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How Do I Recover My Facebook Password?

If you've lost your Facebook login password, there are a couple of ways to recover access to your account.

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I stupidly forgot my Facebook login password and can’t get on. Now what do I do? Can I have Facebook send it to me?

No, Facebook won’t email you your password. If they do security correctly, they can’t.

There are two approaches to try: the official way, and the not-so-official way. Even if you don’t use the not-so-official way, you should know about it, as it represents a potential security threat.

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Facebook login password reset

(Note that the steps here change occasionally, based on Facebook’s own changes as well as the specifics of your situation. Simply follow the steps as they’re presented to you by Facebook, even if they are slightly different than what I’ve outlined here.)

If you know you don’t know your password, you need to recover your account. Just below the login password entry field on Facebook’s sign-in page is a link: Forgot account?

Facebook Forgot account? link

Click that, and you’ll be taken to a page where you can enter the email address or phone number associated with your account.

Facebook Find your account

You’ll then be presented with a list of account recovery options associated with your account.

Facebook reset your password

Select the one you want to use and click Continue. In the example above, I have only an alternate email address configured, so I have no other choice.

Related

I can’t over-emphasize the importance keeping your account recovery information up to date for Facebook (and for any online account you might have). Check out A One-Step Way to Lose Your Account … Forever for more on the topic.

No longer have access to these?

You’ll note a link entitled “No longer have access to these?” Click it if you know you no longer have access to the recovery methods you had originally associated with your Facebook account.

This is a serious problem.

You only want Facebook to give access to those who are authorized to have it, but they need a way to prove that. Your account recovery information is that proof. Without it, Facebook has no way to confirm you are the rightful owner of the account and should be allowed access.

Without it, Facebook won’t give you access, and in the worst case, may even elect to disable your account.

Facebook - No email access

Setting a new password

Assuming you do have access to the recovery account or method you’ve selected, Facebook will send you a code.

Facebook - enter security code

In my example, it showed up in email.

Facebook recovery code

Enter the code as requested and click on Continue.

Having proven you are the rightful account owner, you’re asked to select a new password.

Facebook - choose new password

That’s the official and proper way to regain access to your account: by proving you can respond to the password recovery methods you set up originally, and then set a new password.

Facebook login password recovery

If you want to recover your existing password, I need to make it clear that you might not be able to do this.

That being said, if you’ve had your browser remember the password for you, it might be frighteningly easy.

I’ll use Firefox as my example, but most browsers have similar functionality.

Click on the “hamburger” menu at the right end of the Firefox toolbar, and then click on Options (or Preferences, depending on your version). Use the search box in the resulting page to search for “password”, and when it appears, click on Saved Logins…

Firefox Preferences

This will open a window listing all of the sites where Firefox saved your password. Click Show Passwords.

Firefox Saved logins

After a little extra paranoia:

Firefox - Confirm show passwords

The Saved Passwords dialog box is updated with an extra column — the actual password — visible for all to see.
Firefox PasswordsNaturally, I’ve blurred my password here, but in reality, it’s clear as day.

All of this assumes you’ve allowed your browser to save your passwords for you. If you have not, this technique will not work.

Security issue

If your browser can show you your passwords:

  1. Go ahead and feel relieved if you were able to recover your Facebook password this way.
  2. Be very, very scared.

If you allow your browser to save passwords, anyone with access to your machine can do what we just did: use this technique to discover all your saved passwords.

This is one reason I don’t recommend letting your browser remember passwords. If you feel you must, make absolutely certain your machine is always secure.

What next?

After you’ve recovered your account — or after you’ve determined that it cannot be recovered — I strongly recommend you read my article 12 Steps to Keep from Getting Your Account Hacked. You’ll want to do everything you can to avoid this situation again. Be it due to forgetting a password or to having had your account hacked, that article will help you set things up securely to prevent it from happening again.

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Video Narration

This is an update to an article originally posted August 4, 2010
Updated to current Facebook and Firefox behavior.

Related Posts

Comments

  1. Under “options.. security” You are given a chance to set a “master password” Do this and only a person with the password can view the password list

  2. Unless of course included in all the malware is a keylogger, in which case the master password is just as useless.

  3. hey i need help reseting my facebook password, i no longer have access to my login email, is there anyway i can reset my password if so please help

  4. Leo, I have followed all of the steps properly to try to reset my Facebook password. It has been over 2 days and nothing has been sent to me. I have tried it several times and checked SPAM, made sure FB is not blocked etc. I am at a loss and have no idea how to reaccess my account. A friend has checked and my page is still there. I feel helpless as there is no way to contact FB. Any suggestions? Thanks.

  5. it’s 3 days already i tried to log in i use already the comfirmation code my but still my FB won;t open any help.

  6. Hi, I am unable to access my face book account. I think somebody tried to log in using different password. today i am unable to access my account with the password that i use. please provide a solution……

  7. i forget my password on facebook and i tried a lot of time to reset it but i could not get resst my password tell my how i can fix it plz

    The article you just commented on covers this. Other than checking your spam folder for the reset email I don’t have additional information.

    Leo
    30-Jan-2011

  8. Hi!I forgot my password and the facebook team send me another but i cant put it in my login.I try many times ti do that but nothing.

  9. Okay so someone hacked into my facebook AND email, and changed the passwords on both, i got into my email but when i try to change the password to my facebook it says it cannot be reset cause i’ve reached my limit in password reset attempts, and so it tells me to type in my email, mobile number, user name, or my name and a friend and when i do such it does nothing. What should i do?

  10. Okay so someone hacked into my
    facebook AND email, and
    changed the passwords on both,
    i got into my email but when i try
    to change the password to my
    facebook it says it cannot be
    reset cause i’ve reached my limit
    in password reset attempts, and
    so it tells me to type in my email,
    mobile number, user name, or
    my name and a friend and when
    i do such it does nothing. What
    should i do?

  11. hi!.,my facebook password suddenly being changed by stranger and i cant access my profile. i tried to request frm facebook team and they send me another- result was i was able to recover and change my old password. week after, it happened again and now i requested facebook team several times but is not accepting my new password. i answeres the security check many times but it does not proceed to the next step.could u plz help me.,i want to recover my account.

    All I can offer are the instructions in the article you just comment on.

    Leo
    26-Mar-2011

  12. facebook said i have reached my password reset limits and will not let me get a new password, it will not accept old passwords, i have tried everything to get a new password but all fails.
    how do i get a new facebook password

  13. How to access the username and password for a Places Page account and not in misc password browser memories. I am the administrator? I can only login from my Facebook personal page.
    I am unable to see the user name and password when in the account (and boy have I looked)

    One option. Delete and start over. When Facebook says do you want to delete this Place Page permanently I assume I can delete and start over. They do not mean you can’t start over??

    No its not in memory. No its not in my email as it was sent to another administrator email no longer available.

  14. I Forget my facebook password and when I went for vacation I tried to recover my password according to the “FORGET MY PASSWORD” option. All the steps were smooth until reach the verification with phone number. There was newly one digit added in my mobile number instead of 7 numbers now it is 8 number in the country where reside. But the number I registered in the facebook having only 7 digit apart from country code. So I am not receiving the message in my mobile. I am not sure about the date of birth given while register. What can I do and how can I recover my password?

  15. i want to delete my profile/info but its harder to do than it is to get ahold of OBAMA. HELP!!!

  16. The Facebook log in password reset does not work for my business account. I cannot recover my password for my business account by entering the proper email, phone, user name etc.

    All I want to do is add a new admin and it requires that I type in the password for me to do so.

    How can I recover my password?

  17. I can not acsess my facebook, I have tried everything to the point that it is now locked and when I change my password it wants a additional security check by mobile number and I do not have it anymore. How else can my password get changed?

  20. @Khatri
    Your Facebook ID is the email address you used when you opened your Facebook account. If you don’t remember which one you used, you can ask a friend to look it up. It would be on the Info page when they click on your name, unless you’ve hidden your email address from being accessed.

  23. i forgot my login email password and i try remember security question but i cant and my email login password and facebook password are same and now cant login to facebook too what can i do

  25. i for got my password stupidly when i log in many times the reset code will appear but i cannot remember also my reset code how can i get my password and my reset code to be able use my face book account again please help me Leo thank you so much for answering my query

  26. I am unable to open my facebook account because i forgot my password. When i am trying to loggin then always show security question and i don’t remember my security answer. i am tried to loggin again and again. please send me my facebook password in gmail address : {email removed}

    Ask-Leo! is not Facebook, and therefore cannot reset your
    password. Please re-read the article and associated links for
    all your recovery options.

    Leo

    22-Oct-2011

  27. Where can I receive my new Facebook password since I’m no longer using the numbers that I have registered with?any possibility to receive on my new Email address please I desperately need help its been the whole 7months now

  28. @Preshy
    If you don’t have the same emails and other recovery numbers you registered with, your only recourse would be to somehow try to contact Facebook and see what they can do.

  30. Leo helpp me please!!! My mom changed my facebook password,because of my grades. But im one of those people who absoulutely NEED facebook. I havent been on in like 6 weeks!!!! How can I find out the password that she put it. (and she didnt tell me the password) It is also, not under “saved passwords”. So is there any other possible way?!?! :'( Leo please help me i would apprecieate it soooooo much, Thanks

  31. @Myellys
    Normally, there’s no way to find out a password. Perhaps you can work out a deal with your mother, for example, ask her if she will allow you a certain amount of time on Facebook, if you bring up your grades.

  32. Leo to help me please, my brother has changed my password in facebook but I can not play back to him because I forget my password in hotmail. Please tell me whether you may have the opportunity to restore, with the help you are my only hope, thanks a lot.

  33. Hey leo ive bought a new phone an htc signed up wit facebook through it but i reset useing only my phone# i was unsatisfied wit phone service took tha phone bac got an galaxy s phone new # so now facebook wont allow me 2 log in useing that otha # when i try 2 get a reset it keeps sending tha code to my old phone # so leo wat do i do?

  34. @chris
    You’re in a world of hurt if you didn’t enter any other recovery option besides your phone number (such as an email). The only thing I can think of is to recover that old phone number long enough to set your account up properly. If someone else already has the number, maybe they will be nice enough to help you.

    This just goes to show how important it is to set up accounts correctly with good recovery options. Easiest way isn’t always best.

  35. Hi!I forgot my password and the facebook team send me another but i cant put it in my login.I try many times ti do that but nothing.I want a password to login….

  36. hey i need help reseting my facebook password, i no longer have access to my login email, is there anyway i can reset my password if so please help

  37. @hannah
    You can also retrieve your login information to your cell phone if you entered it into your account.

  38. People, please help!

    What I need to do, if my phone number is blocked by the operator, and every time I login on facebook I’m requested to do phone verification? Because I can’t access that number (I wasn’t paying for it, because I’ve recently got a new one) there is no way to fully login and change old number for a new one!

    What should I do? Reaching facebook support is impossible, it seems. And I don’t want to lose all my contacts and info, that would be terrible.

    Best wishes,
    Aleks

  39. i forgot my orriginal password i ended up getting a new password which i forgot it not realizing that that was my new password being sent to my phone i have a facebook account ive had for approximatly 1 yr now i dont want to loose my account, please help me

  40. hi Sir Leo i like to inform you about my password. this morning 10:32am i was change my password only before my password old is {password removed} then i change it to {password removed} to newly password. when i was log in to my new id i cannot open that was my problem now. i mental blank. then i make new face book now. but i like my old fb all friends are there. can you please help me sir? if i open my old fb i delete my new fb. hoping you help me sir take care god bless.

  43. Hey Leo I am trying to recover my fb account but I am not receiving the email that they are sending with the recovery instructions. I opted to change my email since I no longer have access to the one I had originally but I am not gettingthe recover email. Does it usually take long? Please help!

  44. @Sash
    The email should come right away. Did you, by any chance, enter your cell phone number? You can also get an instant reset code texted to you.

  46. I NO LONGER HAVE ACCESS TO MY OLD NUMBER THE CODE KEEP GETTING SENT THEIR. IS THERE ANY WAY TO WORK AROUND THERE MY OLD NUMBER I USED FOR FACEBOOK MOBILE I NO LONGER HAVE

  47. Hi there,

    my sis-in-law changed her email address since the old one couldn’t be validated by facebook. She then changed her password and logged out of facebook. now she’s forgotten her password and can’t access facebook anymore. When trying to retrieve it through forgotten password mode, it keeps sending her new password to her old email address which is no longer in use. She had logged off without validating her new email address and now simply can’t access facebook. Through a route of validating her account through her friends, the facebook keeps giving an error that says “An email error has occurred. Please try again later”..
    Can you help out pls? thanks in advance.

  48. I create a fb page for my wife’s business and set up everything under my login. So I thought, I tried to go back later and can’t get in the account. I can find the page but have no clue how to access it to make changes. Any clues???

  49. @Will
    The best way to find it is to use the search feature. Also, once you find it, you should also add her as an administrator.

  50. I no longer have access to my old email id which i used for logging in facebook and the code is keep getting sent there.is there any way to recover my lost passwor of facebook by using another email id or phone number on mobile.

  51. I have not had access to my facebook account for a few months. When I enter my password it says it is incorrect, but similar. I don’t have access to my log in email anymore so I used the security process for recovering my facebook account through 3 selected friends. I entered an alternative email address and answered one of my security questions right to initiate this process. I entered the codes and the additional information with the contact information for my friends. I waited the 24-Hour waiting period and nothing happened. I didn’t receive any email giving me the information to reset my password. Did I miss a step?

    I also received an email (Account Recovery: Contact User Operations) before I finished the recovery process with the 3 friends. It wanted me to describe the issue and attach a copy of an ID, which I did. My facebook account last name is different from the last name on my ID. Will that matter? I still have not received a response.

    I appreciate any help you can give me.

  52. @Anna
    Once you lose a facebook account in this way it is going to be pretty difficult to recover. Look at it from the point of view of Facebook, what do they have to go on to prove that this account belongs to you. You should keep up your efforts in
    contacting Facebook, as they are the only ones who can help.

  53. I set up my facebook account for deletion a few weeks ago. I believe the email stated that my facebook account was going to be permanently deleted on 02/22/12. However, I logged in to prevent the account from deletion on 02/15/12 so the message on facebook page then stated that my account was going to be permanently deleted on 02/29/12. I still ended up changing my mind and logged in on Sunday February 19, 2012 to prevent it from permanently deleting so the message on facebook page when I logged in stated that my account was going to be permanently delted on 03/04/12. I tried to log in on 03/02/12 to prevent it from complete deletion but I am afraid that it has been permanently deleted. Please let me know that this isn’t the case. I want to try and keep the account but have it in the process for deletion for personal reasons.

    P.S. If there was a glitch in the system can the technicians at facebook still recover my old facebook account?

  54. I no longer have access to my old email id which i used for logging in facebook and the code is keep getting sent there.is there any way to recover my lost passwor of facebook by using another email id or phone number on mobile.

  55. @Emerson
    Unless you have previously set up another email address of mobile phone number for recovery, there is no other recovery option. It it were possible, hackers could use those methods.

  57. @Summant
    Hopefully you still have access to the email stored in your Facebook account. If that is the case you can recover a password to that email, as mentioned in this article.

  59. @Marie
    You would have to log off your son’s Facebook account by clicking on the tiny upside down triangle in the upper right hand corner next to the word Home. Then select Log Out from the pulldown menu. Next fill in your information and press Log In.

  60. I recently got hacked on my facebook and someone changed my password on me. I locked my facebook and changed my password to my new password. Afterwards fb sent me a security code to my mobile cell BUT I afterwards realized I dont have that cell number anymore because I’m living overseas in Australia. Now i can’t get a hold of facebook to send me my security code via email and i’m locked out of facebook! help!

  61. I have forgot my password,when i have logout,and my login email was already deleted,how can i recover my fb account?

  62. I lost my password to my facebook, my phone is how i log in, because it was sync.. So all i had to do was push da facebook app that i downloaded to my phone. Well i dont use my yahoo email because oí forgot my password so wen &if they send my pin i cant acces it.sail

  63. My facebook deleted accidential now im sharing email adress with someone,what can i do to get access again?

  64. This is my first email address for facebook n myspace now I for got my password n I have a new number can u please help me please , I dont want to have a new account just my old one.

  66. My number was off for some day and now it will issue to some on else and i cant get my verification code…please help me…

  67. I have tried evrything you said and still cannot get my password changed, I click on forgot my password fill out all the question hit submit and it takes me to a blank page where the https is crossed out in red I don’t know what else to do Please any suggestions would be greatly appreciated

  68. How could I recover my old password and my profile could it be sent in a text. message to my. Mobile number?

    Nope. As the very first line of the article states “No, unfortunately Facebook won’t email you your password.” – that includes texting it to you. You can only RESET the password using the instructions above.

    Leo
    13-May-2012

  69. I have no computer to reset my password. HoW can I reset and get into my facebook through my phone?

  70. @Angela
    You can probably do this using the browser on your phone the same way you would on a computer. If that doesn’t work, you can use a friend’s computer or an internet cafe.

  71. I cant log in,i even tried the reset help link on facebook, i didnt work what shall i do

  72. My facebook account has been locked , I reset the password still cannot login , what do I do ? Gone a week now that I am battling to login under the name {name removed} , why would I get locked ?

  73. i have lost my phone no which is regester in face book now how can i reset mt account..
    a code is going to phone no.and i lost that phone…….
    email code is vot reseting password

  75. I logged out of Facebook on my phone. When I tried to log back in it said invalid password, so then I tried to reset it but it asked me to put old password but how can I do that f I obviously don’t remember what it was….please help mme

  76. forgot password on facebook. had to change pw then it gave me a new one. but different picture, how do i get old password back. It won’t let me do anything

  77. hey …..my question is ”what is mean by the confirmation reset code”???????plz tell me..sk

  78. i started to recover my facebook account and as according to the rules i select 3 friends but my 1 friend didnt get the security code … now tell me what should i do ?

  79. I deleted my facebook by mistake so now I can’t login because I don’t remember my email adress and password please help me

  80. @Lauretta,
    Your only options are to follow the instructions in this article. It’s really important to manage your passwords properly. Big sites like Facebook can’t possibly have someone answering the phone to try to verify who you are and reset it for you.

    Here’s a great article from Leo about managing passwords:
    Managing Lots of Passwords

  81. Mr. Leo I just want to tell you that I cant open my FB. cause I have forgotten my password now I look how to do it but thats not what happening after I click the forgot password? the one that comes out is identify your account and after I identify it there goes reset my password and I need to choose whether yahoo or email I choose email but I dont know where to find the code needed pls. Mr. leo help me….. I have read your article already….

  82. i started to recover my facebook account and as according to the rules i select 3 friends but my 2 friend didnt get the security code … now tell me what should i do ? i need my fb account..thankyou

  83. Mr Leo,once i changed my password and than it loged in with that,but next day i try to log in but i failed,it said me to confirm my passwword through my email,but my email was also not accepting the password,now i click on ,forget password, option then it shows no results,it says me to write your email n password again and again,plz help me that how can i log in again.thnx

  84. @shafi,
    Unfortunately your only options are to use the methods the Facebook provides to recover your password. Once you get it sorted out find some way to manage passwords so that you are not mistyping them or forgetting them.

    Here’s an article from Leo that may help.
    Managing lots of passwords

  85. me to i knew my password and have not spelled it wrong and all i kept getting was please rewrite my password so i tried to redo it so they told me to write out one so i did then they okayed it through my email then i tried to use it no go so what excuse can they use this time they are the ones who messed up my original password. it stinks i think virginia

  86. I have access to Facebook. login. I do not know or remember what was successful when I made password but now I can’t login Spotify because of all this mess. Help! Can’t I reset password for facebook-can not find “Forgot your password”? Do not want to deal with cookies, going back and forth checking this and that-just a simple way of solving problem!

  87. @Akindoyin
    If you don’t have access to at least one of the email addresses you have associated with your Facebook account, then you probably won’t be able to get your account back. Facebook allows you to associate several email addresses with your account so that you can recover it if you happen to close one of your accounts. You might try using one of your other email accounts, in case you may have added that as an alternate and had forgotten that you did.

  88. dear sir,
    i have open my facebook account with my mobile number but my number is not working as well as lose that number and i forgot my facebook password can you pleased help me how can i recover my facebook password? is their possible to recover password throught my friend email help me please.

  89. @Gunapati
    Unfortunately, unless you have access to one of the email addresses or mobile phone numbers associated with your Facebook account, you won’t be able to recover the account. If it were possible to do this with another email account, it would be easy to hack a Facebook account.

  90. I somehow logged myself out of my Facebook on phone forgot my password and tried for hours to reset my password everyone went to email got code number and it says the code I entered wasn’t a 6 digit code which i knew was I called Facebook technical support this morning they said I have some Microsoftware problems that needs fixed or can’t ever have access again then started saying how much they would charge me…….what is going on???

  91. 2 months ago I was on FB while at the beach and a box popped up (don’t remember what it said) but then it shut off and when I tried to get back in (on my phone) it asked for the password. I didn’t remember it and hit “forgot password”. It said they texted a code to me but I never got it. I tried my email and again, it said I had a code but I never got the email. I have used the “trusted friends” 3 different times and 3 different email addresses that I have access to, and each time it says I have identified my account, it tells me to change my password to a new one which I do, then it says to follow the link they sent me but I’m not getting the emailed link. This has been so frustrating. I have have that FB account for 9 years! I love ordering the social books as my now 12 year old daughters life has been chronicled on my FB page. I don’t want another acccount, I want this one back. My friends have not received strange things from my account and it’s still there. My friends can pull it up and everything looks normal. I just can’t get the email or text to reset the password. I did the browser thing to see if I had let it save my password and unfortunately, I had not. When I type in an old password, it recogizes it as an old password and it says I had changed it in the last 6 months. However I made the mistake of not writing it down. Can you offer any advice? I’m desperate!

  92. Good day all

    please assist me with my facebook , every time I try to lpgin its says I hve to put in the code ,and I don’t have it.and I don’t receive it from facebook. its now two months .
    wht can I do .please help

    isaac

  93. I cannot log in to fb – it gives me the code to reset , then it goes to delete posts. I deleted all. Pressed skip button and nothing happened. Just going round in circles re-setting passwords, codes and deleting posts?

  94. I’m closing comments on this article because they all seem to boil down to the same thing: not having read the article.

    Please Read The Article

    These are the options I’m aware of: following the account recovery process offered by Facebook, or maybe recovering it from your desktop browser. There’s no magical way to get it back. If those don’t work for you, then you may not be able to get your account back. Learn from this, and make sure you have proper security set up on your next, and all other, accounts that are important to you.