If you are trying to log into Facebook but are not receiving the login code sent to your phone number, there are a few things you can try to fix this issue. Not receiving the Facebook login code can prevent you from accessing your account and is often a frustrating experience. However, in many cases, this problem can be easily resolved by troubleshooting a few common causes.
Check if Facebook is down
The first thing to check is whether Facebook is experiencing an outage or technical issues. Like any major website or app, Facebook occasionally goes down for maintenance or has a widespread technical glitch preventing certain features from working properly.
To check if Facebook is having problems, you can visit Facebook’s status page at https://www.facebook.com/business/status. This page shows any ongoing issues Facebook is aware of and tracking. You can also check third-party websites like Down Detector that aggregate user reports of issues across major sites.
If Facebook is reporting known issues with sending login codes or texts, then you’ll simply need to wait for them to resolve the problem on their end. Continuing to retry getting a code likely won’t help until Facebook fixes the underlying problem.
Make sure your phone number is correct
If Facebook isn’t having technical issues, the next thing to verify is that you have the correct phone number set up on your Facebook account. To check your linked phone number:
- Go to your Facebook profile
- Click “Settings & Privacy” then “Settings”
- Click “Mobile” on the left sidebar
- You should see the phone number Facebook has on file for your account
Make sure this number is correct and that you have access to it on your phone. If the number is outdated or wrong, you can remove it and add your current phone number. Facebook will then send login codes to your new number going forward.
Check your mobile carrier and signal
Even with the right phone number on file, you may not receive Facebook’s login code due to issues with your mobile carrier or cell signal. Here are some things to troubleshoot:
- Make sure your phone has cellular signal by going into an area with better reception. Codes can’t be delivered if you have no bars.
- Confirm your phone plan is active and that you don’t have any service interruptions.
- Check if your carrier is experiencing an outage in your area.
- Toggle your phone’s cellular data and airplane modes on and off to reset the connection.
- Try manually switching between 3G and LTE if possible on your phone.
Cell networks can suffer localized outages or have difficulty routing certain types of SMS messages. Toggling settings to refresh the connection may help get the code text delivered. You may also need to contact your carrier if the issue persists.
Allow notifications from Facebook
On smartphones, Facebook’s login codes are sent as SMS text messages. To receive them properly, you need to allow notifications from the Facebook app itself.
Check that notifications are enabled for the Facebook app on your phone:
- Go to your phone’s Settings app
- Select “Notifications”
- Locate Facebook/Messenger and ensure notifications are turned on
You may also need to enable SMS notifications specifically in the Facebook app settings:
- Open the Facebook app
- Tap the hamburger menu icon in the top right
- Go to “Settings & Privacy” then “Settings”
- Select “Notifications”
- Make sure SMS notifications are enabled
Granting notification access allows Facebook to reliably send you login codes and other text alerts.
Check for blocked numbers
In some cases, you aren’t receiving Facebook’s login codes because the sending phone number is blocked on your phone. Facebook uses a short list of numbers to send codes from, which your phone may be blocking automatically.
To check for blocked numbers:
- On an iPhone, go to Settings > Phone > Blocked Contacts
- On Android, go to Settings > Block numbers
- See if any Facebook code numbers are listed and unblock them
You can also search online to find the list of possible Facebook code sender IDs and ensure none are blocked. Unblocking these numbers should allow texts to be delivered normally.
Disable two-factor authentication
If your Facebook account has two-factor authentication enabled, the required login code is different from the text message code Facebook sends by default.
Two-factor generates random security codes instead of using your phone number. If you recently enabled two-factor and can no longer log in, you may need to disable it:
- Click “Need help logging in?” on the Facebook login screen
- Choose to disable two-factor authentication
- Follow the steps shown to turn off two-factor
Once disabled, Facebook will go back to sending codes via SMS to your phone number when logging in. Note that two-factor provides added security, so it’s best to re-enable it once you regain access to your account.
Use backup login method
As a last resort, if you cannot receive the code by text, you may be able to log in through a backup method set up on your account.
The Facebook login screen provides the option to “Get a login code emailed to you” instead of texted. Click this and you can have a code emailed that may allow you to access your account.
You can also try logging in through a linked third-party app like Google if you originally set up your account using your Google profile. This bypasses the text code process during login.
Contact Facebook support
If you still cannot receive Facebook’s login codes after exhausting other troubleshooting, you will need to get in touch with Facebook support for further help:
- Go to https://www.facebook.com/help/contact/ and click “Get Started”
- Select the issue “Account access”
- Choose the sub-topic “Login approvals”
- Explain your issue with receiving codes
Facebook’s support team may be able to investigate why your number is not getting codes or override security to restore your access. Be prepared to provide details to confirm your identity.
Conclusion
Troubleshooting login notifications not arriving is often just a matter of double checking settings, signal status, or contacting Facebook support. With the right fix, you should be able to get back into Facebook smoothly. Don’t hesitate to seek help from Facebook or your carrier if texts with vital account codes aren’t coming through correctly on your phone. Proper access to your Facebook profile is important.