Why does my phone say I have 2 Facebook accounts?

There are a few possible reasons why your phone may show that you have two Facebook accounts linked to it:

You Actually Have Two Accounts

The most straightforward explanation is that you genuinely have two separate Facebook accounts associated with your phone number or email address. Here are some common scenarios where this could occur:

You created a second account for personal and professional purposes, to keep separate friend circles.

You opened a second account after being locked out of your original one.
Someone else gained access to your phone and created an additional Facebook profile.
Your phone number or email was previously linked to another Facebook account you no longer use.

If you intentionally maintain two accounts, then seeing both show up on your phone is expected. But if you only want to use one profile, having a duplicate can be annoying and confusing.

An Old Account Wasn’t Fully Deactivated

Sometimes when people try to delete a Facebook profile, it doesn’t get completely removed from the system. If you had an old account connected to your phone that you thought you deleted, remnants of it may still be lingering on your device.

This often happens when the deactivation process wasn’t fully completed. For example, you may have removed the Facebook app but didn’t actually go through the steps to permanently close the account. Or the account was deactivated but not fully disabled.

In this case, your phone still recognizes the old profile, even though you can’t actively access or use it. Trying to log in just routes you back to your current account.

A Glitch or Bug

Less commonly, seeing two accounts could simply be a technical glitch. Sometimes bugs in the Facebook app or your phone’s software can cause weird account display issues that don’t reflect reality.

Reinstalling the Facebook app, updating your phone software, and restarting your device can often resolve transient glitches like this. If the issue persists, it’s more likely caused by one of the other factors on this list.

How to Check Which Accounts Are Linked

If you want to get to the bottom of why your phone shows two Facebook accounts, the first step is identifying them. Here are some ways to check which profiles are associated with your phone:

Check the Facebook App

Open the Facebook app and tap the three-line menu icon in the top-right corner. On the menu that opens, tap “Settings & privacy” then “Settings.” This will show a list of any accounts linked to the app.

Log in on a Web Browser

Navigate to www.facebook.com on your phone’s web browser and try logging in with your credentials. Facebook will prompt you to choose which account you want to use if more than one is connected to that login information.

Check Connected Apps

In your Facebook account settings on the desktop website, you can view a list of all apps and services connected to your profile. This includes any that may be linked through your phone. Look for unexpected or unfamiliar apps that could be tied to a separate account.

Review Account Recovery Options

Attempt resetting your Facebook password on both the mobile app and desktop site. The account recovery options shown, like trusted phone numbers or email addresses, can indicate which profiles are recognized by your login credentials.

What to Do if You Have Two Accounts

Once you’ve confirmed that your phone does in fact have two Facebook accounts attached, here are some steps to resolve the issue:

Remove Old or Unwanted Accounts

If you have an old, unused account linked to your phone, permanently delete it:

Log into the account you want to remove.
Go to the account settings menu and click “Account ownership and control.”

Select “Deactivate your account” and follow the steps to confirm deletion.

This will completely disassociate that profile from your phone.

Merge Duplicate Accounts

If you want to consolidate two active accounts into one, Facebook allows you to merge them:

Log into the account you want to be the primary profile.
Go to “Settings” and click “Merge Accounts.”
Select the secondary account to merge.

Confirm the merge on the secondary account as directed.

After merging, one account will remain active while the other will be deleted.

Designate a Primary Account

If you intend to keep both accounts, ensure your main profile is set as the primary account in the Facebook app:

Open the Facebook app and tap the three-line menu.
Go to “Settings & privacy” then “Settings.”
Tap “Account ownership and control.”

Select the account you use most often as the primary account.

This will make your preferred account load by default whenever launching Facebook.

Log Out of Unused Accounts

You can selectively sign out of any profiles you don’t regularly access on your phone:

Open the Facebook app and tap the three-line menu.
Tap “Log out” below the name of the account you want to sign out of.

This will detach the account from your phone while keeping all other accounts signed in.

Preventing Duplicate Accounts in the Future

To avoid ending up with two accounts again down the road, here are some tips:

Double check that old accounts are fully disabled if you close them.
Only log into one account per device.

Use separate login credentials for different accounts.
Check your account connections periodically to spot any irregularities.
Set your primary account as default in the Facebook app.

Keeping your account setup structured and streamlined will help prevent confusing overlaps.

Conclusion

Seeing two Facebook accounts on your phone when you only want one can be annoying. But in most cases the culprit is an old, incompletely disabled account or a failed account merge. Checking your connected profiles, removing unused accounts, and designating a primary login can help fix the issue. With a little maintenance, you can ensure only your current, active profile connects to your device.

Reason	Solution
You actually have two accounts	Delete or merge unwanted accounts
Old account not fully removed	Permanently disable old profiles
A glitch or bug	Reinstall app, restart device