Deepak Gupta

Lock down your Facebook account

9 settings, about 20 minutes. Do them in order: each one closes a door attackers use. Your ticks stay in this browser only.

0 of 9 doneAbout 20 minutes total

Use a new password you use nowhere else2 minChange your Facebook password to one that is hard to guess and not used on any other site or app. Never share it. Facebook says to avoid your name and common words.source
Turn on two-factor authentication with an app or security key4 minClick your profile picture > Settings and privacy > Settings > Accounts Center > Password and security > Two-factor authentication, then pick your account. Facebook offers a security key, an authentication app, or text message codes. Pick the key or the app if you can, so a stolen phone number cannot get the codes.source
Create a passkey2 minA passkey lets you log in with your fingerprint, face or device passcode, and Facebook says it is less open to phishing than a password. Facebook may prompt you to create one when you log in. You can also look for Passkey in Accounts Center > Password and security. Do not create one on a shared device.Unconfirmed, test pendingsource
Save your 10 recovery codes2 minIn Accounts Center > Password and security > Two-factor authentication, pick your account. Below How you get login codes, click Additional methods > Recovery codes > Get new codes. Print them or write them down. Each code works once.source
Log out devices you do not recognize2 minIn Accounts Center > Password and security, click Where you're logged in and pick your account. Click Select devices to log out, choose the ones you do not recognize (or Select all), then click Log out.source
Add a second email or phone that only you control2 minKeep an up to date email and mobile number on your account, and add a second one in case the first is taken over. Make sure no one else can get into those emails, and that your email password is different from your Facebook password.source
Remove apps and websites you do not trust2 minClick your profile picture > Settings & privacy > Settings > Apps and websites. Click Remove next to anything you do not use or trust, then Remove again to confirm.source
Run Security Checkup and turn on login alerts3 minLog in on a computer or the latest Facebook app and start Security Checkup. It recommends steps like updating your password, two-factor authentication and alerts about logins from devices Facebook does not recognize.source
Learn where to check real Facebook emails1 minGo to Accounts Center > Password and security, then below Security checks select Recent emails. Real security emails from the last year are in the SECURITY tab. If a scary email is not there, it did not come from Facebook.source

Then

Write down where your recovery details live in the recovery kit, so a future lockout takes minutes, not weeks.

Free toolExposure CheckSee what of yours is already public.Free toolPassword Breach CheckCheck if a password shows up in known leaks.ReadHow to set up two-factor on all your accounts ReadPasskeys vs passwords

Comparing password managers or security keys? See the independent tool comparisons.

Sources and last check

Last verified: October 16, 2026. Steps checked against the platform's own help pages listed below. Device testing is ongoing; steps marked unconfirmed are still waiting for it.

Facebook: Secure your account (facebook.com/hacked) (read 2026-10-16)
Facebook: Find your account (facebook.com/login/identify) (read 2026-10-16)
Facebook Help: Recover your Facebook account if you were hacked (read 2026-10-16)
Facebook Help: Recover a hacked account (read 2026-10-16)
Facebook Help: Keep your Facebook profile secure (read 2026-10-16)
Facebook Help: Security tips and features (read 2026-10-16)
Facebook Help: How two-factor authentication works on Facebook (read 2026-10-16)
Facebook Help: Set up Facebook login recovery codes (read 2026-10-16)
Facebook Help: Create a passkey on Facebook (read 2026-10-16)
Facebook Help: Log out of Facebook on another device (read 2026-10-16)
Facebook Help: Using Security Checkup to add security to your Meta Account (read 2026-10-16)
Facebook Help: Manage your apps (read 2026-10-16)
Facebook Help: Check if an email is really from Facebook (read 2026-10-16)
Facebook Help: My personal Facebook account is suspended or disabled (read 2026-10-16)
Facebook Help: Report a Facebook profile or Page pretending to be you or someone else (read 2026-10-16)
Facebook Help Center: Report an Impostor Account (read 2026-10-16)
Meta: Account Recovery Hub (read 2026-10-16)

Wrong step or changed screen? Report it. Never include passwords or codes.