How do I recover my Facebook account if I can't receive the security code?

In a nutshell: Losing access to your Facebook account can occur for several reasons, including hacking or forgotten passwords. To regain access, first confirm you have access to the linked email or phone number to receive a security code. If the email has been changed by a hacker, check for a notification email to revert the change. If

Jan 23, 2026

Introduction

There are a number of reasons why you might lose access to your Facebook account. It could have been hacked, for example, or you might not remember your password anymore. Whatever the actual cause of the problem, you probably want to get access to it again as soon as possible. Usually, this problem is easy to solve, as long as you have access to the email or phone number associated with your account. You can prove your identity with a security code sent to them. If you can't access them, though, things get more complicated.

What You'll Need

If you regain access to your account after it was hacked, improve your security by turning on two-factor authentication.

If you have access to the email account you linked to Facebook but the email was changed by a hacker:

When the email that you had originally linked to your Facebook account was changed, Facebook sent an email to your original email address telling you that your linked email was changed. Look for that email and click on the link it contains to undo the linked email change. That will allow you to receive the security code you need.
If you can't find that email and believe your account was hacked, proceed with the next step.
If you can't access your account for a different reason, skip to step 3.

Go to Facebook's page for hacked account problems, answer the questions, and follow the instructions you are given there.

Facebook page for hacked accounts
On this page, you can get Facebook's help in regaining access to your account.
If the resources on this page do not work for you, continue to the next step.

Scan your driver's license, state ID, passport, or other government-issued ID with a picture.

Facebook will probably need you to provide it to help prove your identity and your ownership of the account.

Go to the Facebook identification page.

Facebook identification pagehttps://www.facebook.com/login/identify

Follow the prompts to tell Facebook that you have lost access to your account and also cannot access the email or phone number linked with it.

When prompted, enter a new email address for Facebook to contact you on.

Check that email account for Facebook's reply and follow the instructions in it.

This may involve sending in the scan of your ID, answering security questions, identifying pictures posted to your account or to your friends' accounts, and more. After complying with these instructions, Facebook may take a few days to investigate, and will then contact you again.
If this process does not work for you for some reason, continue with the next step.

Try to get help from the company you had the linked email account with.

Customer service agents in this company might be able to get you access to that account again, and use it to get Facebook's security code.
If this also doesn't help, proceed with the next step.

Go to Facebook's recovery form page.

Facebook's recovery form page

Fill out and submit the recovery form.

Wait for Facebook's response and follow the instructions in it to recover access to your Facebook account.

Conclusion

If nothing else works for you, get in contact with a Facebook customer service agent and explain the problem to them. Facebook doesn't have a phone line for customer service, but you can contact that department in multiple ways online.

Further questions?

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Adam has been tirelessly trying to help customers find the best tips and tricks to get through phone trees and writing many guides for prickly customer service problems. He's been featured in the Wall Street Journal, Inside Edition and Bloomberg.

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Why does GetHuman Write How-to Guides for Facebook Problems?

GetHuman has been working for over 10 years on sourcing information about big organizations like Facebook in order to help customers resolve customer service issues faster. We started with contact information and fastest ways to reach a human at big companies. Particularly ones with slow or complicated IVR or phone menu systems. Or companies that have self-serve help forums instead of a customer service department. From there, we realized that consumers still needed more detailed help solving the most common problems, so we expanded to this set of guides, which grows every day. And if you spot any issues with our How do I recover my Facebook account if I can't receive the security code? guide, please let us know by sending us feedback. We want to be as helpful as possible. If you appreciated this guide, please share it with your favorite people. Our free information and tools is powered by you, the customer. The more people that use it, the better it gets.

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