Tech Tips of the Week: Facebook

While I consider myself to be a pretty social media-addicted millennial, I’m constantly discovering new features on Facebook. It seems that new products are being launched on the platform everyday; Lyft and Uber integration, reactions and Facebook Live are all just 2016 developments. Here’s a roundup of three Facebook features I noticed recently that will help you optimize your usage.

1. Search Notifications in For Sale Groups

After my bike was stolen last semester, I had to start my hunt for a new one during a time when not many people were selling theirs. I searched in the USC Free & For Sale group but had no immediate luck. Interestingly, I was presented with the option of getting a notification when new items were posted in the group that matched my search term. I turned it on and, lo and behold, was notified a week later when somebody was looking to part with their bike!

2. Trusted Contacts for Account Recovery

On your Security Settings page, you’re given the option to “Choose 3 to 5 friends that you can call for help if there’s ever a problem with your account.” The next time you have trouble logging in, you can request that each of your Trusted Contacts will receive a security code with further instructions for you. Once you have all three security codes, you’ll be able to enter them into Facebook to recover your account.

3. Post Notifications

On Facebook profiles or pages, you can opt in to receive a notification for every time a post is published.

With Springfest rapidly approaching, you’re going to want to turn on this feature for when USC Concerts Committee announces their official lineup!

Caitlin Tran is a sophomore majoring in arts, technology and the business of innovation. Her blog tech column, Captcha, runs every Tuesday.