Go to facebook.com/hacked on a device and network you normally use, say that your account was compromised and follow the steps, which guide you through changing the password and reviewing recent activity. Check the email linked to the account for a message from Facebook about a changed email or password, because it contains a link to undo the change. Facebook publishes no fixed review time, so act the same day, secure your email and turn on two-factor authentication once you are back in.
- Message, meaning, route and timeline at a glance
- Signs that someone has taken over your Facebook account
- The first ten minutes
- The official recovery routes
- If they changed your email, phone number or name
- What to write when Facebook asks for details
- Secure the account once you are back in
- Recovery scams to avoid
- Is there a service that can recover a hacked account for me?
- When a hacked Facebook account cannot be recovered
- Frequently asked questions
Message, meaning, route and timeline at a glance
| What you see | What it means | Official route | Published timeline |
|---|---|---|---|
| An email from Facebook says your email address or password was changed | The login details of the account were changed | Use the link in the email to undo the change, then go to facebook.com/hacked | No time published; act quickly, the link may stop working |
| You cannot log in and the email or phone on the account is not yours | The recovery details were replaced | facebook.com/hacked, then identity confirmation if Facebook asks for it | No time published; users report days |
| Posts, messages, friend requests or ads you did not create | Someone is using the logged-in account | Change the password, log out of all sessions, review apps and report the account as compromised | Immediate for the password; no time published for the report |
| Login alert from a device or place you do not recognise | Someone has logged in or tried to | Tell Facebook it was not you in the alert and secure the account | Immediate |
| Account locked or disabled after the takeover | Facebook may restrict an account for what the intruder did | Follow the unlock or appeal steps in the notice, then facebook.com/hacked if access is still lost | Meta states 180 days to appeal a disabled account |
Signs that someone has taken over your Facebook account
Facebook usually shows one or more of these signals:
- Emails or notifications you did not expect, such as a changed email address, a changed password or a login from a new device.
- Content you did not post: posts, comments, messages, group posts, friend requests or paid ads.
- Changes to your profile: name, birthday, photo or the email and phone listed on the account.
- The password no longer works and the reset code goes to an address you do not recognise.
- Friends tell you that you sent them a strange link or asked for money.
If you doubt it, act as if the account was taken. Securing an account that was never compromised costs a few minutes.
The first ten minutes
- Look at the email linked to the account. Search the inbox and spam for Facebook messages about a change of email, phone or password. Facebook’s Help Center says such messages include a link to undo the change; use it first.
- Secure that email account. Change its password and turn on two-factor authentication. Attackers often use the email to reset the Facebook password again.
- If you can still log in, change the Facebook password, choose the option to log out of other sessions and review the devices and apps that have access.
- If you cannot log in, open facebook.com/hacked from a device and network you normally use and answer the questions as accurately as you can.
- Warn your friends by another channel and ask them to report messages from your account.
- Write down the dates of the last time you had access, the first strange activity and each security email.
The official recovery routes
Facebook’s Help Center has a dedicated page for compromised accounts at facebook.com/hacked. The steps you see depend on what you can still do.
- You can still log in: Facebook walks you through changing the password, reviewing recent logins and removing apps and posts you did not make.
- You cannot log in but still own the email or phone: use “Forgotten password?” on the login page and the code or link it sends. If it works, change the password straight away.
- You cannot log in and the contact details were changed: use facebook.com/hacked, enter any email, phone number or username you used before and follow the questions. Facebook may ask for a new contact detail and for a way to confirm who you are, such as an ID document or a video selfie, depending on the case.
- A trusted contact or a recovery code: if you set these up earlier, Facebook may offer them as a way to get back in.
Facebook publishes no review time for hacked-account requests. People report hours to several days, and longer if ID is needed. If the account was also locked or disabled, our guide to a locked Facebook account explains that route.
If they changed your email, phone number or name
The fastest fix is the undo link in the security email that Facebook sent to your previous address, so look for it before anything else. If it no longer works, start from facebook.com/hacked and give the previous email or phone. Facebook can then offer to send a code to a new address you control and, if it needs more, ask for identification.
Do not pay or negotiate with the person who has the account, and do not create a second profile to contact them. If the intruder is impersonating you, ask friends to report the profile and use the report option for impersonation.
What to write when Facebook asks for details
My Facebook account [name or profile link] was compromised on or around [date]. On [date] I received an email saying that the email address or password had been changed, and I did not make that change. The email originally linked to the account was [old email, partially masked] and the phone number ended in [last digits].
I am the owner of the account and can confirm my identity with an ID document or a video selfie if you ask for it. Please help me regain access and review the activity that was not mine. Thank you.
Be brief and exact, and never include the password. Send one request per account.
Secure the account once you are back in
- Change the password to a new one used nowhere else, and change the linked email’s password.
- Turn on two-factor authentication. Facebook supports an authentication app, text message codes and security keys. A security key or an app is generally harder to intercept than SMS.
- Review where you are logged in and log out of the devices you do not recognise.
- Check the email addresses and phone numbers listed on the account and remove any that are not yours.
- Remove unknown apps and websites with access to the account, and check pages and ad accounts for new administrators.
- Delete what the intruder posted and tell your friends that the account was compromised.
- Set up trusted contacts or recovery codes if Facebook offers them, so the next lock-out is easier to solve.
Recovery scams to avoid
- Anyone who asks for your password. Facebook does not ask for it by message or call.
- Apps and websites that “unlock” hacked accounts. None of them has a private route into Facebook. See our guide to apps that claim to unlock Facebook accounts.
- Messages from a fake “Facebook support” or “Meta Verified” profile offering to restore the account for money or a code.
- Payment in gift cards or cryptocurrency to someone you do not know. The Help Center forms are free.
Is there a service that can recover a hacked account for me?
Some companies will manage the process for a fee. At best they prepare the evidence, pick the right Facebook route and follow the case; they cannot override Facebook’s decision. Be cautious with anyone who asks for your login, guarantees an outcome or wants payment before explaining their method. For most takeovers the free official route is the right first step.
When a hacked Facebook account cannot be recovered
- Ownership cannot be confirmed. If the email, phone number and ID evidence that identified you are no longer available, Facebook may not restore access.
- The account was deleted and the period in which Facebook can restore it has passed.
- The account was disabled for serious violations committed during the takeover, and the appeal was rejected. Meta states a 180-day window to appeal a disabled account; read our disabled-account appeal guide for that route.
If recovery fails, secure your email, warn your contacts, report any impersonating profile and, if you depend on Facebook, open a new account that follows the rules with two-factor authentication from the start.
Frequently asked questions
How long does it take to recover a hacked Facebook account?
Facebook does not publish a time. A code sent to your email or phone arrives in minutes; identity checks through facebook.com/hacked commonly take several days, according to users.
What if the hacker changed my email and phone?
Look for the security email sent to your old address and use its undo link. If it no longer works, start at facebook.com/hacked and give your previous email or phone number.
Does Facebook ask for an ID or a selfie?
It can. Depending on the case it may ask for an ID document or a video selfie to confirm that you own the account. It does not ask everyone.
Can a hacked account be recovered after a long time?
Sometimes, but the chances fall if the account was deleted or disabled and the appeal window passed. Meta states 180 days to appeal a disabled account.
Should I pay someone to get my account back?
Be very careful. No one outside Facebook controls the decision, and anyone who asks for your password or gift-card payments in advance is a red flag.
Official sources
- Facebook Help Center: Hacked and fake accounts
- Facebook Help Center: Secure your account
- Facebook Help Center: Two-factor authentication
- Facebook: Report a compromised account
If you have followed these steps and the platform rejected the appeal, or the account earns you money and you cannot risk another mistake, we can review your case. Send the username, the ban notice and the date on Telegram and we will tell you, before you pay anything, whether we can take it. No service can guarantee reinstatement: the decision always belongs to the platform.