How to get started on the Metaverse using Meta Accounts and Meta Horizon profiles

Meta Platforms, the parent company of Facebook, recently rolled out Meta accounts and Meta Horizon profiles as part of its virtual reality hardware and software experiences. The company made the announcement on Tuesday on its Oculus Blog noting that users can now register on an Oculus headset using its new metaverse ID system— without needing to link their Facebook or Instagram accounts to the service.

Before now, it was necessary for you to link your Facebook or Instagram account to use an Oculus headset or the Horizon Worlds metaverse service. Most users are concerned about privacy because they’re using their personal social media accounts as log-in details.

The new update, therefore, solves this challenge for the company as it allows you to use Oculus’ virtual reality (VR) headsets — even if you do not use any of Meta social media platforms. “Our new Meta account structure gives you more flexibility and control, letting you choose how you do and don’t show up—and whether Facebook and/or Instagram is part of your experience in VR and other surfaces where you use your Meta Horizon profile,” the company’s statement said.

Your Meta account is not a social media profile; it lets you log into your VR devices and view and manage your purchased content in one place. If you’re new to Meta VR devices, you can create a Meta account using an email address, a Facebook account, or an Instagram account.

When you first put on your headset, you’ll get a code that you can use to pair your headset with the Oculus mobile app (available on the Google Play Store and the Apple App Store). From there, you can continue with Facebook or Instagram, or use your email address to create a Meta account.

The company is still allowing users to use their Facebook or Instagram accounts to create a Meta account. If you decide to create a Meta account via your social media account, you will be connected in the Accounts Center, the central hub for connected experiences across Meta.

Furthermore, Meta says if you’ve already linked your device to Facebook, you can remove your profile from your new Meta account and use an email instead.

After you finish creating a Meta account, you’ll be prompted to create a Meta Horizon profile—your social presence for use in the company’s vision of the metaverse and how you appear to others. From your Meta Horizon profile, you manage information like your:

• Name: The name you want to be called. This name does not need to be unique.
• Username: A unique username for your profile (Meta gave WarriorMama365 as an example)
• Profile picture.
• Avatar: If you already created an avatar, you can use that same avatar for your profile.

This information is public and is shared with apps you download so you can use your Meta Horizon profile in those apps. People can search for your name or username and send you follow requests. You can customize your username, avatar and other information. Information on the Meta’s Store Centre suggests “you can create one Meta Horizon profile per Meta account.”

You can change your Meta Horizon name, profile picture, and avatar as often as you like, but your unique username can only be changed once every six months. When you set up your profile, you must create a name and username before entering VR.

Although Meta is encouraging users to connect via a Meta account, those using an Oculus login will be allowed to continue to log in this way until January 1, 2023. As consumers transfer over, the company claims it will “still have access to all of your previous VR purchases and downloads.”

Though there is no need to connect Meta-run social media accounts, the company is still presenting it as an option. The company claims the connection will allow for greater experiences in the metaverse, such as livestream sharing, messaging, and finding followers faster.