Industry guru Dave Taylor offers free tech support on a wide variety of technical and business topics, including HTML, Apple iPhone, online advertising, Cascading Style Sheets, Web design, management, Unix, Linux, search engine optimization, online dating, Mac OS X, shell script programming and Microsoft Windows.

How do I remove a Facebook application?

Somehow I seem to be having an application on Facebook posting to my news stream information about me without ever remembering that I signed up for it. Disconcerting, to say the least! How do I check what apps I have authorized and delete ones I don't want from the Facebook universe?


Dave's Answer:

I'd be quite surprised if it was a rogue application that was posting information about you to your own news stream or Wall on Facebook, actually. While there are some goofy apps out there, Facebook itself seems pretty darn secure and I haven't heard of anything like what you are worrying might have happened.

More likely is that you somehow authorized the app when accepting a friend request or RSVP'ing for an event or similar. I find that I occasionally do that myself, even though I try my very, very best to not sign up for any Facebook apps that aren't directly related to how I use the site (e..g, no games, no quizzes).

Step one, log in to Facebook, then look along the top right for the "Settings" option. Move your cursor over it and you'll see this:

facebook nav settings application

Choose "Application Settings" and you'll move to a page that shows your dozen or so most recently used applications in the Facebook universe.

Perhaps you'll see something on that list that is incongruous or out of place: that might be your culprit.

More likely, though, the app you want won't be shown there, so go to the Show menu on the right:

facebook settings application authorized

Choose "Authorized", which is the closest I can see to a missing "All" choice that'd be perhaps a bit clearer. Anyway, now you'll see every Facebook app that you've authorized to get involved with your news stream or Wall.

For this demo, I'll show ReverbNation. When I scroll down, I see this:

facebook settings application authorized reverbnation

Notice here that there are three choices next to the app name: Edit Settings, Profile and X. Edit Settings might be useful if you want to keep the app around but change what it can do, and Profile lets you go to the app's home page in Facebook. The "X" is what you seek if you want to delete the application from your Facebook profile, though.

Click on it and you'll see:

facebook settings application authorized reverbnation remove

You sure you want to do this? Then click on "Remove":

facebook settings application authorized reverbnation removed

Done. One less application involved with your Facebook news stream.

Hope that helps with your problem. If you have other questions about Facebook, check out what we have here on the site, there's lots of Facebook help to be found!



Help others find this article at Del.icio.us, Digg, Netscape, Reddit, and Stumble Upon    

Subscribe!

Never miss another useful Q&A article again! Subscribe to AskDaveTaylor with Google Reader.

Comments

Thank you. I was unaware of this part. I learned something new. ;)

Posted by: AskAva at November 18, 2009 11:28 AM

I have a lot to say, but ...
Starbucks coffee cup I have a lot to say, and questions of my own for that matter, but most of all I'd like to say thank you for all your efforts on this Web site by buying you a chai!

I do have a comment, now that you mention it!











Remember personal info?


Please note that I will never send you any unsolicited commercial email. Ever.

While I'm at it, please note that by submitting a question or comment you're agreeing to my terms of service, which are: you relinquish any subsequent rights of ownership to your material by submitting it on this site.









Uniblue: Free Virus Scan

Follow me on Twitter @DaveTaylor

Search
Find just the answers you seek from among our 2300+ free tech support articles by using our Lijit search engine.


Help!





Subscribe to
Ask Dave Taylor!

Add to Google Reader
Add to My Yahoo!
Subscribe in NewsGator Online

RDF   XML

Free Updates!
Sign up and get free weekly updates and special offers on books, seminars, workshops and more.


Recent Entries
Book Links
© 2002 - 2009 by Dave Taylor. All Rights Reserved.

Note: This web site is for the purpose of disseminating information for educational purposes, free of charge, for the benefit of all visitors. We take great care to provide quality information. However, we do not guarantee, and accept no legal liability whatsoever arising from or connected to, the accuracy, reliability, currency or completeness of any material contained on this web site or on any linked site.

[whiteboard marker tray]
"Ask Dave Taylor®" is a registered trademark of Intuitive Systems, LLC.