How to Recover Facebook Account

Not having a Facebook account can hurt you, and you’ll miss out on many things. What will hurt you, even more, is having a Facebook account, and then losing it. Whether through phishing, social engineering, malware, keyloggers, or you forgot the account data yourself, it doesn’t matter. You need to act fast if you stand any chance of ever logging back in. Let us guide you through the process of how to recover your Facebook account.

Gather information about your Facebook account

To increase your chances of Facebook account recovery, you need to have as much information as possible. Open your old text documents, Google Drive, Microsoft Word, a USB stick you hid away, or even your physical notebook. We don’t judge where you keep your details. Try to log in using the newest known details you read or can remember. If nothing works, here’s a desperate attempt. Check all of your devices such as smartphones and tablets, it is likely that one of them is logged in. Try to change the password, and hope that it auto-fills when you’re asked for the old one.

Method 1 – Recover Facebook Account by Resetting Password

This is the best-case scenario. In case you have lost your password but have access to your e-mail address or the phone number you registered with, it’s a matter of just a little time. If you are logged in, do the following to recover your Facebook account by resetting the password.

1. Click on the arrow (▼) in the top right corner of Facebook.
   
2. Choose Settings & Privacy, then Settings.
   
3. Click on Security and Login.
   
4. Spot Change password and click Edit.
   
5. Choose Forgot your password? underneath.
6. Pick whether you want a code sent to your e-mail or your phone number as an SMS. Don’t forget to check the Spam folder in your e-mail interface.
7. Enter the code you received, and pick a new one. We recommend using a password generator for maximum security.

How do I reset my password if I’m not logged in to Facebook?

The account page is very similar to the one above, but getting there isn’t. Although not necessary, it is always recommended to do the entire process on the network, computer, and/or smartphone you commonly used to log in. Facebook will recognize it and you should, in theory, have an easier time.

1. Make sure no one else is logged in to Facebook. If you don’t want that account to be logged out, open an Incognito/Private tab on your browser.
2. Open their Find Your Account Page.
   
3. Enter your e-mail address or phone number. Although it doesn’t specifically state, you can also use your username, if you have it. The phone number, with the United States as an example, should work with just 1, with +1, and with 001 in front of the rest of the number. This applies to your country’s number as well.
4. A summary of your Facebook account should appear, along with your profile picture. Confirm this is your account.
5. You’ll receive a temporary code to your e-mail or phone number, depending on what you chose.

Method 2 – Recover a Hacked Facebook Account

Having your Facebook hacked is not an easy thing. It could also be a wrong assumption, and you simply don’t have a way of accessing your e-mail, username, or phone number. We don’t judge, weirdest coincidences happen. Here’s what to do to recover a hacked Facebook account.

1. Navigate to the Find Your Account Page.
2. Type the latest information you remember about your account.
3. Instead of proceeding, click on the link No longer have access to these? in the bottom left.
4. Enter a new e-mail or phone number. In the case of an e-mail, make sure you have access to it since it will become a replacement.

Now you have three options before you can reset password and re-establish a connection to your Facebook account.

1. In case you had Trusted Contacts set up on your Facebook account, you will be presented with four profiles with their profile pictures. You only need to enter the full name of one of them to unlock all four. You need to send three of them a link you’re provided with, and enter three codes they’ll receive and send to you.
2. In case you didn’t have Trusted Contacts, you will be asked to answer correctly to at least one of your security questions.
3. If you aren’t able to complete either of these, all that’s left is to wait for Facebook’s Support Team to get in touch via the e-mail you provided.

Hacker is spamming from my Facebook account

Facebook considered this option and designed a separate page for it.

1. Head to Report Compromised Account.
   
2. Click on My Account Is Compromised.
3. You’ll go through a similar process as above. Only this time, if Facebook detects a password was changed recently, you will be able to use your old password to log in and thus regain control of your Facebook account.

Method 3 – How do I recover my old Facebook account

Nothing you tried worked, you already moved on. But there’s still something bugging you about your old account, isn’t there? Well, Facebook created an alternative way, also used by people whose accounts have been hacked. You first need to log in to a secondary account, whether yours or someone else’s.

1. Navigate to your old profile.
2. Click on three dots (···) underneath the profile’s cover photo.
3. If you want the profile deleted, click on Report Profile. If you want it back, select Find Support.
   
4. When presented with options, choose Something Else or I Can’t Access My Account.
5. Click on Next.
6. Now, click on Recover this account.
7. Follow the on-screen steps. They’ll be tied to the information you can remember about your account. The more you know, the higher the chances of restoration.

We have a separate article on methods to recover your old Facebook account. You may also check that for a detailed explanation.

Method 4 – How to Recover your Deleted Facebook Account

If you have deleted your Facebook account for some reason and then changed your mind, don’t worry. Facebook also provides you an option to retrieve your account too! However, this applies only if you recover Facebook account within 30 days from the date that you deleted it. If the number of days from deletion crosses 30, your account will be permanently deleted and you cannot recover it. To recover your deleted Facebook account, follow the following steps –

1. Visit the official Facebook Homepage (either through a mobile application or web browser).
2. Enter your credentials (email/mobile number and password) and log in to your account.
3. If you do this within 30 days of deleting your account, there will be an option to cancel the deletion. Click on “Cancel Deletion“.
4. You will receive a confirmation pop-up asking whether you are sure to cancel the deletion. Confirm the same.
5. You are done. Your deleted Facebook account is now retrieved and you can log into it as usual.

Method 5 – How to recover a disabled Facebook account?

Recovering a disabled Facebook account can lead to meeting new people. In some cases, this can also rekindle old friendships or even relationships you forgot about. But the circumstances that led the account to be disabled are what’s important. It could be you, a scorned family member, or a hacker that disabled it, temporarily or permanently. It’s also a possibility that Facebook itself deleted the account based on user reports or their internal algorithms. Whatever the case may be, the result is the same. Luckily, not all hope is lost. Here’s how to recover a disabled Facebook account. Or, at least give it your best shot.

1. I accidentally disabled my Facebook account

First, don’t panic. If you disabled your Facebook account and never specified a date or time period, it can stay in “hibernation” until you log back in.

1. Visit Facebook.com on your computer or smart device.
2. Enter your e-mail or phone number and a password.
3. Click on the Log In button. If you forgot your password, reset it by following the steps we mentioned above.
4. You can continue using your account as usual.

2. What to do if I deleted my Facebook account?

This is a more severe situation, but not without a solution if you act fast. Even if you permanently delete your Facebook account, they won’t delete the data immediately. Instead, Facebook gives you a 14-day buffer period to change your mind. If that period hasn’t passed, do this.

1. Open Facebook.com in your browser.
2. Sign in with your phone number/e-mail address and password.
3. Click (or tap) on Log In.
4. You are met with a small window saying: Your account is scheduled for deletion. Are you sure you wish to permanently delete your account?
5. Click on Cancel deletion.
6. You might have to re-log into the account if Facebook doesn’t take you to the home page.

3. Facebook disabled my account

If this is the case, you will be notified when you log into Facebook. If you think you were treated unfairly, or your account was deleted by mistake, there’s something you can try.

1. Visit the Confirm Your Identity page in your browser. We recommend using a computer for this.
2. Read the F.A.Q.
3. Take up to three (3) pictures of your ID, and make sure they’re in a JPEG format.
4. Transfer the pictures to your computer using a USB cable or wirelessly through your home network.
5. Click on Choose Files. Locate the pictures on your drive and click on Open in the pop-up window.
6. In the empty text field below, enter an e-mail address or phone number that belongs to your Facebook account.
7. Click on Send.
8. Open the e-mail client that corresponds with the e-mail address you use for Facebook.
9. Send an e-mail to [email protected] and briefly explain the situation. Do not attach pictures of your ID, mention you submitted them through the system.
10. Wait. Facebook is obligated to review your case, but not to restore your account or even send a reply.

4. Recover Disabled Facebook account for violating their Community Standards

As you may be already aware, Facebook has some community standards that you shouldn’t violate. In case you accidentally violated them for some reason, your Facebook account will get disable. Here are the steps to recover an FB account that has been disabled for violating the community standards of Facebook.

1. Go to My Personal Account Was Disabled page provided by Facebook.
2. Provide your email address/phone number, your full name as in the Facebook profile as well as any IDs to prove your identity.
3. Once you fill these details, you can submit the form.
4. After verifying that you are a real user and not a fake ID, or if they find that you didn’t violate the community standards, they will reinstate your profile.

Keep in mind that this should be done within 30 days after your account got disabled. After that period, Facebook will permanently disable the account which cannot be recovered.

There you have it, that’s how you restore your disabled Facebook account. Be more careful next time. Also, make sure to read their Terms of Service to prevent your account from being deleted by Facebook.

I tried everything and cannot recover my Facebook account

Firstly, you shouldn’t rush to create a new Facebook account just yet, although we can’t guarantee you won’t have to. But there is one more desperate move you have yet to try in the Facebook recovery process. This works only if you used your real name on Facebook.

1. Contact Facebook Support through the Confirm Your Identity page.
   
2. As you see below the tips, you can upload up to 3 JPEG pictures of your real-life ID card.
3. Enter an e-mail address and phone number that belong or have belonged to your Facebook account. If you no longer have access to either, enter a new one that you can access.
4. So, you can now send an e-mail to [email protected]. DON’T attach pictures of your ID to the e-mail but mention you submitted them through their system.
5. Finally, simply wait. Keep in mind, this can take a week or several weeks, and might never work.

You might have heard people claim the popularity of Facebook is fading. However, over 2.6 billion concurrent monthly users in the first quarter of 2020 is not a joke. And when you realize that the number had an almost linear increase since 2011, there’s no doubt it’ll be around for a while. So make sure to keep your accounts safe.