# How Apps Automatically Link Multiple User Accounts

> A method for logging into multiple separate user accounts with a single set of credentials and managing them through one unified interface.

- **Patent:** US 8701014
- **Original title:** Account linking
- **Owner:** Facebook Inc
- **Granted:** 2014
- **Status:** Public domain (expired)
- **Times cited:** 26
- **Field:** software, consumer_electronics, telecommunications

## What it does

The patent describes a system where a user provides login information for one primary account, and the system automatically authenticates a second, different account without requiring a second password. Once both are active, the system presents a single graphical user interface that displays buddy lists or contact lists from both accounts simultaneously. The user can then select which account to send a message from, and the recipient sees the message as originating from that specific account. For example, a user could sign into a work account and have their personal account automatically connect, allowing them to toggle between messaging coworkers and friends within the same window.

## What it does NOT cover

- Does not cover systems that require separate passwords for each account.
- Does not cover account linking that occurs without a shared graphical user interface.
- Does not cover authentication methods that rely on third-party tokens or OAuth protocols not described in the claims.
- Does not cover single sign-on (SSO) systems that do not specifically manage multiple buddy lists or contact lists within a single interface.

## The clever bit

The innovation lies in using the primary login as a master key to trigger secondary authentications, combined with a UI that dynamically merges distinct contact lists into a single view without losing the identity context of each contact.

## Real-world examples

1. Modern multi-account support in messaging apps
2. Unified inbox features in email clients
3. Switching between personal and professional profiles in social media apps

## Why it matters

This patent reflects the early 2000s transition from siloed messaging services to integrated social platforms. By allowing users to manage multiple identities (like work versus personal) in one place, it paved the way for the unified account management systems now standard in modern social media and messaging apps.

## Frequently asked questions

### What does How Apps Automatically Link Multiple User Accounts cover?

A method for logging into multiple separate user accounts with a single set of credentials and managing them through one unified interface.

### Who owns patent US 8701014?

Facebook Inc owns this patent, granted in 2014.

### When does this patent expire?

This patent is expected to expire on April 15, 2034, when the invention enters the public domain.

### What is patent US 8701014 cited by?

This patent has been cited by 26 later patents that build on its ideas.

### What problem does this patent solve?

This patent reflects the early 2000s transition from siloed messaging services to integrated social platforms. By allowing users to manage multiple identities (like work versus personal) in one place, it paved the way for the unified account management systems now standard in modern social media and messaging apps.

### What does this patent NOT cover?

Does not cover systems that require separate passwords for each account.

**Full plain-English explainer:** https://patentbrief.org/patent/us/8701014/office-365-co-authoring

**Original patent:** https://patents.google.com/patent/US8701014

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_Source: PatentBrief — https://patentbrief.org. Patent facts are from public records; the plain-English explanation is PatentBrief's._