WhatsAppHow to recover your Facebook account
Facebook and Instagram share Meta’s security system and Accounts Center, so a problem in one can affect the other. This guide covers the most common cases.
In this guide
If you forgot your password
On the login screen, choose the forgotten password option and find your account by email, phone, username or full name. Facebook will send a code to the linked email or phone. Check spam and wait a few minutes before requesting another code.
If your Facebook was hacked
Go to facebook.com/hacked in a browser and say what happened. As with Instagram, if the attacker changed the email, Facebook usually sends a notice to the previous address with an option to undo the change. Look for it in the spam folder too.
Attackers often use stolen accounts to run ads with the saved card or to remove the legitimate admins of a Page. Tell your bank and the other admins as soon as possible.
If you no longer have the email or phone
Find your account from the recovery screen and choose the option saying you no longer have access to those details. Meta may ask for a new contact email and to confirm your identity with an official document or a video selfie. Starting the process from a device and network you already used increases the options available.
If the verification code doesn’t arrive
Check that the linked number or email is still yours, look in spam and don’t keep requesting new codes. If two-factor authentication is on, use the recovery codes you saved or approve the login from another device where you are still signed in.
Meta’s Account Recovery Center
Meta has a page that brings together the recovery options for Facebook, Instagram and its other apps. If you don’t know which form applies to your case, start there: it redirects you to the right process depending on what is happening.
If your account is disabled or locked
When you log in you will see the reason and, if available, the option to request a review. The rules are the same as on Instagram: address the specific reason, respect the deadline and use real details. If you were locked out because of an age or identity check error, have a legible document ready.
Pages and ad accounts
If you manage a Page or an ad account, losing your personal profile can leave your business without access. Check in your business settings who has permissions and always keep at least two trusted admins, each with two-factor authentication turned on.
After you regain access
- Change your password to a unique, secure one.
- Check where you are logged in and end unknown sessions.
- Turn on two-factor authentication and save the recovery codes.
- Check the emails and phone numbers linked to the account.
- Review payment methods and active ads.
How we help
We analyse what happened to your profile, Page or ad account and guide you through the official process that applies in each case, without ever asking for passwords or codes.
Frequently asked questions
Can I recover Facebook if I no longer have the email or number?
Often, yes. Meta may ask you to confirm your identity with an official document or a video selfie. Always use the forms that appear within the official processes and never send documents to profiles or emails that contact you on their own.
Someone ran ads with my card. What should I do?
Contact your bank to block the card and dispute the charges, remove the payment method from the account as soon as you regain access and check in Ads Manager which campaigns were created.
Does recovering Facebook also give me back Instagram?
Not necessarily. Even if they are linked in Accounts Center, each account has its own security. If the attacker got into both, you will need to recover and secure each one.
Official sources consulted
We review these pages regularly and update the guide when Meta changes its processes.