Facebook, in no time, got at the top of everyone’s daily routine. The reason is obvious; while staying in touch with friends and family over voice or video calls, this is a platform where you can also stay updated about the latest happenings around the world. You can share pictures and videos, from your daily life and have a look back at them to cherish the memories.
But what if one day you realize you are no longer able to access your Facebook account as someone else has got access to it and has changed the password.
Feels frightening? Right? Well, it should be, as you have stored a lot of personal information as well as memories in your Facebook account that can be misused. Worry no more, as this article will guide you on how to get out of this situation and what options are available to recover a hacked Facebook.
How to Know Your Facebook Account is Hacked?
There are some ways using which you can easily tell if your Facebook account has been hacked:
- You’ve been logged out of Facebook.
- You’ve noticed some messages not sent by you.
- There are some changes in your FB account that were not made by you.
- New friends or applications have been added to your FB profile without your knowledge.
- You have noticed a suspicious login from an unknown location and device.
- Your password has been changed.
- Your recovery email address and phone number have been removed or replaced.
All these things are enough to hint at a hacked Facebook account. Read on to know what can be done next.
Ways to Recover a Hacked Facebook
Here are some ways you can try to get back to your hacked Facebook account:
Hacked Facebook Recovery- Part 1
Change your Password
The moment you realise that someone else has got access to your Facebook account, your first step should be to change your password if you still have access to it. This is rare, as the hacker will also change your password so that you can no longer have access to your account. But in case you noticed something suspicious and are still logged in, immediately change your password to a strong one.
To change your Facebook password:
- Open the Facebook app
- Tap the ‘menu’ icon
- Tap the ‘gear’ icon
- Choose ‘Password and Security
- Under Login, tap ‘Change password’
- Create a new and strong password that you do not use for any of your other accounts.
Update the Recovery Information
If you have successfully changed the password of your Facebook account, the next step is to update the recovery email address and phone number (if required). Check if the hacker has removed your email address or phone number with theirs or not. If yes, then make the necessary changes so that it gets a bit difficult for the hackers to regain access to your account.
To update the recovery information:
- Open the Facebook app
- Tap the ‘menu’ icon
- Tap the ‘gear’ icon
- Go to ‘Personal and account information’
- Under ‘Contact info’, you can easily update your phone number and email address
Hacked Facebook Recovery- Part 2
Reset your Password
If you have been logged out of Facebook, it means the password has been changed by the hackers. In this case, what can save you is the recovery information you have added to your Facebook account. You can use your phone number or email address to reset the password if your FB has been hacked. This is how you can reset your Facebook password:
- Go to the Facebook login page
- Click on ‘Forgotten Password’
- Enter your linked email address
- You will get 2-3 options to reset the password – one is to directly log in to your Google account, the second is to get a code via email and the third is to get a code via SMS. Select the one and click ‘Continue’.
- Enter the code, and you will be able to create a new password for your Facebook profile.
Hacked Facebook Recovery- Part 3
Report Hacking to Facebook
If you still are not able to get back to your hacked Facebook account, you can go to Facebook’s official help page to report your compromised account and recover it. Here is the link- https://www.facebook.com/hacked
Just follow the instructions given there and if Facebook is able to recognise you as the real owner of the account, it will help you get back to your account in no time.
Need more help with your hacked Facebook account?
Visit this official link- https://www.facebook.com/help/1306725409382822/ and answer a few questions asked by Facebook and they will give you directions to recover your account.
Tips to Prevent Future Hacking Attempts
Log Out of All Devices
Facebook lets you keep a track of all those devices and locations from where you logged into your Facebook account. So, you should always keep a check on that, and whenever, you notice any unknown device and location, you can quickly log out of your Facebook account from that device.
- Open the Facebook app
- Tap the ‘menu’ icon
- Tap the ‘gear’ icon
- Choose ‘Password and Security
- Click on ‘see all’ for ‘Where you’re logged in’
- There you will see all the devices and locations where you were logged in through Facebook.
- Simply, tap ‘Log out of all sessions’ or press the three-dots to log out of each device individually.
Add an Extra Layer of Security
Using two-step verification for your Facebook account can add an extra layer of security. Not only your password, but the hackers will also be required to give the login code sent to the registered phone number. Two-factor authentication helps when someone tries to access your account from an unknown location or device. So, once you turn it on, you can rest assured about unauthorised access to your Facebook account.
Here is how you can turn on two-factor authentication on Facebook:
- Open the Facebook app
- Tap the ‘menu’ icon
- Tap the ‘gear’ icon
- Choose ‘Password and Security’
- Tap ‘Use two-factor authentication’
- You can choose from Authentication app, Text message, or Security key as an additional verification method for your Facebook account. However, the most commonly used and the easiest one is the ‘Text message’ one where you get a verification code on the mobile number registered with Facebook whenever someone attempts a login to your account.
Turn on the Login Alerts
Another safety measure you can take to prevent your Facebook account from hacking is to keep the login alerts on so that if someone tries to illegally access your account, you will be immediately notified.
- Open the Facebook app
- Tap the ‘menu’ icon
- Tap the ‘gear’ icon
- Choose ‘Password and Security
- Tap ‘Get alerts about unrecognised logins’ under ‘Setting up extra security’
- Turn on the login alerts via ‘Notifications’ and ‘Emails’
- Whenever you receive any login alert via app or email, you must quickly reset your password.
If your Facebook account has been hacked, you must quickly change your password, if possible or reset it using your recovery information. Apart from that, you can visit official help pages in order to recover your hacked Facebook account and also keep the above tips in mind to prevent future hacking attempts.
Infomafia, over and out!