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How to Reclaim Admin Rights to a Facebook Page

Last Updated: June 10, 2024 Fact Checked

• If Admin Account Was Hacked

Submitting a Page Admin Dispute

Submitting a copyright dispute, claiming an unofficial page, preventing loss of admin rights.

This article was co-authored by wikiHow staff writer, Nicole Levine, MFA . Nicole Levine is a Technology Writer and Editor for wikiHow. She has more than 20 years of experience creating technical documentation and leading support teams at major web hosting and software companies. Nicole also holds an MFA in Creative Writing from Portland State University and teaches composition, fiction-writing, and zine-making at various institutions. There are 10 references cited in this article, which can be found at the bottom of the page. This article has been fact-checked, ensuring the accuracy of any cited facts and confirming the authority of its sources. This article has been viewed 1,002,352 times. Learn more...

Do you need to gain or reclaim control of a Facebook Page that belongs to you? Whether your access was removed by a hacker, revoked by an ex-employee, or you never had control of it to begin with, you can easily reclaim full administrative rights to a Page by reporting the issue and proving ownership. This wikiHow article will teach you how to recover the administrator role for your business or organization's official Facebook Page .

Things You Should Know

• If the admin's Facebook account was hacked, first report the incident at https://www.facebook.com/hacked .
• If you have a Meta Business account and created advertising campaigns for the Page in the past, you can submit proof of ownership via chat.
• You can claim admin rights to an unclaimed Facebook Page by adding it as an asset in Meta Business Suite.

Reclaiming a Page if an Admin Account was Hacked

• Once Facebook confirms the hack, you can continue with this method.
• This method will only work if you once had admin rights to a Page but were removed by someone who hacked another admin's account.
• If the person in control of the Page has never given you access, see this method instead.

• If the hacker assigned you another non-admin role for the Page (such as Moderator, Analyst, or Jobs Manager), the Page won't be in this menu because you're technically still a member. The only way to move forward is to remove yourself from the current role. To do this, go to your page, click Manage at the top-right, click Page Access in the left panel, click the three dots next to your name, then click Remove access . [2] X Research source

• An official government ID for the person requesting Admin access.
• An official business document containing the owner's name and address, such as a utility bill, tax document, business license, or certificate of formation. [4] X Research source
• The name and URL of the Page
• The requester's relationship to the Page
• The requester's name, email address, and personal Facebook profile URL
• An explanation of the request. For example, "The current administrator, (name), was terminated by our company on X date and has not returned control of the Facebook Page. Please make (name) an administrator to the page https://facebook.com/facebook."
• A declaration statement, such as, "I, (name), certify that I am the rightful owner of this Page and that this information is accurate."
• Your physical signature (digital signatures are not accepted)

• If you don't see this option, contact somebody else within your organization to see if anyone who has Business Manager access in any capacity has the option to submit a chat request. [5] X Research source
• You can also try this method instead.

• Use this method if you own the organization or company the Page claims to represent, but you never actually had admin rights to the Page. For example, if a former employee removed your access to the company Page.
• Using this method will only result in the reported content or Page being removed from Facebook. Facebook will not change the Admin control of the Page.

• You may have to select Copyright and then Continue with your copyright report before you see these options.

• If you're reporting the page on behalf of yourself, enter your own name as the rights owner.
• Facebook will include your full name when communicating with the other party, so keep that in mind.

• For example, if you owned wikiHow's and your Page was hijacked, you'd list www.wikihow.com here.
• If you don't have proof of ownership online, you can type a thorough explanation of your claim into the box instead.

• For example, if you owned wikiHow's Facebook page, you'd enter www.facebook.com/wikiHow here.

• For example, if an employee left the company and refuses to hand over admin rights to the Page, state that specifically in the box without going into too many specifics.
• To attach files, such as a business license, tax records, or other proof, click Choose Files , select a file, and then click Open .

• Once Facebook makes a decision (or decides they need to see more proof), they'll contact you via email. The process can take anywhere from 24 hours to a few weeks, depending on how busy Facebook's copyright office is.
• If this doesn't work, try our guide to contacting Facebook .

• You will need a Meta Business account to use this method. If you don't have one, log in with your Facebook account and follow the on-screen instructions to sign up now.

• If the Page is already managed by someone else, Facebook will send a request to the current admin asking them to approve moving the Page into your business account. [9] X Research source

• Verifying ownership of the Page can take anywhere from a day to a few weeks.

• Your title should be the highest tier, which is "Admin." No one else should have this title.

Expert Q&A

• Due to the sensitive nature of account validation and disputes like these, Facebook may not give you access to your Page unless you can provide adequate proof. Thanks Helpful 5 Not Helpful 1
• If a fellow administrator has removed you from a page, your first action should be politely talking to them about it. Thanks Helpful 5 Not Helpful 1

You Might Also Like

• ↑ https://www.facebook.com/help/1020132651404616/?helpref=hc_fnav
• ↑ https://www.facebook.com/help/187316341316631
• ↑ https://www.facebook.com/help/531084028683914
• ↑ https://www.facebook.com/help/287728524907292?helpref=faq_content
• ↑ https://www.facebook.com/government-nonprofits/blog/regaining-access-to-your-page
• ↑ https://www.facebook.com/help/1020633957973118
• ↑ https://www.facebook.com/help/contact/1758255661104383
• ↑ https://www.facebook.com/business/help/720478807965744?id=420299598837059
• ↑ https://www.facebook.com/help/289207354498410

About This Article

If your account was hacked, report the hacking and resolve your account first. If a rogue admin removed you, you must provide proof of ownership to Facebook. If you find a Page for your business that isn't managed by you, take ownership or merge the Page into your existing one. Did this summary help you? Yes No

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Your Facebook Account Was Hacked. Getting Help May Take Weeks — Or $299

Shannon Bond

After her Facebook account was hacked, Angela McNamara of Hamilton, Ontario, struggled to get help from the social network. Using its automated process to recover her account failed to work for her, says McNamara. Jalani Morgan for NPR hide caption

After her Facebook account was hacked, Angela McNamara of Hamilton, Ontario, struggled to get help from the social network. Using its automated process to recover her account failed to work for her, says McNamara.

Angela McNamara's first hint that her Facebook account had been hacked was an early-morning email warning that someone was trying to log into her account.

"If this is not you, don't worry, we're keeping your account safe," she recalls the email from Facebook saying. But her relief only lasted a minute, when another email arrived, saying her password had been changed. Then another, notifying her that a two-factor authentication — an extra layer of security — had been set up for her account.

"And then from there I'm just like, 'OK, it is gone,' " said McNamara, who lives outside Toronto. She tried Facebook's automated process to recover her account: getting a backup code, resetting her password. But nothing worked.

Your Technology Is Tracking You. Take These Steps For Better Online Privacy

This has been happening to a lot of people lately, and the experience has left many users nearly as frustrated with the social network as they are with the hackers. In July, NPR received 19 emails from listeners complaining that their Facebook accounts had been hacked or disabled. People share similar tales of woe on Reddit forums and Twitter every day.

Some became so desperate that they shelled out hundreds of dollars to buy a virtual reality headset in an attempt to get Facebook to restore their accounts.

When she tried to reach Facebook, "Nobody got back to me, not once"

Before going to extremes, many hacking victims try the usual routes to get customer service but quickly find out it seems impossible to reach someone at Facebook to help fix the problem.

"Facebook didn't have a phone number to call. There was no email to email," said Jessie Marsala, who lives outside Chicago and emailed NPR in early July about her situation.

After Data Breach Exposes 530 Million, Facebook Says It Will Not Notify Users

When Marsala got hacked, she tried dialing Facebook's headquarters in Silicon Valley. But that number yields a recording that says, "Unfortunately, we do not offer phone support at this time."

Instead, Facebook tells users to report hacked accounts through its website . The site instructs them to upload a copy of a driver's license or passport to prove their identities. But the people NPR spoke with said they had trouble with every step of this automated process and wish Facebook would offer a way to reach a real person.

"I sent these forms in morning, noon and night, multiple times a day," Marsala said. "Nobody got back to me, not once."

Victoria Floriani of Jersey City, N.J., only got Facebook's system to accept her driver's license after she covered up everything but her name and photo with a Post-it note — a tip she came across on Reddit. After two weeks of trying, it was the breakthrough she needed to get her account back.

All Tech Considered

Searching for 'facebook customer service' can lead to a scam.

Facebook said that because of the coronavirus pandemic, it has fewer people available to review IDs. It uses artificial intelligence, too, but its help center warns that reviews "may take longer than usual."

Facebook spokesperson Gabby Curtis told NPR in a statement that the company's help center is available 24 hours a day to assist people with problems and report issues. But Curtis acknowledged, "We also know that we need to keep improving in this area and plan to invest more in the future."

McNamara finally got her Facebook account back after buying a virtual reality headset from Oculus, a company Facebook owns. Jalani Morgan for NPR hide caption

McNamara finally got her Facebook account back after buying a virtual reality headset from Oculus, a company Facebook owns.

A solution for those willing to pay $299

Brandon Sherman of Nevada City, Calif., followed a tip he found on Reddit to get his hacked account back.

"I ultimately broke down and bought a $300 Oculus Quest 2," he said. Oculus is a virtual reality company owned by Facebook but with its own customer support system.

Sherman contacted Oculus with his headset's serial number and heard back right away. He plans to return the unopened device, and while he's glad the strategy worked, he doesn't think it's fair.

"The only way you can get any customer service is if you prove that you've actually purchased something from them," he said.

When McNamara, the Facebook user in Canada, first heard about the Oculus trick, she thought it was a joke. But she said, "Once I started thinking about it, all my memories, I really realized that I wanted to do whatever possible to get it back."

So she, too, ordered an expensive gadget she never planned to use and returned it as soon as she got back into her Facebook account.

(A warning to anyone thinking about trying this — other Reddit users have said they tried contacting Oculus support but were unable to get their Facebook accounts restored. Also, last week, Facebook said it was temporarily halting sales of the Oculus Quest 2, which retails starting at $299, because its foam lining caused skin irritation for some customers.)

Hacking victims fear losing money and memories

Losing Facebook may seem like a minor thing, but it can have real consequences .

"The very first concern, after realizing that I was getting hacked, is that these folks might be able to gain access to my business's bank account," said Ben Coleman in Fall River, Mass. "That would be a disaster."

Coleman's day job is teaching math and technology to kindergarteners through 12th-graders, but he also films videos with drone cameras and writes books about how to fold origami bonsai trees. For both ventures, he relies on Facebook to reach customers.

Coleman managed to lock his Facebook account before the hackers could gain control. But he wasn't able to unlock it — so he lost access to everything.

Building, And Losing, A Career On Facebook

For Jon Morgan in Shepherd, Mich., it got worse. Hackers used his Facebook account to vandalize the page he helps manage for his town's maple syrup festival. Facebook disabled Morgan's account — so now he has lost access to a lot of family photos, including of his son who passed away this year.

Morgan said the episode has made him realize just how embedded Facebook is in his life.

"We think of it as a kind of like a plaything or something for fun, but people share news on it, people get their news from it, it's a photo album," he said. "I think what I've kind of learned from my experience is, I really need to think about how I'm using it ... and what it means to me to lose it."

After NPR got in touch with Facebook, it sent Coleman and Marsala links to unlock their accounts and is giving Morgan another chance to appeal the disabling of his account.

What's fueling hacking? Financial gain — and even disinformation campaigns

Facebook said it has not seen a recent uptick in hacking, and it's not clear who is behind the hacks people contacted NPR about.

U.S. Suffers Over 7 Ransomware Attacks An Hour. It's Now A National Security Risk

Many attempts to hack social media accounts are financially motivated, said Jon Clay, vice president of threat intelligence at cybersecurity firm Trend Micro.

A hacker may try to scam the user's friends and contacts to give them money, he said, or sell accounts on the black market.

Clay said other hackers want to steal Facebook accounts to spread disinformation , about topics such as the 2020 election or COVID-19.

"The fact that social media is now a big part of everybody's lives [means] it is a major target," he said.

Editor's note: Facebook is among NPR's financial supporters.

• social media
• customer service

How to recover when your Facebook account is hacked

There’s only so much you can do.

By David Strom

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Hopefully, the day will never come when you find your Facebook account has been hacked or taken over. It is an awful feeling, and I feel for you, for the world of hurt that you will experience in time and perhaps money to return your account to your rightful control. 

Let me take you through the recovery process. Afterward, I’ll provide some proactive security pointers you can follow to prevent this awful moment from happening, or at least reduce the chances that it will.

Three ways you can lose control of your Facebook account

There are actually three different possible scenarios.

Scenario 1. You let a family member or friend “borrow” your Facebook account on your computer or phone. They proceed to consume content, post messages as you, or befriend random people. This happened to a friend of mine, who had a grandchild staying at her home for a week. The girl left town and left a mess behind on my friend’s Facebook account. “She didn’t post anything to my account, but I had odd friend requests that I had to clean up. I decided to just quit using my account.” This is more of a nuisance than a hack, but still annoying.

Remedy : First, use Facebook’s security page to check and see where else your account is already logged in.

This list should also remind you of all of the devices that you have used Facebook on in the past. I took this screenshot after I found (and then removed) an older Windows laptop that I hadn’t used in years on the list. You’ll also see an entry for my iPhone that is located somewhere in Indiana. I haven’t visited that state in years, so sometimes the geo-location algorithms are a bit wonky. Even if your account isn’t hacked, it is helpful to routinely check this screen to make sure you haven’t enabled a login by mistake.

If you don’t recognize (or don’t use) any of the devices on this list, click on the three vertical dots on the right and force those machines to log out of your account. Next, change your password to something unique. Also, remember in the future to sign out of Facebook (and Messenger) before you loan your device to anyone.

Scenario 2. Someone uses your photo and name and sets up a new account. Then they proceed to try to recruit your FB friends to their account.

Remedy : There isn’t much you can do about it, other than tell people you are still you and to ignore the imposter. This should be a warning when you receive a friend request from someone you think you have already befriended, or someone you haven’t communicated with in years. A word to the wise: send them an email or text asking if the request is genuine.

Scenario 3. The doomsday scenario . Someone guesses your account password and proceeds to lock you out of your account. This situation is the most dire, and fixing this will depend on what else you have linked to your Facebook account and how determined you are to get it back.

This happened to Elizabeth, a book author. She ended up working with two different friends who were IT professionals and a lawyer over the course of four months. She had two complicating factors that made recovering her account difficult. 

First, she used Facebook ads to promote her books, so she had connected her login to her credit cards. This resulted in the hacker charging her card with their own ads to try to lure other victims to compromise themselves. 

The second complication was that she was using her pen name and a random birthday date for her account. During the recovery process, Facebook asks that you scan your ID to verify who you are. When she told me this, I became concerned for myself. For years I prided myself on using January 1 as my Facebook “birthday.” Now she was telling me that I was setting myself up for trouble if someone hacked my account.

She eventually got her password reset, but almost immediately the hacker reset and took over her account again. “I tried to get someone at Facebook to help me, but I couldn’t get anyone on the phone,” she told me. Before the pandemic, the company had a special phone hotline for industry insiders, “but this was discontinued,” she said. She had more success blocking the credit card charges by phoning her bank. “I was trying to be a step ahead of the hacker, and losing sleep. My whole life was put on hold as I tried to deal with the situation. I got no work done for months. I ended up changing my passwords on more than 30 different accounts.”

Possible remedies: if you find yourself in this last situation, you have three basic choices:

1. Now would be a good time to leave Facebook . The trouble is, you have someone who is pretending to be you, and could leverage your identity into criminal and uncomfortable situations. Not to mention that they could try to leverage bank accounts that are linked to your account or open up credit cards in your name. (More on that in a moment.)

2. Try to reinstate your account on your own , using Facebook’s own obscure and oftentimes contradictory steps . That is the way most people I know have tried. However, you will find out very quickly that there is no easy way to do this. You have to communicate with Facebook support through someone else’s account, which seems somewhat contradictory, so hopefully your spouse or friend is willing to lend a hand. (Don’t be tempted to set up a second account, because that could result in both of your accounts eventually being canceled.) Then you have to choose one of several options (finding an unauthorized post, an account that uses your own name and/or photos) and enter the rabbit hole to recover your account. 

If you use Facebook as a means to log into other internet services, you will have to disconnect these links — otherwise a hacker can then compromise these other accounts. If, like Elizabeth, you have connected your credit card or other financial accounts, you will have to contact these institutions and get these charges rescinded. Start by trying to use Facebook from other devices you have previously used: perhaps the hacker hasn’t automatically logged you out.

3. Use a third-party recovery service , such as Hacked.com . This will cost you $249, but the company will be persistent and if they can’t help you, they will refund your fee. You also get a year’s digital protection plan included that normally sells separately for $99. If you have a complex situation like Elizabeth (connected finances, non-matching birthday), I recommend using this path. 

But make sure you aren’t employing some random hacker who might be taking your money and doing nothing else. I spoke to Hacked.com founder Jonas Borchgrevink, who outlined the various sequences of steps that his staffers try in a recent Washington Post article . And he confirmed that if you are using a different name from what is shown on your ID, it is almost impossible to recover your account.

Proactive security measures

If you haven’t been hacked (yet) and are getting somewhat uncomfortable reading this, here are some steps to take to secure your Facebook account, or to at least reduce your pain points if it does happen. Start by doing at least one of them today, and make sure you take care of all of the items as soon as possible.

1. Set up additional login security on your Facebook account. Facebook offers you a set of confusing choices, but the one that I recommend is to use a two-factor authenticator app such as Google Authenticator. (You can start at this Facebook page .)

Two-factor authentication (also known as 2FA) uses an Android or iOS smartphone app as part of the login process. After you supply your username and password, Facebook asks you to type in a series of six numbers that are generated by the app. These numbers change every minute, so you need your phone nearby when you log in. If you want extra credit, take the time to enable this second factor method on your other accounts, including any banks and credit card companies that support this method (sadly, too few do).

Elizabeth was using a less secure method for her second factor: sending the six numbers as a text message to her phone. You can read more about why this isn’t my preference .

2. Check to see if you have any payment methods configured on Facebook. While preparing for this article, I was surprised to find my PayPal address linked to my Facebook account — and I thought I was being careful about my Facebook security. There are two places to check. First, there is the page that shows if you have set up any credit cards to make direct payments to individuals or causes, called Facebook Pay. Go to this other link to remove any ad payment methods . If you are running any ad campaigns on your business, you will have to stop them first. 

3. Remove connected apps and websites. If you have signed on to third-party apps using your Facebook credentials, now is the time to review and remove them (you can find the appropriate page here ). The same is true with removing any business integrations . You take a small hit in not being able to automatically log into these other services, but you also protect yourself if your account has been compromised.

If you have a Facebook business page, you should have at least two people who have admin rights to this page. (Go to Page Settings > Page Roles.) If your business account is hacked and you are the sole admin, it will be next to impossible to get it recovered. This contact should also have second factor authentication turned on.

4. Check your account’s email contacts ( using this Facebook page ). You should have at least a second contact email (or more) that Facebook can use to send you notifications in case your main email address becomes compromised. Of course, use different passwords with these different email accounts.

I know, this seems like a lot of work, and there are a lot of places in the Facebook settings pages that you will have to visit and pay attention to. And chances are, the links provided above might not work in the future, as Facebook likes to make changes to its settings. 

If these activities to make yourself more secure haven’t gotten you frustrated, you might want to continue improving your security. I recommend either the Jumbo smartphone app for iOS and Android, or Avast One (available on Windows, Mac, iOS, and Android). Either can help walk you through the numerous steps to secure your Google, Twitter, and other accounts.

Parting words of wisdom

Think before you click. If you get a message from what looks like a social media company saying that your account has been compromised, don’t follow any links or call any phone numbers in the message. This could be a lure from a hacker. Instead, navigate to the site or use its own app directly.

Be aware of things that seem unusual . Keep an eye out for messages you didn’t send, posts you didn’t create, or purchases you didn’t make. These could be tells that someone has guessed your password or compromised your account. If you are lucky, it might be an errant teen using one of your computers.

As Elizabeth told me, “Being hacked is like getting a digital tattoo — everyone can see the after-effects of your poor choices.”  

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How To Recover a Hacked Facebook Account

Plus, how to add more security features

Facebook isn’t everyone’s go-to social network as it once used to be. Still you probably have pictures, contacts, and information on your profile that you wouldn’t want to lose access to. Being locked out of your Facebook account can cause some serious damage even to those who don’t use the platform on a daily basis.

While Facebook is constantly improving their security features, your account can still get hacked. If you ever notice any suspicious activity coming from your Facebook account or simply can’t log into it , act quick.

Here’s what you can to recover your hacked Facebook account if you think it’s been hacked.

Also, be sure to check out our YouTube channel where we made a short video going over some tips to recover a your hacked Facebook account.

How Do You Know If You’ve Been Hacked?

There are quite a few different reasons why you might find yourself locked out of your Facebook account. Maybe you logged into Facebook on multiple devices, or someone reported your account as fake. In this case it’s better to assume the worst – that you’ve been hacked – and start taking the necessary steps to recover your account right away.

Some of the signs that that scammers got a hold of your account include:

• Your login details (email or password) have changed.
• Your Facebook name has changed.
• Your birthday on Facebook has changed.
• Messages that you didn’t write were sent from your account.
• Posts that you didn’t write appear on your Facebook page.
• Friend requests were sent to people you don’t know.

How To Recover Your Hacked Facebook Account

When you notice any of these things, assume that your account was hacked and act quickly to recover it.

Recover Your Facebook Account Using a Security Code

When your account details are being changed, you’ll get an email from Facebook notifying you about the changes. So if you receive an email saying your password has been changed and it wasn’t you, move quickly and get your account back using the security code.

• Use the link from the Facebook email, or go to the Facebook login page and click Forgotten Password?

• Enter your email address or phone number to locate your Facebook profile.

• On the next page, choose how you want to receive the security code – via email or SMS – and click Continue .

• When you receive the code, type it in and click Continue . Then you can reset your password.

If you don’t have access to your associated email address or phone number, click No longer have access to these at the bottom of the Reset Your Password page and continue through these steps.

• On the How can we reach you screen, enter a new email address or phone number that can be used to contact you.

• If you have an old Facebook account, you’ll then be prompted to answer a Security question . For new accounts Facebook uses a feature called Trusted Contacts . If you set up any 3 to 5 of your friends to be your trusted contacts, you can send them a special link to get the security code for you. You can then use it to regain access to your account.

Regain Access To Your Account With Your Most Used Device

This method might not work for everyone, but it’s probably one of the easiest and quickest ways to recover your Facebook account.

• Open Facebook on the device that you use most to login to the network. For better chances, use your home Wi-Fi network that Facebook can recognize as well.
• Go to the login page and try to reset your password.
• If Facebook recognizes your device, you’ll be able to reset your password and recover your account without any further verification.

Recover Your Facebook Account With Identity Verification

The newest Facebook security feature yet that you can use to regain access to your account is Identity Verification. Here’s how to use it to recover a hacked Facebook account.

• Open Facebook Help Center page to Verify Your Information.
• Fill in the form with your name, surname, email address, and date of birth.
• Attach your government issued ID to the form.
• Click Send to submit your information.

Facebook will take 1-3 working days to review your information and send you the instructions on how to get back into your account.

How To Secure Your Facebook Account

While you can’t eliminate the risk of your account being hacked completely, you can reduce it drastically by applying basic security practices when using Facebook.

Use a Strong Password

The best way to protect your account from hackers is to use a strong unique password. Make sure you don’t use the same one anywhere else online and don’t share it with other people.

Don’t Share Your Login Information

Scammers use fake sites to get your personal information. Learn how to spot phishing attempts and make sure to check the sites URLs before entering your login details.

Another good practice here is to always log out when using public computers or computers that you share with other people. Facebook also allows you to do that remotely through Security and login Settings .

Enable Facebook Security Features

Facebook offers quite a few different tools and features that you can use to protect your account. They’re all available under Security and login Settings and include two-factor authentication, alerts about unrecognized logins, and trusted contacts. Make sure to enable all of them for maximum security.

You can review your security settings at any time by going through a Facebook Security Checkup on your computer.

Protect Your Facebook Account From Hackers

It’s much easier to take preventative measures to avoid future scams than spending time and effort trying to recover your hacked Facebook account. Learning how to stay on top of your privacy and security on Facebook and performing regular checks for malicious software can help you keep your accounts safe from any future hacking attempts.

Have you ever had your Facebook account hacked? What did you do to gain back access to your account? Share your Facebook knowledge with us in the comment section below.

Anya is a freelance technology writer. Originally from Russia, she is currently a full-time Remote Worker and Digital Nomad. With a background in Journalism, Language Studies, and Technical Translation, Anya couldn't imagine her life and work without using modern technology on a daily basis. Always looking out for new ways to make her life and location-independent lifestyle easier, she hopes to share her experiences as a tech- and internet-addict through her writing. Read Anya's Full Bio

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​How to tell if your Facebook has been hacked (and what to do)

Here's a simple way to see if there is someone messing with your Facebook account.

There are several different ways hackers use a breached Facebook account. Automatic log-ins through Facebook allow hackers access to many different site accounts once they've taken over your Facebook. Spammers also hack Facebook accounts to gain access to your following. From your profile, a hacker can additionally gather a lot of personal information about you that can be used to steal your identity.

How to check if you've been hacked

If you worry that your account has been hacked, there is a simple way to check. Go to the arrow in the upper right-hand corner of your Facebook page and click on it. In the menu, select Settings. A new menu will pop up. Choose Security and Login  and then Where You're Logged In .

A list of all of the devices that you've logged into and their locations will pop up. If there is a login you don't recognize, chances are you may have been hacked. If you see anything that isn't you, click Not You? on the right side of the log. 

Click Not You to secure your Facebook account.

Then click Secure Account. Facebook will then walk you through the steps of securing your account after running a diagnostic on your account. Click Get Started .

Facebook will walk you through steps to secure your account. 

Other signs you may have been hacked

Some other ways to tell if your account has been hacked are:

• Your name, birthday, email or password has been changed
• Someone sent out friend requests to people you don't know
• Messages have been sent from your account, but you didn't write them
• Posts are appearing on your timeline that you didn't post

How to keep your Facebook account safe

After you secure your account, make it safer. Facebook is jam-packed with security features, you just need to activate them. Open Facebook in your browser and go to  Settings > Security and Login > Setting Up Extra Security. 

From there:

• Turn on login alerts so that you receive notifications when your account is logged into. This helps you catch a hacker early, before any major damage is done.
• Enable two-factor authentication, then choose an extra layer of security from the list.
• Choose your trusted contacts and add a few close friends or family members that can help you unlock your account if it ever becomes hacked.

Add these security features to prevent hackers from taking over your account.

With these steps, your Facebook account is much more difficult for a hacker to get into and much easier to recover if it is ever compromised. 

Pro tip: Set your password as a random set of numbers, letters and symbols to add a final layer of security. Here's some tips on creating the perfect password .

Editors' note: This article was posted on July 7, 2016 and has been updated.

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How to recover a hacked Facebook account

Losing access to your Facebook account is a distressing experience. To help you regain control, we at Hacked.com have compiled a comprehensive guide following our best practices on how to recover a hacked Facebook account.

While we can’t cover every possible scenario in this article, we aim to provide the best guidance possible.

If you have a lost Facebook Business Page, click here.

Click here if you’re unsure whether your Facebook account has been hacked.

Facebook Two-Factor Authentication Glitch

Related facebook articles, hacked facebook take immediate action.

If you receive an email from Facebook about suspicious behavior , take action immediately. The longer someone has access to your account, the more likely they’ll be able to change essential information, making it harder for you to regain control.

Go through all of your Facebook security emails and follow the instructions immediately. Click “Change Password,” “Secure your account,” and any other links that might help you regain access to your hacked Facebook account.

Do not create a duplicate Facebook account. This will make it much harder, and sometimes impossible, to recover your original Facebook account.

Change Your Facebook Password

If you can still access your account , change your password immediately. Follow our video tutorial or written instructions below:

Log into your Facebook account, click the dropdown arrow at the top right of the screen, then select ‘Settings.’

Now click ‘Settings & Privacy.’

Then click ‘Settings.’

In your account settings, click ‘See more in Accounts Center’ on the left side of the screen.

Then click ‘Password & Security’ on the left side of the screen.

Enter your current password and your new password twice to confirm it. We recommend using a password generator and password manager for security.

We also advise enabling Two-Factor Authentication (2FA) to enhance your account security by adding a two-step verification system. This makes your account almost unhackable. We recommend using an authentication app such as Google Authenticator over SMS codes.

Can’t Log In to Your Facebook Account?

If a hacker has changed your Facebook account password and the associated email, you might think all hope is lost. However, there are still ways to retrieve your Facebook account. Even if the hacker has added a Two-Factor Authenticator or your account has been disabled, you can still recover your Facebook profile.

The most reliable way to recover your Facebook account is to carefully read all the security email notifications sent by Facebook and follow their instructions. Ensure to click on email links only from the sender “Facebook” or “facebookmail.com.” If the links in the emails, such as “Secure your account” or “Change your password,” don’t help, you can follow the rest of our Facebook recovery tutorial below.

Facebook Password Recovery

If your password is no longer working and you suspect someone has changed it, use Facebook’s account recovery options. Watch our video instructions below:

Go to the Facebook login page and click ‘Forgotten password?’

Enter your account’s email address or phone number and click ‘Search.’

Log in via your email, Google account, or telephone number, then click ‘Continue.’

Enter the code you received via text or email and click ‘Continue.’

Enter your new password and click ‘Continue’ to confirm.

Report Your Facebook Account as Hacked

If none of the other methods work, report the hacked account directly to Facebook.

Go to the hacked account report page , and click ‘My Account Is Compromised.’

Enter your email address or phone number, then click ‘Search.’

Enter your most recent password and click ‘Continue’ to report your account. Facebook may provide you with further instructions to aid in account recovery.

Facebook may request that you upload a photograph of your ID to prove your identity.

How to Bypass Facebook’s Two-Factor Authentication (2FA)

If the hacker has added Two-Factor Authentication, it is still possible to bypass it. When you try logging in and are prompted with the screen below, click “Need another way to authenticate.” Then the following pop-up should appear:

Click on either “Submit a request to Facebook,” “Try another way,” or “Other Options” and “Get More Help.” It will then ask you to add a new email, which you may have to confirm, and then you must upload a government-approved ID. Once you have submitted this form, you should receive a response within 48 hours to one week.

We at Hacked.com discovered in July 2024 what might be a new Facebook error when trying to bypass the hacker’s two-factor authentication.

After submitting your ID to get by the hacker’s two-factor authentication, Facebook sends you an email with an option to ‘get back into your account.’

Usually, this is the final hurdle to recovering your hacked Facebook account. You click ‘get back into your account’ then select a few important options and you’re back in.

Lately, however, there’s been some sort of Facebook glitch where they send people in a loop that goes right back to the hacker’s two-factor authentication. It is not supposed to do this, but it’s been happening to many of our clients the past month.

We are currently monitoring this situation and testing ways to get past this. We have found that the people who have eventually gotten past this step clicked the button ‘Get back into your account’ from the phone they used Facebook with.

There also appears to be a strong correlation between accounts with this glitch and accounts that are no longer visible on Facebook. This suggests that these accounts may be having these troubles because they are actually disabled. If that is the case, your best bet would to set up a call with us to try to recover the disabled account.

Common Facebook Recovery Links

Here are the best Facebook recovery links to try to gain access to your hacked Facebook account:

• https://www.facebook.com/recover/initiate
• https://www.facebook.com/login/identify
• https://www.facebook.com/hacked

If you’ve recovered your Facebook account, you should follow our account security guide to keep it safe.

Has Your Facebook Profile Disappeared?

If you cannot locate your Facebook account since the hacker has changed your email and phone number, try these instructions:

Go to https://www.facebook.com/login/identify or https://www.facebook.com/hacked , where you’ll see the following prompt:

Try to find your hacked Facebook account by searching for the following:

• Your email that was connected to your Facebook account
• Your phone number that was connected to your Facebook account

If neither of these options works, then do the following:

Ask a friend to go to your profile and click on the “About me” section and “Contact information.” Tell your friend to check if they can see any email or phone number under this section. If so, use this new email or phone number to search for your account.

If no email or phone number is listed under your hacked Facebook account’s About Me section, ask your friend to go to your profile again on a computer and copy your URL. Here is an example of what a Facebook profile URL looks like:

Add this full URL to the search bar to find your account. If that doesn’t work, try to copy the last section of your profile URL, like “jonasborchgrevink,” as seen in the image above, and search for that.

Still Unable to Recover Your Facebook Account?

If you cannot recover your Facebook account by following the instructions in this article, you may want to consider getting professional guidance. You might be experiencing Facebook’s cycle of death as described below:

Get Expert Help from Hacked.com

If you have tried everything above and feel you are getting nowhere, we recommend scheduling a remote video session with one of our security experts here .

Why do people hire Hacked.com?

• They want to save time
• They are stuck in the recovery process
• They want a confirmation of what’s possible to do
• They want a second opinion
• They want to exhaust all possibilites
• If you have been able to recover your hacked Facebook and want to delete it, please follow the instructions in this article
• How to remove fake profiles, images, and videos from Facebook
• What To Do if Your Facebook Account Is Compromised
• Received a Facebook Password Change?
• Someone May Have Accessed Your Account

Facebook image by pixinoo from Shutterstock.com. William Worrall and Jonas Borchgrevink for Hacked.com created this tutorial.

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Grant Employees Free Security Help At Hacked.com , we specialize in securing and recovering accounts like Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn. We also assist individuals in removing harmful online content, such as images, videos, and fake profiles. We offer two annual cybersecurity webinars to help employees stay ahead of personal security threats. Our webinars are updated yearly and include: Exclusive security toolkits Free recovery assistance for any employee who attends a webinar Learn more here

How-To Geek

What to do if your facebook account gets "hacked".

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Quick Links

Let's talk about getting "hacked", when to take action, what to do if this happens, what to do if you're locked out of your account.

A few days ago, I got a strange Facebook message from my uncle. It was clearly out of character for him, so I knew something was up: his account had been compromised. Here's what to do if this happens to you or someone you know.

The term "hacked" gets thrown around a lot---pretty loosely, to be honest---and has become the popular term for any time an account becomes compromised. Since it has become such a vague term in popular culture, let's lay down a quick definition: leaving your phone somewhere so your friend/gf/whatever gets access to it is not getting "hacked."  We've all seen those posts---"Hacked! Love you baby!" This is not a hack. Not even close. And we're not talking about that today.

There's another phenomenon common on Facebook where somebody else creates a new account using your name, and sometimes a profile picture they obtained from your page, and then starts spamming your friend list with invites and other messages. This is also not a hack. Report that fake user to Facebook, and they'll help you sort it out.

What we are talking about is when your account becomes truly compromised. This is when your account credentials fall into the wrong hands or your account otherwise starts to allow activity that you didn't authorize. While we wouldn't always call this getting "hacked," it's the term that's most widely used to describe the situation.

If you notice (or get notified about) changes to your account that you didn't make, it's time to do something. What kind of changes? This kind:

• Your personal information gets updated:  Birthday, email, password, etc.
• You're getting new friends you didn't send requests to:  If you notice an influx of new friends that you didn't send requests to, something is wrong.
• People are getting messages you didn't send:  If someone tells you they got a weird message from you, you need to look into it.
• Posts are published that you didn't share:  No one likes spammy crap, especially when it's coming from your profile.

First, you'll need to determine what's going on. Are you locked out of your account? Are posts showing up from you that you didn't share? Are people getting messages you didn't send? Most of these things require different steps to resolve, so let's start with the easiest and work from there.

If people are complaining about spammy posts showing up in their timeline or getting questionable messages from you, there's a good chance an app with access to your Facebook account has gone rogue. The same is true if you happen to catch any of the other aforementioned issues, too.

First of all, your account is still probably pretty "safe"---apps don't get access to personal information like passwords or email addresses. You should probably go ahead and change your password anyway, just to be cautious. You'll find instructions on how to do that later in this article.

The key here, however, is taking a close look at all the apps that have access to your account. Here's how.

How to Check App Access on the Web

To check this out from your computer, jump over to Facebook, and then click the little down arrow in the upper right. Choose the "Settings" option.

In the Settings menu, select the "Apps" command.

Now comes the fun part: you get to sort through every app that has access to your Facebook account, which may or may not be a lot. Some (maybe even most) of these app will be legit, but you'll want to at least run through and revoke access from any app that you no longer use.

To do that, just click the X beside the app name when you hover over it.

When you click that X, a new dialog box pops up asking for confirmation. Smash that "Remove" button, and boom---it's gone.

Depending on how many apps you've allowed access to over the years, this could be pretty time consuming. Godspeed.

How to Check App Access on Mobile

If you're all about that mobile life and don't mess with Facebook on the web, the process is slightly different. Slightly.

First, fire up the Facebook app on your phone. The process is basically the same across both Android and iOS, and we'll provide screenshots for both to make it easy to follow along.

Tap the Menu button on the right side. It's in the top row on Android (left, below), and on the bottom on an iPhone (right, below).

Now scroll to the bottom and tap the "Account settings" entry. On iOS you'll have to tap "Settings" first, and then tap the "Account Settings" entry.

From there, scroll down and tap the "Apps" option.

Finally, tap the "Logged in with Facebook" entry.

The nice thing here is that this list is broken down into sections by what the app is allowed to access:

• Sharing with Public: This means it's allowed to make public posts on your wall. Anyone who looks at your profile, whether they're a friend or not, will see this.
• Sharing with Friends: Only people on your friends list will see these posts. That's still annoying.
• Sharing with Only Me: Only you will see these posts. It'll be interesting if you start to spam yourself.

To remove an app, just tap it, scroll to the bottom of the page, and then tap the "Remove app" button.

And then confirm that you want to remove the app. It's also worth nothing that you will be able to remove all posts published by apps with Public access.

Note: The iOS Facebook app has an additional step that asks you to report the app if it's misbehaving. You can do this, or you can skip this step by pressing the back button.

This one can be really scary, but if you get locked out of your account completely, there's no reason to panic. You can get it back.

First, go to Facebook's "Hacked" page . It'll ask some questions---just answer them to re-gain access to your account.

Once you're back in, change your password. Pick something good, something strong ---even better, just use a password manager .

To change your password, jump back into the Settings menu and click the "Security and login" option.

Choose "Change password" under the Login section.

• Social Media

How to Get Your Facebook Account Back After Being Hacked: A Step-by-Step Guide

Getting your Facebook account back after it’s been hacked can feel like an uphill battle, but it doesn’t have to be. This guide will walk you through the process step-by-step, from recognizing the hack to reclaiming control. By the end of this tutorial, you’ll know exactly what to do to secure your account and keep hackers at bay in the future.

How to Get Your Facebook Account Back After Being Hacked

When someone hacks your Facebook account, they can wreak all sorts of havoc. This section will show you how to regain access and secure it. Follow these steps to get everything back under control.

Step 1: Recognize the Hack

First, identify if your account has indeed been hacked.

Signs of a hack include strange posts, messages you didn’t send, or login alerts from unfamiliar devices. Act quickly if you notice any of these red flags.

Step 2: Report the Hack to Facebook

Go to the Facebook Help Center and report that your account has been hacked.

Use Facebook’s tools to let them know about the hack. They’ll guide you through securing your account. You can find the Help Center at facebook.com/hacked.

Step 3: Recover Your Account

Use the “Find Your Account” feature to start the recovery process.

Enter your email, phone number, username, or full name to find your account. Follow the prompts to reset your password.

Step 4: Secure Your Account

Update your password and review your security settings.

Choose a strong, unique password. Enable two-factor authentication (2FA) for an extra layer of security.

Step 5: Check for Suspicious Activity

Review your recent activity to ensure no further unauthorized actions were taken.

Look at your login history and recent posts. Remove any unfamiliar devices and log out of sessions you don’t recognize.

Step 6: Inform Your Contacts

Let your friends and family know your account was hacked.

Warn them not to click on any suspicious links or messages they might have received from your account during the hack.

Once these steps are completed, you should have full control over your Facebook account again. Stick around as we cover some additional tips.

Tips for How to Get Your Facebook Account Back After Being Hacked

• Use Unique Passwords: Always use a unique password for Facebook that you don’t use on any other site.
• Enable Two-Factor Authentication: This adds an extra layer of security by requiring a second form of identification.
• Regularly Update Passwords: Change your password every few months to keep hackers at bay.
• Be Wary of Phishing: Don’t click on suspicious links or provide personal information to unverified sources.
• Monitor Account Activity: Regularly check your account activity and login history to spot any unusual behavior quickly.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do i know if my facebook account has been hacked.

You might notice strange posts, messages you didn’t send, or login alerts from unfamiliar devices. These are clear signs your account may have been compromised.

What should I do if I can’t access my email linked to Facebook?

If you can’t access your linked email, use a friend’s account to report your profile or try using your phone number to recover your account.

Is it important to inform my friends if my account was hacked?

Yes, informing your friends helps prevent them from falling victim to any malicious links or messages sent from your account during the hack.

How can I prevent my Facebook account from getting hacked again?

Set a strong, unique password, enable two-factor authentication, be cautious with links, and regularly monitor your account activity.

Can Facebook help me recover my hacked account?

Yes, Facebook has tools and resources specifically designed to help users recover hacked accounts, available through their Help Center.

• Recognize the hack.
• Report the hack to Facebook.
• Recover your account.
• Secure your account.
• Check for suspicious activity.
• Inform your contacts.

Recovering a hacked Facebook account might seem daunting, but it’s completely doable with the right steps. By recognizing the signs of a hack early on and taking immediate action, you can minimize the damage and regain control of your account quickly. Remember to secure your account with a strong password and two-factor authentication to prevent future hacks.

Now that you’ve learned how to get your Facebook account back after being hacked, make sure to keep your security settings updated and stay vigilant. If you found this guide helpful, consider diving deeper into Facebook’s security features or reading up on online safety tips. Your digital safety is paramount, so take every precaution to protect yourself and your data.

Matthew Burleigh has been writing tech tutorials since 2008. His writing has appeared on dozens of different websites and been read over 50 million times.

After receiving his Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Computer Science he spent several years working in IT management for small businesses. However, he now works full time writing content online and creating websites.

His main writing topics include iPhones, Microsoft Office, Google Apps, Android, and Photoshop, but he has also written about many other tech topics as well.

Read his full bio here.

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