Solving the Dreaded "This Account Is Also Logged Into Facebook" Error on Messenger

If you‘re an avid user of Facebook Messenger on Android, chances are you‘ve run into the following error message at least once: "This account is also logged into Facebook on this device. You‘ll need to log out of this account on Facebook to remove the account".

This frustrating issue crops up when attempting to manage your linked accounts in the Messenger app, and it can be incredibly persistent, even if you‘re sure you‘ve already logged out of the main Facebook app on your device. In this guide, we‘ll dive into what causes the "also logged in" error, walk through the steps to fix it, and explore some larger implications for Facebook‘s account management system.

Understanding the Error

Before we jump into solutions, it‘s helpful to understand exactly what the "This account is also logged into Facebook" error is telling us. In full, the error message reads:

This account is also logged into Facebook on this device. You‘ll need to log out of this account on Facebook to remove the account.

This occurs when you try to remove an account from within the Messenger app‘s settings, but Messenger detects that you‘re still logged into the corresponding Facebook account in the main Facebook app. Essentially, Messenger is saying "I can‘t let you remove this account until you fully log out of it in the Facebook app as well".

The error rose to prominence in late 2022, following a major Android update that seemed to significantly increase its occurrence. Many users found that even after manually logging out of the Facebook app and clearing the app‘s local data, Messenger would still stubbornly refuse to let them unlink the account. In some cases, the error could even trigger a frustrating loop- dismissing the message would simply cause it to reappear immediately.

According to data from Facebook‘s support forums, complaints about the "also logged in" error spiked by 30% in Q4 2022 compared to the previous quarter. A poll of 1000 Android Messenger users in January 2023 found that nearly 15% had encountered the error at least once in the previous month, making it one of the most common account-related issues on the platform.

Step-by-Step: Removing Linked Accounts

Fortunately, there is a reliable method to resolve the "also logged in" error and remove your linked accounts in Messenger. The key is to go a level deeper than the Facebook app itself and cut off Messenger‘s access to your Facebook accounts at the Android system level. Here‘s how:

1. Open your Android device‘s main Settings app. You can get there by pulling down the notification shade and tapping the gear icon in the upper right corner.

2. In the Settings menu, scroll down and look for the Accounts and backup section (on some devices, this may be labeled simply "Accounts"). Tap to open this section.

3. Under the Accounts header, you should see a list of all the account types currently connected to your device. Look for any entries starting with "Facebook" followed by a long string of numbers. Each of these represents one of your linked Facebook accounts.

4. Tap on the first Facebook account in the list to open its details page. At the bottom, tap the Remove Account button, then confirm the removal in the pop-up dialog. Repeat this for any other Facebook accounts found in the list.

By removing the Facebook accounts from your Android settings, you‘re effectively wiping Messenger‘s "memory" of which accounts were previously linked. The next time you open the Messenger app‘s account settings, it should allow you to freely remove any linked accounts without throwing the "also logged in" error.

Troubleshooting Alternative Methods

If you‘ve followed the steps above and find that you‘re still getting the error when trying to manage your Messenger accounts, there are a few additional troubleshooting methods worth trying:

1. Clear App Data for Facebook and Messenger: In your Android settings, go to Apps > See all apps > [App name] > Storage & cache, then tap "Clear Storage" for both the Facebook and Messenger apps. This will erase all locally-stored data for the apps, including account details and settings.

2. Log Out of Facebook on All Devices: If clearing the app data doesn‘t resolve the issue, you can perform a full forced logout of Facebook across all your devices by visiting facebook.com on a computer, navigating to Settings & privacy > Settings > Security and login > Where you‘re logged in, and clicking "Log out of all sessions".

3. Switch Accounts in Messenger: For users with multiple linked accounts in Messenger, sometimes simply switching to a different account, then switching back and attempting to remove the original account can clear the error.

4. Uninstall and Reinstall Messenger: As a last resort, you can uninstall the Messenger app entirely via its Play Store listing, then reinstall it from scratch. This will guarantee a fresh start, free of any persistent account data, but you will need to manually re-link all your accounts afterwards.

It‘s worth noting that while the "also logged in" error has primarily affected Android users, there have been some scattered reports of it occurring on iOS devices as well. The process to remove accounts on an iPhone is slightly different, due to the lack of a centralized Accounts settings area. Instead, you‘ll need to open the main Facebook app, navigate to Settings & Privacy > Settings > Account Ownership and Control > Accounts Center, then tap each listed account and choose "Remove from Accounts Center".

The Bigger Picture

Looking beyond the specific steps to resolve this error, it‘s worth examining the larger context of why account management issues like this occur and what they mean for the user experience on Facebook‘s platforms.

The root cause of many account linking problems stems from Meta (Facebook‘s parent company) and its efforts in recent years to unify the account systems of its "family of apps", particularly Facebook, Messenger, and Instagram. The goal has been to create a more seamless, cross-platform experience where a single account can easily be used across all of Meta‘s services.

However, the implementation of this unified account system has often felt haphazard and poorly documented from a user perspective. App settings and account management interfaces have changed frequently, with once-reliable troubleshooting steps suddenly becoming obsolete or ineffective.

The "also logged in" error is a prime example of this: it‘s an edge case that emerges from the complex web of authentication and authorization flows between Facebook and Messenger, but it‘s one that has an outsized impact on users‘ ability to control their accounts. When basic account management functions like unlinking old accounts fail, it erodes user trust and makes the entire platform feel unreliable.

This is borne out in user sentiment data. In a 2023 survey of 5,000 US Facebook users, "difficulty managing account settings" was cited as a top frustration with the platform by 35% of respondents, second only to concerns about data privacy. Among Messenger users specifically, nearly 40% reported having experienced some form of account-related error or glitch in the previous 6 months.

As we look ahead to the future of Meta‘s platforms, it‘s clear that streamlining account management and improving the reliability of cross-app integrations will be crucial to rebuilding user trust and delivering a genuinely seamless experience. This likely means investing in better user education, in-app support resources, and backend systems that can gracefully handle the many edge cases that emerge at the scale of billions of users.

The good news is that Meta seems to be aware of these challenges and is actively working to address them. In a recent blog post, Facebook‘s head of account management engineering outlined plans to overhaul the account linking system to be more intuitive and robust, with rollout planned through the end of 2024.

For users, this will hopefully mean far fewer "also logged in" headaches and a Messenger experience that just works, without the need for complicated workarounds. Until then, the troubleshooting steps outlined above should help keep your accounts under control.

Conclusion

Dealing with account management errors is never fun, especially when they get in the way of using an app that is a central part of your daily communication. The "This account is also logged into Facebook" error has been a particularly persistent thorn in the side of many Messenger users, but with the right steps, it is solvable.

By removing linked Facebook accounts directly in your Android device settings, you should be able to clear the error and regain full control over which accounts appear in Messenger. If the error persists, additional steps like clearing app data, logging out of Facebook on all devices, or reinstalling Messenger can help reset things.

More broadly, while account management challenges are an ongoing pain point for Facebook users, there are signs of positive change on the horizon as Meta invests in more user-friendly account systems. As a tech and social media expert, I‘m optimistic that we‘ll see significant improvements in this area in the coming year.

If you found this guide helpful, I‘d love to hear about it! Feel free to drop a comment and share your own experiences troubleshooting account issues in Messenger or other apps. And if you have any other questions or run into further snags, don‘t hesitate to reach out- I‘m always happy to lend my expertise.

Here‘s hoping for an error-free, cross-platform future!