Logging into Facebook only to be greeted with the message “incorrect password” can be frustrating, especially when you know you’re entering the right password. There are a few reasons why Facebook may say your password is wrong even when it’s not.
You Have Caps Lock On
One of the most common reasons Facebook rejects your password is because you have Caps Lock enabled while typing your password. Facebook passwords are case-sensitive, so if you’re entering your correct password but with the wrong capitalization, Facebook will think it’s wrong.
Before re-entering your password, make sure Caps Lock is turned off. You can quickly check by looking for a lit Caps Lock indicator on your keyboard. If it’s on, tap the Caps Lock key again to disable it, then try typing your password again using the proper uppercase and lowercase letters.
Your Keyboard Layout is Set to the Wrong Language
If you use multiple keyboard layouts or input languages on your device, your keyboard could be set to the wrong language when you try to log in to Facebook. For example, if your password has English characters but your keyboard is set to French, the characters will be wrong even if they look similar.
Check what input language your keyboard is currently using before typing your password. On Windows, the language is shown on the taskbar. On Mac, it’s displayed in the menu bar. On mobile, it’s usually indicated on the spacebar. Select the correct language for your password before attempting to log in.
You Have Unintentionally Entered the Wrong Password
In some cases, the simple explanation is that you’ve accidentally entered the wrong password without realizing it. Maybe you rushed typing it or got a character or two wrong. Going too fast or not paying close enough attention can lead to entering an incorrect password even if you know the right one.
When Facebook rejects your password, slow down and carefully type it again. Double check that you’re entering the exact same password that you normally use to access your account. Match your typing to the saved password character for character.
You’ve Forgotten Your Password
As unlikely as it may seem, there’s always a chance you’ve actually forgotten your Facebook password. Especially if you don’t log in frequently, you may have forgotten the exact password you set up earlier.
If you’ve verified your keyboard is set to the right language and you’re certain you’re typing the password accurately, then you may have legitimately forgotten your password. Not to worry though – you can reset your Facebook password to regain access to your account.
How to Reset Your Facebook Password
Resetting your lost Facebook password is a simple process:
- Go to facebook.com and click “Forgotten password?” below the password field.
- Enter your email address or phone number associated with your Facebook account.
- Facebook will send you a password reset link.
- Click the reset link in the email/text message to open a password reset page.
- Enter and confirm your new Facebook password on the reset page.
- Click “Save Changes” and you can now log in with your new password.
You Have Multiple Facebook Accounts
Do you have more than one Facebook account? For example, maybe you have a personal profile along with a separate page for a business or organization.
It’s easy to mix up the passwords between different accounts you own. The password you memorized may be for your secondary account, not your main one you’re currently trying to log into.
If you suspect this is the issue, try the passwords from your other accounts until you find the right one. Make sure you’re logging into the correct username email address as well.
Someone Changed Your Password
In rare cases, someone else may have gotten access to your account and changed your Facebook password without you realizing it.
This could happen if you use the same password across multiple websites and services and one of them suffered a security breach. Or if you recently logged into Facebook on a shared or public computer and forgot to logout.
Try going through Facebook’s password reset process (outlined above) to set a new password. If that doesn’t work because the email/phone number on your account was changed, contact Facebook support for help recovering your hacked account.
Facebook is Temporarily Blocking Logins from Your Location
For security reasons, Facebook may temporarily block logins from certain regions or locations that show suspicious login activity. This most often happens if someone tries to brute force into your account using an IP address that traces back to your geographic area.
Try logging in with your password again from another internet connection or on cellular data. Facebook should automatically unblock the restriction after a period of time, but you can contact support if your location remains blocked from accessing your account.
Your Account was Disabled
If Facebook has deactivated your account due to inactivity or violating their policies, you’ll be unable to log in no matter how many times you enter your password correctly.
You’ll need to reactivate or reinstate your disabled Facebook account before you can log in again. Use Facebook’s account reactivation form, then try your password again once your account access has been restored.
Facebook is Having Login Issues
Once in a blue moon, the problem may be on Facebook’s end, not yours. Facebook has billions of users, so technical problems can happen on occasion that prevent some people from being able to log in.
Check Downdetector to see if other users are reporting login errors as well. If Facebook is experiencing widespread login problems, you’ll simply have to wait until their tech teams resolve the issue on their end before you can access your account.
You’ve Been Logged Out of All Sessions
If you manually logged out all sessions from your Facebook account settings, you may need to enter your password one additional time the next time you log in. This extra step confirms your identity and prevents unauthorized access when logging in again from new devices or browsers.
To ensure you don’t get involuntarily logged out everywhere, only use the “Log Out of All Sessions” option if absolutely necessary, like if your believe your account has been compromised. When logging in normally, use the standard “Log Out” button instead of fully logging out all sessions.
Your Browser has Saved an Outdated Password
Many browsers can remember your Facebook login details, including an outdated password if you’ve changed it since first logging in. When you attempt to log in again, the browser autofills the old, incorrect password instead of your new one.
To fix this, remove any saved Facebook passwords your browser has stored:
- Chrome: Go to Settings > Autofill > Passwords > Remove Facebook password
- Firefox: Go to Options > Privacy & Security > Logins and Passwords > Select and remove Facebook login
- Safari: Go to Safari > Preferences > Passwords > Select and remove Facebook login
- Internet Explorer: Go to Settings > Manage add-ons > Saved Passwords > Remove any Facebook logins
Now when you log into Facebook, your browser won’t autofill an old password so you can enter the correct, current one.
You Have an Account Security Key Enabled
If you’ve set up two-factor authentication using a physical security key on your Facebook account, you’ll need your password plus the security key device to log in successfully.
Make sure you have your paired security key handy. Insert it into your computer’s USB port when prompted after typing your password. Without providing the randomly generated security code from the physical key, Facebook will reject your login attempt.
You’re Temporarily Locked Out
If you make several incorrect password attempts in a row, Facebook will temporarily lock your account for a brief period as a security precaution. This lockout lasts for a few hours or until you complete a reCAPTCHA challenge.
If your account is temporarily locked, you’ll have to wait out the duration before you can successfully log in, even with the correct password. Avoid repeating failed login attempts to prevent getting your account locked down again.
Conclusion
When Facebook rejects your login password, don’t panic. In most cases, the issue is something simple like Caps Lock being on or your keyboard set to the wrong language. Try entering your password again carefully and double check your input method settings.
You can also reset your password if you forgot what it was. And be sure to remove any outdated saved logins your browser has stored.
With the right password and login approach, you’ll be able to access your Facebook account again in no time.