Meta Login changes

One of the biggest drawbacks of the popular Meta Quest 2 has been the mandatory requirement to log in with an active Facebook account. For many users, including businesses handling sensitive information, this was a dealbreaker. And in many cases, this was unfortunate because the Quest 2 is a very good headset suitable for many applications. Fortunately, Meta themselves realised that this was not a sustainable concept and recently announced they would be removing the mandatory Facebook login. In this blog, we explain what changes are coming.

The Meta Quest 2 is by far the most popular VR headset at the moment. In 2021 alone, about 8.7 million Quest headsets were sold. However, this figure could have been even higher if Facebook/Meta had not required users to log in with a Facebook account. Fortunately, Meta has announced they will roll out an update from August 2022, allowing users to create a separate Meta account rather than using Facebook. The main difference is that Facebook's terms of service require an account to adhere to a "real name policy." Therefore, it is not possible to create an account specifically for using the Quest 2 without it being verified as real or fake by Facebook’s bots and algorithms, which can lead to an account being deleted or suspended. You can imagine this is far from ideal for businesses and educational institutions using the Quest 2. For instance, with 10 Quest headsets in use, you wouldn't want to have to log in with 10 separate personal Facebook accounts. The same applies to individuals who prefer not to use Facebook; previously, it was not possible to use the Quest 2 without a Facebook account.

The new update from Meta makes it possible to use the Quest 2 without a Facebook account. However, note that this does not mean you won’t need to log in at all. Meta requires a new type of Meta account. Fortunately, this account is much more flexible than a Facebook account; for instance, you don’t need to link a whole social media page to it. The Meta account you create is solely for the Quest headset and is not used for other logins.

A Meta account allows you to log in to the Quest 2 VR headset and manage your purchased games and apps in one central location. It is important to note that a Meta account is not a social media account; it is completely separate. Users who already had a Facebook/Oculus account will be automatically transitioned to a Meta Horizon account. This new Meta Horizon account is the central account used in the Oculus/Meta ecosystem. Here, you can create an avatar for yourself and give yourself a new name. The choice to link Facebook or Instagram to the Meta account remains with the user. Click here to read more about the creation of a Meta account.

If you already have a Quest 2 in use, you will be automatically logged out of the VR headset from August 2022. Then, the Quest headset will prompt you to log in again with a Meta account. Don’t worry: doing this will not cause you to lose any of your apps or settings. Once logged in with a Meta account, Meta gives you the option to link your account to a Facebook or Oculus account. Linking your new Meta account is not mandatory, so you can skip this step without any issues.

Meta has indicated they are constantly working on improving user experiences. For example, they are developing 'work accounts', which are specifically designed for businesses and corporate users. Overall, it appears Meta is on the right track to make the Quest 2 more accessible to the masses.