How to create an anonymous Facebook account

There’s always a new scandal about Facebook. Those range from shady advertising to disabling Meta headsets. Deleting your main Facebook account isn’t a bad idea, but if you still want to use the platform, you can always create an anonymous Facebook account.

Maybe you need one for work, to manage the social media of the company you work at. You might have a Meta Quest 2 virtual reality headset, which now needs a Facebook account when you set it up for the first time. Maybe your loved ones prefer to use Messenger over any other messaging app.

Whatever the reasons, you can limit what Facebook tracks by creating an anonymous Facebook account.

Why would you need an anonymous Facebook account?

You probably have lots of reasons for not wanting to put your personal information on Facebook. Realistically, however, they are all reduced to one simple answer: privacy.

You may be worried about Facebook misusing your information, or even having your details skimmed by fraudsters of another kind.

Maybe you have security concerns about putting your real name on the internet, preferring to not let people from your past search where you are. You could also prefer to stay incognito with your work colleagues.

READ MORE: How to log out of Facebook remotely from anywhere

One other common reason is that you might work in social media management, marketing, or related fields. Your job might require you to manage a company Facebook account, which you probably don’t want to connect to your personal account.

These are all great reasons for having an anonymous Facebook account, so let’s see what you need to make one.

Here’s how to create an anonymous Facebook account

Making a new, anonymous Facebook account doesn’t take long. There are a few steps that could trip you up into linking your personal information to the account you’re trying to set up as anonymous. We’ll show you which things to avoid.

First, you need a new email address

To keep your new, anonymous Facebook account, anonymous, you’ll need a new email account that’s not already tied to your real name. That’s important, as anyone can trace your email back to you.

If you use any existing email address to sign up, there’s a chance Facebook can still tie your anonymous account to your real name. Any of the services you’ve used that email on could potentially point them back to you.

To fix this, we’re going to use an encrypted email provider. We’ll also use fake information for our name, date of birth, and any other information they might ask for.

We like ProtonMail, which gives you encrypted email and enough messages per day on the free plan for Facebook use.

1. Go to proton.me on your browser and click on Get Proton for free

2. Choose your username. This should be one that doesn’t track back to any other email you use, your real name, or anyone in your household.

3. Choose your password. It’s a clever idea to use one you’ve never used before.

4. Set your display name

5. Click on Maybe later when asked for a recovery phone number or recovery email address

Now you’ve got an anonymous email address, which isn’t tied to any of your personally identifying information. Time to head to Facebook.

Now sign up for Facebook with that anonymous email address

The first thing is we don’t want Facebook to even think we have an account already.

1. Open any browser and go into Incognito mode

2. Go to Facebook

3. Click on Create New Account

4. Fill in your fake credentials

5. Do not, at any stage, put your phone number into the form fields. Your phone number is tied to any number of other services and querying it will invariably connect your incognito account to your real name.

6. We suggest using a Facebook Avatar instead of using any other profile picture

Oh, and when Facebook asks if it can have access to your contacts, say no. That’s almost worse than putting your phone number in.

Add the accounts you want, and only those ones

The thing about anonymous accounts is that it will take constant work to stay that way. Think of how often Facebook tries to suggest “people you may know.” If you don’t get any hits that are related to your real details, well done, you have survived their algorithm (so far).

Now it’s time to keep it that way. Maybe only add trusted, close friends to that account. Heck maybe don’t even add those.

If your account is to do admin for a brand account, don’t add anyone or anything to your friends or likes list. This will take constant vigilance, as it’s all too easy to add something to your incognito account when you’re trying to do something for the brand.

Be careful not to accept any incoming friend requests. Those could be from anyone Facebook thinks are related to the friends list on your incognito account. They might even be from people related to your personal, public profile, if Facebook is linking things to your IP address.

Final notes about anonymous Facebook accounts

Facebook will ask you to confirm your new account multiple times. Never agree to let Facebook confirm your account from your phone number. Got it?

As far as the company knows, you don’t have a phone. It’ll ask you again if you sign in to your incognito account on the mobile app, and again if you sign into Messenger.

It might be best to avoid the mobile apps. After all, nobody is going to be on your friends list with this account.

Use your burner email address if you must verify your account. Only ever use this email for your incognito Facebook account, and don’t use it for any other accounts.

Now it’s up to you to keep that new anonymous account private. Don’t add too many people you know. Don’t add any that you don’t know. Again, maybe don’t add anyone.

What do you think? Do you plan to set up an anonymous account? Let us know down below in the comments or carry the discussion over to our Twitter or Facebook.

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