Opening Facebook Links Externally

January 4th, 2023
tech
When I'm on my phone and click a link in Facebook I want it to open in my normal browser, but it defaults to an "in-app" browser. I really don't like in-app browsers, and I think Alex Russell's explanation of their problems is very good. I've turned this behavior off, but Facebook regularly forgets my decision, most recently a few weeks ago. The setting had moved since the last time I did this, so here are screenshots showing how to turn it off on Android:

Click on the icon of your profile image overlaid with a hamburger menu in the upper right, and scroll to the bottom:

Click "Settings & privacy":

Click "Settings":

Click "Profile settings":

Click "Media and contacts" settings:

Toggle "Links open externally":

Comment via: facebook, lesswrong, mastodon, substack

Recent posts on blogs I like:

Shoshannah Tekofsky on how AI agents suck at personality tests, don't express surprise, and lie to themselves

Can you introduce yourself for people who don’t know who you are?

via Thing of Things February 11, 2026

2025-26 New Year review

This is an annual post reviewing the last year and setting intentions for next year. I look over different life areas (work, health, parenting, effectiveness, etc) and analyze my life tracking data. Highlights include a minimal group house, the usefulness…

via Victoria Krakovna January 19, 2026

Why I Don't Think My Braces Were Worth It

A couple weeks ago, I got my braces off. I kind of wish I had never had them, though. When I was younger, two of my teeth were sticking out, and they looked kind of funny. I thought that my teeth were just fine, and I didn't want to get braces. But s…

via Anna Wise's Blog Posts January 3, 2026

more     (via openring)