Facebook, now known as Meta, is still the world’s most used social media platform, as it has been for a long time. It takes up an entire 75% of the market, meaning that other platforms are far from touching it. As you might also know, Facebook does not shy away from acquiring businesses it is interested in, as it did with WhatsApp or Instagram.
Oculus, the up-and-coming virtual reality company, is one of Facebook’s many bets. In this case, they paid $2 billion for the company back in 2014. With each passing year, they have claimed more and more of the VR headset market, with a claim of 75% as of the first quarter of 2021, just like its parent company.
The close relationship was made evident by Facebook, making it such that you couldn’t make an Oculus account without Facebook. Many have issues with Facebook stem from their handling of privacy-related concerns. As a result, some people would rather not have a Facebook account.
This begs the question: can you use your Oculus without Facebook? Worry not. I’ve put together this article to help answer that question and show you whether it’s possible or not. So let’s get right into it.
Do you have a particular question about using Oculus without Facebook? Then use the table of contents below to jump to the most relevant section. And you can always go back by clicking on the black arrow in the right bottom corner of the page. Also, please note that some of the links in this article may be affiliate links. For more details, check the Disclosure section at the bottom of the page.
Here's what we'll cover:
Why does Oculus need Facebook?
Facebook has never spoken on its own rationale for making it mandatory to use your Oculus device with a Facebook account.
As a consumer, I can reckon that it is to benefit both of the relevant products at the same time. So they get to force you to open a Facebook account, or at least be active on the one you might have abandoned. Of course, they are also making a sale of one of their Oculus VR headsets at the exact same time.
Some also opine that they are collecting your personal data using the microphone and cameras you might find on a headset such as the Oculus Quest 2. But, of course, there is no actual proof of any of these claims.
Apart from that, it’s hard to think of a practical reason for making it such that their Oculus requires Facebook.
Can you make an Oculus account without Facebook?
As of now, there is no way available for you to use Oculus without Facebook. This is a major disappointment for a lot of people.
You can see for yourself because if you go to the Oculus website, you will find that you can’t complete an Oculus account sign-up without Facebook, even if you’re trying to sign up for the first time. However, suppose you previously had an Oculus account before this requirement became a thing. In that case, you’ll find that you can technically log into your Oculus Quest 2 account without Facebook.
New users, however, most of them are, will be forced to make an account with this social media giant.
Can I use Oculus without Facebook?
At the moment, you can only use Oculus Quest without Facebook if you had an account with them before this requirement became a thing.
Initially, the company intended for even these accounts to become obsolete by 2023 if the users ignored the option to merge their Oculus account with their Facebook one. But unfortunately, this would prevent stubborn users from getting full functionality from their VR headsets.
However, as of late 2021, the company came out saying that Oculus signing up without Facebook would soon become possible. This is great news for those who simply want to enjoy VR without Facebook.
The main issue with this promise is that as of June 2022, there is still no sign of being able to create Oculus account with email or perform Oculus sign up in any way that doesn’t involve a Facebook account. If you ask me, they’re sure to take their sweet time before changing this arrangement!
How to create an Oculus account without Facebook?
Currently, there is no way to use Oculus sign up without Facebook to get a regular Oculus account. So you can say there’s no way to get those anymore. Note how I said regular, though?
You can still create an Oculus account that doesn’t need to be linked with Facebook if you choose to make an Oculus Developer Account. This is the only loophole I know you can use to enjoy your VR without Facebook.
You can get that account set up by following this link. The following section will describe the exact procedure you need to follow to actually get the Oculus 2 without Facebook working.
How to set up Oculus Quest 2 without Facebook?
Now, if you followed the previous link and set up your developer account, you shouldn’t have too much trouble with the next steps. Of course, this assumes that you have previously been using this Oculus device and now want to switch to your Oculus Quest 2 account without Facebook. If that’s the case, we’re on the same page!
This is assuming that you are using an Android device. You should be able to navigate through the steps yourself if you have an iOS device. So let’s get into it!
- The first step is to clear the cache and data of your Oculus app on your smartphone. You can do this by going into the Apps menu in Settings and selecting Oculus.
- Uninstall the application entirely.
- Log into your Facebook-linked account on the Oculus website and remove your Oculus device. You can do this from Devices and then Delete Device Information.
- Factory reset the Oculus by holding down the Volume Down button as you turn it on. Select the option from the screen.
- Now, reinstall the companion app on your phone, but login with your developer account.
- Turn on the freshly reset Oculus Quest, and let it download its updates. Once done, it’s time to pair it with your phone.
- Select the Oculus Quest 2 and follow the instructions from the headset.
- The last thing to do is put it in developer mode. Pick your Oculus Quest from the app, and tap “More Settings.”
- Tap “Developer Mode” and enable it. That’s it! You can use your Oculus like normal!
Suppose the setup process doesn’t work perfectly. In that case, some people suggest installing an older version of the Oculus app, which you can get from sites like APKMirror. In this case, you will need to select the Oculus Quest 1 instead of the 2.
The process will likely fail, but you will still see the setup instructions appear in your headset. Follow them like usual! Remember that you might need to attempt the pairing process a few times to use Oculus Quest without Facebook.
How to add Oculus friends without Facebook?
Unfortunately, while you can manage to use Oculus without Facebook, there is absolutely no way for you to add Oculus friends or use any of the other social features without being logged into your Facebook account.
When you attempt this, it will prompt you to log into your Facebook account. If you choose the “Not Now” option, you will be returned to the previous screen. This ultimately prevents you from progressing without Facebook.
Credits: Thanks for the photo to Canva.
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