Hoffman cautions that the results aren't always accurate but says the services are still valuable tools for your account search toolbox. If your usual username isn't available on a given service, that may indicate that you have an account with it. These sites exist mainly to help business people reserve brand and product names, but they can also help on your account hunt. Some tools designed for other purposes can also help you locate old accounts.įor instance, sites such as, , and let you type in a username to see whether it’s available on popular services. Check their privacy settings for details. Other social media platforms, such as Instagram and Twitter, allow you to use your account to log in to other services, as well. First, log in to those services directly and take steps to get rid of them for good. You can revoke apps' access to your Google and Facebook profiles, but this won't delete your account. Be sure to look through all three tabs (Active, Expired, and Removed) for a complete list.įor Google, go to any Google page (such as search or Gmail) > click the grid icon near the top right corner > Account > Security > Signing in with Google. To find this list on Facebook using a computer browser, click the downward arrow in the top right > Settings > Apps and Websites. Both platforms document every time you’ve done this, and those records are easy to find-a handy way to rediscover your Words With Friends account, if the app didn't make the cut last time you got a new phone. Many services let you log in using Facebook or Google credentials. However, the targeted approach outlined below could be faster and more effective.
#LIST OF USERNAMES AND PASSWORDS FOR FACEBOOK HOW TO#
A site called maintains a list, and you can find a list of social platforms, along with directions on how to delete them quickly, elsewhere on Consumer Reports. You can start by just scrolling through lists of popular apps and services to jog your memory.
Some of my old accounts had been hit by a data breach after I stopped using them, and many of the others displayed information about me that could be used for identity theft or other nefarious purposes. Most of those were accounts I opened once and never used again, while others were platforms I frequented for years before leaving them behind. And even though I like to think my security practices are better than average, I used the steps below and found more than six dozen forgotten accounts of my own, spanning 15 years. I've been a heavy internet user for a long time. You can do a lot of the work on your own. “But you don't necessarily have to engage somebody like me,” Hoffman says. You may be supplying a steady stream of personal data to online companies you've forgotten about.Įxperts like Hoffman use advanced tools and techniques to help clients dig up old accounts and other digital breadcrumbs. In addition, once you give an app or website permission to access your calendar, contacts, or even bank accounts, it can continue doing that for years, whether you still use the service or not.