Having your Facebook account hacked or losing access to it can be extremely frustrating. Fortunately, Facebook provides a way for you to regain access to your account through trusted contacts you have set up. Here is a step-by-step guide on how to recover your Facebook account using trusted contacts.
What are trusted contacts on Facebook?
Trusted contacts are friends or family members you select in your Facebook security settings to help you regain access to your account if you ever get locked out. You can assign 3-5 trusted contacts who can verify your identity and help you get back into your disabled or hacked Facebook account.
Requirements for trusted contacts
- Must be 18 years or older
- Must have an active Facebook account
- Should be someone you trust and that knows you well
- Should be someone you can easily contact outside of Facebook
Benefits of setting up trusted contacts
- Provides account recovery option if you get locked out
- Extra layer of security on top of two-factor authentication
- Fast way to regain access without dealing with Facebook support
- No waiting period to recover your account
How to set up trusted contacts
Follow these steps to add trusted contacts to your Facebook account:
- Go to your Facebook Settings and click on Security and Login
- Under Use Two-Factor Authentication and Trusted Contacts, click Edit next to Trusted Contacts
- Enter the name or profile link of the friend or family member you want to add
- Click Add next to their name
- Repeat steps 3-4 to add up to 5 trusted contacts
- Click Done
Once added, your trusted contacts will receive a notification informing them that you have listed them as a trusted contact. They have the option to remove themselves if they do not want the responsibility.
How trusted contacts help recover your account
If you ever get locked out of your Facebook account, here is how your trusted contacts can help you get back in:
- When you try to login but cannot access your account, click the “Get help from friends” link
- Facebook will then send a link to your trusted contacts so they can confirm it’s really you trying to login
- Once a certain number of your trusted contacts respond and confirm your identity, you will be able to regain access to your Facebook account
- You may also be asked some security questions only you would know the answer to
- After your contacts verify you and you answer the questions correctly, your account will be recovered
The number of confirming responses from trusted contacts required depends on your number of total contacts. But generally 2-3 verifications are needed. The entire process usually takes less than an hour.
When to use trusted contacts for recovery
Some situations when you would utilize your trusted contacts to recover access include:
- Got locked out due to wrong password attempts
- Account was hacked or compromised
- Forgot your password and cannot reset it
- Lost access to your two-factor authentication method
- Accidentally deactivated your account
Essentially anytime you cannot get into your account through normal means, reaching out to trusted contacts is the fastest way to regain access.
Trusted contacts vs Facebook support
| Trusted Contacts | Facebook Support |
|---|---|
| Recovery takes less than 1 hour usually | Recovery can take 1-3 days |
| No forms to fill out or docs to upload | Must submit ID and forms to prove identity |
| Higher success rate for account recovery | Lower success rate overall |
| People who know you verify identity | Strangers at Facebook verify identity |
As you can see, recovering your account through trusted contacts is faster, easier, and more effective than going through Facebook support. The people who know you can vouch for you much better than Facebook employees who don’t know you at all.
When to use Facebook support instead
In some cases, you may still need to resort to contacting Facebook support to recover your account:
- Don’t have trusted contacts set up
- Trusted contacts are unresponsive or unhelpful
- Hacked by someone added as a trusted contact
- Trusted contacts cannot fully verify your identity
- Account issues beyond just being locked out
Tips for recovering your account with trusted contacts
Here are some tips to ensure you can successfully recover your Facebook account using trusted contacts:
- Add people you fully trust – They should be willing and able to verify your identity.
- Keep contacts updated – If you replace a contact, update your trusted connections.
- List at least 3 contacts – Maximum is 5 contacts, but list at least 3 for best results.
- Use contacts who know you well – They can vouch for you better than casual acquaintances.
- Avoid listing contacts who know each other – Unique contacts make identity verification easier.
- Notify your contacts – So they know to watch for your recovery request.
Troubleshooting issues
Here are some troubleshooting tips if you have issues recovering your account with trusted contacts:
Trusted contacts not responding
- Contact them through other means like phone, text, email
- Update your contacts with people more likely to respond
- Make sure to notify your new contacts once added
Cannot verify enough contacts
- Add 1-2 more trusted contacts to ensure enough respond
- Provide contacts more details to confirm identity
- Have contacts verify you are who you say before recovery
Trusted contacts saying it’s not you
- Explain the situation in more detail to contacts
- Update contacts who cannot recognize you
- Offer more proof of identity outside Facebook
- Consider resolving issue through Facebook support
Cannot access recovery links
- Ask contacts to directly send you the links
- Try accessing links from a different device
- Double check all login credentials entered
- Use a secondary recovery email or phone if possible
Conclusion
Having trusted contacts set up on Facebook provides an invaluable account recovery option if you ever get locked out. By following Facebook’s process and having your identity confirmed by people who know you, regaining access to your account can be fast and seamless. Just make sure your contacts are reliable and will readily vouch for you.
With the proper trusted contacts in place, you can avoid the hassle of dealing with Facebook support if you lose access to your account. Your friends and family can get you back in within minutes or hours, rather than days. So take the time to set up trusted contacts now before you have any account issues down the road.