Location.
- Then, choose Never.
FAQs
The feature relies on your phone’s location services being enabled. If you have disabled this function, Facebook cannot determine your location.
Yes, you can make the post Friends Only. This is recommended for security and privacy reasons. Burglars have been known to break into homes after seeing the owner’s public check-in on their Facebook page, showing they were elsewhere.
Yes, you can add check-ins to specific places in the About section on Facebook. To do this, go to your Facebook profile, navigate to the About section, select Places lived, and then choose either Add Current City, Add Hometown, or Add City. From there, you can enter the place where you want to check in.