Numbers, alphabets, special characters and likewise: there is so much mathematics you do while creating a new password. And talk about the number of passwords we have these days! A single person on an average has almost six to seven passwords like one for Facebook, one for Twitter, salary banking password, personal banking password and more. With so many passwords to remember, even people with the best memory can lose one or two when they don’t use a password for a few weeks.
Solution? Different web services and apps offer different ways to help you in case you forget your password. Facebook, apart from offering a few regular ways (reset your password etc) also offers one more way: Trusted Contacts.
How to add Trusted contacts?
Log in to your Facebook account and go to Settings. Now select Security and login and you will see a recommendation from Facebook to choose your Trusted contacts.
“Your trusted contacts are friends who you chose who can securely help if you ever have trouble accessing your account,” the description reads.
You can nominate 3 to 5 friends by clicking on Edit option. Facebook says that these contacts will now help you login in case you are locked out of the account. The list can be changed anytime you want.
There are few important things you need to keep in mind while selecting your trusted contacts. When the need arises, Facebook will send codes to these contacts which you will need to log in to your account so choose contacts who you can call upon anytime. He/she you choose needs to log in to the account to get the code so make sure that person is in town most of the time.
How it works when you are locked out of Facebook?
At the time of need, go to ‘Forgotten your password?’ link that appears on the main login page. Facebook will show you ways like email your password, text a code to reset password but you need to select ‘No longer have access to these’ option in case you wish to use your Trusted contacts. You will now need to provide another email address or contact number that Facebook can use to send you the recovery details. Also, you need to enter the full name of contact to reveal your Trusted Contacts List. Now call up your trusted contacts and ask them to visit https://www.facebook.com/recover where they will receive a PIN.
Your contacts will see a message asking them to help you login into your account. Your friends will be asked to make sure that they know you and you have exchanged words over the same. Once done, they will receive a code that needs to be communicated to you. When you receive codes from all you trusted contacts, enter them in the boxes you see below and click continue. If all the codes given by you are correct, Facebook will give you a chance to reset your new password and access your account.
Why it’s tricky to use Facebook’s Trusted Contacts?
Though Facebook’s Trusted Contacts sounds interesting it makes no sense. It’s like complicating a simple thing. I would prefer the email or phone text over Trusted Contacts. Reason? First I do not want to bother my friends, family or relative (contacts) for my bad memory.
Secondly what if one of my contacts is not in town. I obviously can’t ask him/her to stay in town always since I’ve chosen him/her as my Trusted contact.
Life is uncertain. What if one of my Trusted Contact dies? Though Facebook says that you will need to report the issue to the site and select a new contact but the whole process looks a little cumbersome to me.