Facebook: how to create an account

23 Apr 2013

So you’ve heard all the hype about Facebook and you want to be part of it but you don’t know where to start. Here’s a step-by-step instructional guide on setting up your Facebook account. 

Facebook is the world’s largest social network. Stay in touch with family and friends, and connect with people all over the world, even those you may have lost touch with along the way.

How to create a Facebook account

Just follow the steps below.

1. Go to www.facebook.com
2. Fill in your details where it says ‘Sign up’ including your first name, surname, email, password and birthday – make sure your password is secure. Try to include a capital letter, a number and a symbol. But make sure it’s easy to remember.
3. Then hit sign-up.
4. Facebook may redirect you to a Security Check screen. This is to make sure that you are a person signing up rather than a computer. Look closely at the letters and numbers and retype them in the box.
5. You’ll be taken to a screen where Facebook will ask you to confirm your account. Simply log in to your nominated email address and click on the email from Facebook. Follow the instructions in the email. This will confirm your email address and account.

Setting up your profile

Once you’ve set up your account, you’ll need to personalise it.

1. After confirming your email address and account, you’ll be taken to a screen asking you whether you want to add your friends from your email contacts. This means your email contacts will receive an email from you inviting them to connect. If you’d like to continue without filling this step, just click the ‘Skip this’ button. It may be easier to find your friends as you go through the next step.
2. The next step is the Profile Information. This is where you can include basic information about yourself such as your schooling and employment history. Fill out your information to make your profile and click ‘Save and continue’.
   Remember, you can always skip a step by clicking the ‘Skip’ button.
3. You’ll then be prompted to upload a photo – it’s up to you whether you use an identifying photo or not. Some people have cartoons, some have icons but most have a photo of themselves. This means that if long-lost friends or relatives try to find you, they’ll be able to recognise you from your face and your name.

Your Facebook homepage

There is still the opportunity to finish filling out any other information you’d like to include for people to see.

Section one gives you another opportunity to find friends through your email account. You can skip this section if you wish.

Section two allows you to add more information to your profile such as interests, favourite movies or books and much more.

Follow the steps below to add more information to your profile.

1. There are a number of categories from which to choose. Click the category you would like to edit.
2. Follow the prompts and fill out the boxes and drop down menus with the information you’d like to include.
3. When you’ve made changes, always remember to click the ‘Save and continue’ button.
4. When you’re done, click the ‘Home’ button in the top right.

In this area, you can also find people you know by using their name or email into the designated box and clicking the search button.

Remember, you can always edit your profile, so if you don’t fill something out now but wish to in the future, you can.

Set up your privacy settings

Once you’re taken to your home page, there are a number of options available to customise your page. The most important is setting up your privacy settings. Click into section five and press ‘Edit your privacy settings’.

If you don’t want strangers seeing your posts and pictures, make sure your settings are set for ‘Friends’ or ‘Custom’. The ‘Custom’ option lets you pick and choose individuals with whom to share your information. The ‘Friends’ option means anyone who is officially your friend on Facebook will be able to see your posts but no one else.

Now that you know how to set up a Facebook account, why not sign up. You can connect with your family and friends, and even ‘Like’ Probus South Pacific, giving you a wonderful opportunity to connect with fellow Probus members.