If you have entered too many incorrect login codes on Facebook, you may experience a temporary lockout from accessing your account. This is a security measure Facebook has in place to protect accounts from unauthorized logins. Here is some key information on how long you typically have to wait before trying to log in again after hitting the code limit.
What triggers the login code limit on Facebook?
Facebook will trigger a temporary lockout if too many incorrect login codes are entered on your account within a short period of time. This is usually triggered if someone is repeatedly trying to guess your password or access your account without authorization.
The specific number of failed code attempts that will trigger a lockout varies, as Facebook’s systems are constantly evaluating potential suspicious activity. However, expect a lockout after around 10 failed attempts within a short timeframe.
How long is the lockout period?
The initial lockout period after hitting the code limit is usually around 15-30 minutes. However, subsequent lockouts may last longer if you continue to enter incorrect codes after the initial waiting period.
Here is an overview of the typical lockout durations:
- 1st lockout: 15-30 minutes
- 2nd lockout: 1-2 hours
- 3rd lockout: 24 hours
- 4th lockout: 3 days
- 5th lockout: 1 week
As you can see, the lockout duration increases significantly if incorrect codes continue to be entered after the initial waiting period. This is to further discourage unauthorized access attempts.
What happens during the lockout period?
During the lockout, any attempt to log in to your Facebook account will fail. You will not be able to enter any codes or access the account in any way until the waiting period has passed.
If someone tries to log in during the lockout, they will see an error message advising that the account has been temporarily locked for security reasons due to too many failed login attempts.
How can I regain access once the waiting period is over?
Once the required waiting period has passed, you should be able to log in as normal using your correct login code. Facebook’s systems will have reset the failed login counter at this point.
To avoid any further issues, be sure you are using the proper login email/phone number and code for the account. If you have forgotten the code, you can use Facebook’s recovery options to reset it before attempting to log in again.
Tips to avoid triggering the lockout
Here are some tips to avoid having your Facebook account locked out due to incorrect codes:
- Be sure you are using the right login details, including the proper email/phone number for the account.
- If you can’t remember your code, reset it through Facebook’s recovery options before attempting to log in.
- Don’t let anyone else attempt to access your account, as failed logins will count towards your lockout threshold.
- Use extra login security measures like two-factor authentication to better protect your account.
- If you enter a few incorrect codes, stop and wait awhile before trying again to avoid a quick lockout.
What to do if you get locked out
If you do experience a lockout, here are the key steps:
- Wait out the required lockout period. Attempting to log in repeatedly will not help.
- Once the waiting period has passed, try to log in again as normal.
- If the lockout repeats, you will have to go through another waiting period.
- Consider changing your code once you regain access, in case someone else knows your old code.
- Strengthen your login security to help prevent future lockouts.
Contacting Facebook support
If you are still unable to access your account after the waiting period has ended, you can try contacting Facebook support for assistance. Explain that you have been locked out due to incorrect login attempts.
Some methods for contacting Facebook support include:
- Submitting a support request through Facebook’s help pages
- Checking Facebook’s help pages for specialized login troubleshooting
- Posting on Facebook’s help community pages to see if other users have suggestions
Keep in mind support response times may be slow, so your best option is usually to just wait out the lockout period.
Preventing lockouts in the future
Once you regain access to your Facebook account, it’s important to take steps to prevent repeated lockouts going forward. Here are some tips:
- Enable login approvals such as two-factor authentication. This requires you to enter a secondary one-time code from your phone when logging in.
- Avoid logging in from public, shared, or otherwise unsecured devices. Stick to personal devices.
- Change your password if you think someone else may have it and be causing lockouts.
- Review Facebook’s list of where you’re logged in and log out of any unknown sessions.
- Run antivirus scans to check your devices are malware-free. Some malware tries random codes.
- Never give out your login details. Facebook will never ask for your code directly.
Strengthening your overall Facebook security practices can help prevent hackers, malware or misguided login attempts from causing lockouts in the future.
Conclusion
Getting locked out of Facebook due to entering incorrect login codes can be a hassle, but the lockouts are designed to protect your account. If it happens to you, the key is to just wait out the required lockout period, and then focus on shoring up your account security to avoid repeat issues going forward. With stronger login protections enabled, you can rest easier knowing intruders face a much tougher challenge in accessing your account.
Table of Facebook account lockout durations
| Lockout Instance | Typical Duration |
|---|---|
| 1st lockout | 15-30 minutes |
| 2nd lockout | 1-2 hours |
| 3rd lockout | 24 hours |
| 4th lockout | 3 days |
| 5th lockout | 1 week |
Table of tips to prevent future Facebook lockouts
| Prevention Tip | Details |
|---|---|
| Enable two-factor authentication | Requires entering a secondary code from your phone when logging in |
| Avoid public/unsecured devices | Only log in from your personal devices |
| Change your password | If someone else might know it and be causing lockouts |
| Review login sessions | Log out of any unknown sessions |
| Run antivirus scans | Check for malware trying random codes |
| Don’t share login details | Facebook will never directly ask for your code |