Creating an Account
Q: What happens when I create a MyFCC account using a third-party Web service?
A: A variety of third-party Web services are available for you to create and save a MyFCC account. Using third-party authentication is a reliable and secure means of using a website. The third-party service does not access your MyFCC information and MyFCC does not access any information from the third-party service. This means of account creation does not require you to create an additional username and password. If you do not use a third-party service, you have the option to create a 'no sign-in' session, although your customized dashboard will not be saved for future sessions. However, you can bookmark your dashboard by clicking 'Share this Dashboard' and copying the URL for future use.
Q: Why do I need to use third-party Web services such as Facebook or Google to create a MyFCC account?
A: Third-party authentication offers several benefits to users without compromising your security or convenience. You can more easily manage your online accounts and do not have to worry about creating a unique MyFCC account.
Q: When I created a MyFCC account using a third-party Web service, it asked me to grant MyFCC access to my account. What does this mean?
A: By authorizing your MyFCC with a third-party service, you are simply using it as your login credentials. The Web service does not access your MyFCC dashboard and MyFCC does not access any information from the Web service.
Using MyFCC
Q: Some widgets display five documents and a 'More' button. Some do not? Why is that?
A: The application programming for some widgets is more advanced than for others. Though MyFCC serves primarily to offer quick access to the most recent FCC content, we will continuously roll out improved functionality to allow users to interact with FCC information in increasingly robust ways, including previously released content. Your existing widgets will update as each version builds on public feedback to improve MyFCC.
Q: After expanding a widget using the More button, how do I reduce its size to show fewer results?
A: Reloading the page will return your dashboard to its default state.
Q: How can I remove a widget that I no longer want on my dashboard?
A: Simply click the ‘X’ icon in the top right of the widget and in the resulting confirmation window. Please note that the settings for that widget will be discarded as well.
Q: How do I change the placement of widgets on my dashboard?
A: You can rearrange the widgets on your dashboard at any time by moving your mouse cursor to the widget’s header. Your cursor will turn into the ‘move’ icon, which you can click and drag to move the widget to another part of your dashboard.
Q: I just added a widget but it won’t let me move it elsewhere on my dashboard. Why not?
A: Widgets that include optional settings -- Topic Browser, FCC Leadership and Commission Documents, for example -- cannot be moved while the settings view is active. When you first add these widgets, you may be prompted to select your preferences. After doing so and clicking ‘Save Settings,’ you will be able to move the widget elsewhere on your dashboard.
Q: Can I drag a widget from one dashboard tab to another?
A: No. In order to move a widget to another dashboard tab, delete it from the first tab and add it to the second tab using the ‘Add Widgets’ panel.
Q: Can I share a widget that I've personalized with someone else's dashboard?
A: No. You can share an entire dashboard with others but not specific widgets that you've personalized. To do this, you will need to describe the settings you have chosen with the other user.
Q: How can I report a problem with MyFCC?
A: Please click on this link to report any problems [1] that you experience with MyFCC. Problem reports will be addressed as quickly as possible.
Q: I have some general feedback, but I am not requesting a new widget or reporting a bug. How should I provide it to MyFCC?
A: Please click on this link to give us your general feedback [2] to help us continue to improve MyFCC.
Specific Widgets
Q: Is there a schedule of events for the FCC Live widget? How can I find out about upcoming events? Can I view video coverage of past FCC events?
A: The schedule of upcoming FCC Live events can be found at FCC.gov/events [3], where you will also find archived video from past events.
Q: I am interested in following the work of specific FCC bureaus. How can I do that on MyFCC?
A: The Commission Documents widget lets you track the most recent documents from up to five FCC bureaus and offices.
Q: What is the purpose of the Filter Topics List search box in Topic Watcher?
A: When you adjust your preferences for the Topic Watcher, the topics list filter lets you quickly find and select or deselect individual topics.
Q: Can I add the same widget to my dashboard more than once?
A: Yes.
Q: Why am I sometimes limited to five when setting preferences for a widget?
A: Some widgets present individual panes of information and give each pane a tab along the top of the widget to allow easy access. In those cases, there is a limit of five so that there will be room for each tab. If you would like to follow more than five options, you can easily add a second instance of the same widget to your dashboard and set the first to track one set and the second to track another set.
Q: Will the FCC continue to add more widgets to MyFCC? How can I suggest a widget to be added to MyFCC?
A: Yes. Please share your ideas for new widgets [4] and we will continue to roll out new widgets and updates to existing ones.
Q: Where can I learn more about each widget?
A: You can read more details about each widget and how it works [5] at FCC.gov/help.
Sharing
Q: How does Share this Dashboard work? Is my personal account information available to people who share my dashboard?
A: Share this Dashboard gives you a unique url that is tied to the configuration of widgets on your dashboard at the current moment. This includes the widgets you’ve added to your dashboard, their arrangement and any settings you have associated with them (for example, which topics you are following in the Topic Watcher). Note that any bookmarks you have set in the Personal Links widget are also a part of this dashboard and will be accessible to anyone with whom you share the dashboard url. Your personal account information, including your username and login, is not shared, nor is any information from a third-party Web service used to log into MyFCC. You can share a dashboard that you’ve customized with as many people as you want without risking access to your personal login information.
Q: When I send someone the link to my shared dashboard, do they have to create an account to access it?
A: No. Anyone can click on the unique URL you send them and access the customized dashboard without creating an account.
Q: If I have created a dashboard with multiple tabs and choose to share my dashboard, will it include all of my tabs or just the ‘Main’ tab?
A: All of them.
Q: I would like to embed a widget on my personal website. How can I do this?
A: Roll over the title bar of any widget, and a 'pushpin' icon will display in the top right corner. Click the ‘pushpin’ icon to get the embed code for that widget, which you can copy and paste into the html of any webpage. Depending on your site, you may need to slightly modify the code to fit the look and feel of your website.
Q: If I embed a widget that has custom settings, will those settings be included?
A: Yes. If the widget you are embedding has settings, then the embed code will include those settings and visitors to your site will see the same information as you see when using that widget on MyFCC.
Q: Can I embed a MyFCC widget on my company’s intranet site?
A: Yes.
Q: Can I share an entire dashboard on my website?
A: Yes, though instead of embedding individual widgets, you would link to the custom URL that you find by clicking the ‘Share this Dashboard’ button.