If you do not like Facebook repeatedly gathering your facial biometric data, then you can choose to turn off Facebook’s Face Recognition feature on iPhone, Android, or Computer. Once you do that, Facebook will do three main things. They are:
- Stop recognizing you and notifying you as soon as your face is detected in a newly uploaded picture
- Facebook will stop using face recognition and, as a result, stop suggesting people to tag you in their photos. However, you can still be manually tagged
- And finally, Facebook will delete your face recognition template
So, here are step by step instructions to disable Facebook Face Recognition on Android, iPhone, and Computer.
- What is Facebook Face Recognition?
- How to Disable Facebook Face Recognition on iPhone, iPad, and Android
- How to Turn Off Face Recognition on Facebook on Computer
What is Facebook Face Recognition?
Facebook uses face recognition technology to analyze photos and videos it thinks you are in. It uses your profile picture plus the photos you have been tagged in and creates your template. Now, using this template, Facebook recognizes you in other photos, videos, etc. Now you may ask, what Facebook does after it learns the ability to recognize your face? Well…
- It will let you know if it thinks you appear in photos or videos but haven’t been tagged by the person who has uploaded them
- Secondly, when you add a photo, it may suggest that you tag the relevant people who are in it and vice versa
- It can help protect you from impersonation and identity misuse. Suppose if somebody uses your photo as their profile picture, it will send you a notification. You can review the profile, and if you think that the person is impersonating you, you can report that profile, and Facebook may take proper action
- Accessibility option is also improved, and it helps Facebook tell people with visual impairments who is in a photo or video
As you are clear with the things, let’s check out, how to turn it off.
How to Disable Facebook Face Recognition on iPhone, iPad, and Android
- Launch the Facebook app on your iPhone or iPad
- Tap on the hamburger icon from bottom right; on Android Device the hamburger icon is in the top right corner.
- Tap on Settings & Privacy → Settings.
- Scroll down and tap on Face Recognition under ‘Privacy’.
- Tap on ‘Do you want Facebook to be able to recognize you in photos and videos?‘
- Finally, select No to prevent the social app from recognizing you in photos and videos.
How to Turn Off Face Recognition of Facebook via Web Browser on Computer
- Open any web browser and head over to facebook.com on your computer
- Now, sign in to your account, if you aren’t already. Then, click on the tiny downward arrow in the top right corner and select Settings.
- Next, click Face Recognition located on the left sidebar.
- Next, click on Edit.
- Select No. Then click on Close.
That’s pretty much it!
If you ever want to go back, follow the same steps mentioned above and turn on the feature in the end.
Some Important Points Related to Facebook Face Recognition
- Facebook says that it does not share your face templet with anyone else but you (I hope this ‘anyone’ includes not only other Facebook users but also other companies and advertisers)
- Face Recognition is only available for people above 18 years of age
- If you untag yourself from a photo/video or if you are untagged by the uploader, Facebook won’t use that media as part of the face recognition template to recognize you
- Face Recognition is not device-specific but tied to your account. That is, if you turn this off on your iPhone, it is turned off for your account and stays off, irrespective of where and on which device you log in
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