Struggling to Log Into Apps Through Facebook? Here‘s How to Fix the "Embedded Browser Disabled" Error

Can‘t log into your favorite mobile games and apps using your Facebook account lately? Keep seeing confusing errors about embedded browser login being disabled? You‘re not alone.

Loads of Facebook users rely on convenient Facebook Login to access accounts on various services. But changes Facebook made to improve security have unintentionally locked many out of apps they regularly use.

Don‘t worry – with a few tweaks you can get back to easily logging into all your go-to apps with your Facebook account. This detailed guide will walk you through exactly why you‘re encountering this issue and how to resolve it.

Why Facebook Disabled Logins from Embedded Browsers

Before we dig into the step-by-step solutions, let‘s break down exactly what‘s going on here.

Facebook Login has been around since 2008, allowing quick and easy sign up and login to apps and sites around the web using your Facebook credentials. By the end of 2020, over 10 million websites and apps had integrated Facebook Login.

The issue is that when you use Facebook Login in a mobile app, it opens an embedded browser window to handle the authentication process. These embedded mobile browsers are more vulnerable to phishing and malicious attacks.

According to Facebook, compromised embedded browser logins are the cause of 98% of compromised Facebook accounts. That‘s millions of accounts at risk!

To curb this issue, Facebook announced in June 2021 they would stop supporting login authentication through embedded browsers. After delaying the change to give developers more time, the switch finally went into effect October 2021.

This means trying to login through Facebook on a mobile app will fail with an error saying "For your account security, logging in to Facebook from an embedded browser is disabled."

Who‘s Affected By This Change?

This login disruption is mainly affecting Android users at the moment.

Due to Apple‘s tighter control over apps, Facebook can‘t enforce the same limitations on embedded browser logins for iOS apps without cutting them off entirely.

So iOS users can still breeze through Facebook Login to apps, while Android users get locked out. Certain Android browsers also cause issues, which we‘ll cover more in the troubleshooting section.

Roughly 425 million Facebook users log in through mobile apps per month. Even if only 15% are active Android users running into this, that‘s still over 60 million users faced with this login blockade!

Why It‘s a Security vs. Convenience Tradeoff

Facebook Login has become ubiquitous for quick account sign up and access across services. studies show over 50% of users prefer to register through Facebook Login rather than creating new accounts.

It‘s incredibly convenient not having to set new passwords or go through lengthy signup processes. But this convenience has led to a glut of apps leveraging embedded Facebook Login even when it‘s not necessary.

So Facebook is trying to force developers to tighten up their practices and only request Facebook Login when absolutely needed for core functionality.

There are also security risks to having one login linked across many services. If your Facebook account is compromised, it can domino to other accounts.

That said, this sudden shift is still causing significant headaches for end users who now can‘t access apps they regularly used Facebook to login to. It exemplifies the challenges of balancing security and convenience in tech.

Top Apps Affected

Pretty much any Android app utilizing embedded Facebook Login is affected, but some common examples include:

PUBG Mobile
Spotify
TikTok
Candy Crush Saga
Clash of Clans
Zynga Poker
EA Sports games
Dating apps like Bumble and Hinge

Gaming apps in particular were early adopters of Facebook Login and many players are now suddenly left unable to access their game progress or purchases.

Steps to Fix the Embedded Browser Disabled Error

Now that you understand the core issues, let‘s get into the step-by-step solutions to get back into your apps with Facebook.

The key on Android is adjusting a Facebook setting to allow external browsers to handle login instead of embedded ones. Here‘s how:

Open the Facebook app and tap the hamburger menu icon
Select "Settings & Privacy"
Choose "Settings"
Tap on "Media and Contacts"
Enable "Links Open Externally"

This allows links to open in your device‘s default browser like Chrome rather than within the Facebook app browser. Doing so will resolve the embedded browser disabled error.

Some users also report tapping "Forgot Password" when the error appears allows successful login.

If you continue having trouble, try updating your default browser. Chrome and Firefox work well, but some third-party Android browsers may still have issues.

Unfortunately iOS users are out of luck with no equivalent setting to resolve this. For now, iOS users will have to avoid logging into new apps with Facebook or consider switching devices.

Additional Troubleshooting Tips

Log out then log back into the Facebook app
Force close and restart the Facebook app
Update the app and OS to latest versions
Try over WiFi in case of network issues
Clear app cache and data
Try phone restart if issues persist

Dig into the device browser settings and ensure cookies/popups are enabled, along with auto sign-in for Facebook.

As a last resort, uninstall and reinstall the Facebook app completely. Reinstalling will reset all settings so you‘ll have to go through the steps above to re-enable external browser links.

Securing Other Accounts Linked to Facebook

Even once you regain access to apps, it‘s smart security practice to review anywhere you use Facebook login and enable additional protections.

For key accounts, remove Facebook Login and use a unique password. Avoid linking finance apps or sensitive logins to your Facebook account.

Enable two-factor authentication (2FA) on your Facebook account and anywhere high risk. 2FA requires providing an additional code from your phone when logging in for added security.

Frequently review Facebook‘s security log for any unrecognized logins. Better to play defense and monitor closely for any suspicious activity.

It‘s unlikely Facebook will backtrack on this policy change given their security motivations. But they may refine enforcement on iOS to minimize disruption to users.

This could also accelerate an existing trend of apps allowing login with alternative providers like Google, Apple or Twitter alongside Facebook.

But for now, expect more headaches anytime you encounter a new app leveraging embedded Facebook Login on Android. At least with the steps in this guide, you can get back to accessing your favorites.

In Summary

Facebook disabled logins through embedded mobile browsers due to security risks
This causes "embedded browser disabled" errors when trying to login via Facebook on Android apps
Enable "Links Open Externally" in Facebook app settings to resolve it
iOS users currently can‘t fix this and need to avoid Facebook Login
Review security of accounts linked via Facebook and enable 2FA
More convenience vs security clashes ahead as Facebook pushes safety

While juggling security and convenience is tricky, I hope this guide helps you get back into all your gaming and app accounts conveniently using Facebook Login. Just be sure to lock down the rest with strong unique passwords and 2FA for crucial accounts.

Stay safe out there! But most importantly, have fun and enjoy the games.