Facebook Link History: What is it and why you should disable it

Despite the spotlight on privacy, Facebook has been open about harvesting its user database for various functions. In fact, users of the social media platform are often aware of it tracking any links or websites that are visited simultaneously. However, in an attempt to be more transparent, Facebook has rolled out a new privacy feature that allows both Android and iOS smartphone app users to either turn off or clear history with a single tap. Here’s everything you need to know about it, along with how to turn it off.

Facebook Link History feature: What does it do?

The app recently informed its users of the Link History feature using a pop-up notification. However, if you’ve missed out on it, there are still other ways to access it. The Link History feature is essentially a tool that allows users to keep a tab of all the links they have visited.

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Facebook mentions how this was introduced to users so that they ‘never lose their crucial links’ and ‘have them in one place’ if need be. This was typically implemented to improve ad experience.

While it requires user consent, the tool functions for users to keep tabs on and control access that the Meta-owned smartphone app exercises. This means users can now either clear all history or turn off this feature if they don’t wish for the platform to track their online activity.

How to turn off the Facebook Link History feature

With this feature, Facebook has made it simple to access and clear history on its app. Here are a few steps to follow:

Step 1: Open the app on your Android or iOS device
Step 2: Locate your profile picture at the bottom of the page; tap on it to expand Settings and Privacy
Step 3: Within this, you will find an option titled Link History; select it to access your history
Step 4: You can either click on the ‘x’ icon to delete a link or tap on the Clear History option to clear everything on the list
Step 5: Your history should now have been deleted

Alternatively, if you’d like to turn it off, here’s what you need to do:

Step 1: Open the Facebook app on your smartphone and tap on any ad that you may find on your feed
Step 2: Tap on the three-dot icon at the bottom of the page
Step 3: Further, tap on Go to Settings
Step 4: Once the menu pops up, toggle the button next to Allow Link History
Step 5: Facebook will now not save your data any more

Once turned off, the app deletes all possible links visited by you within 90 days on its own. While Facebook does mention that it collects links for better-targeted ads, users can still choose to restrict the information they share with the platform.