Losing access to your Facebook account is bad enough. Losing access without still having the registered email or the linked phone number is worse—and it's a much more common situation than it seems, especially for those who changed their number, abandoned an old Hotmail account, or had their email hacked. The good news is that Meta maintains official recovery routes that don't depend solely on these two factors. This guide shows the real step-by-step process, updated for 2026, of what to do when all you have left is the memory of your username and a few friends on your contact list.
Before you begin: understand what Meta requires. , the test
Account recovery without email and phone number isn't impossible, but it's slow. Facebook needs to be sure you're the real owner of the account before changing the credentials; otherwise, anyone could hijack someone else's profile by saying "I forgot my email." Therefore, the system requires a combination of signals: device recognition, previously configured trusted contacts, photo ID, or a video selfie compared to the profile pictures.
The more of these signs you can provide, the faster the approval. If you've never set up trusted contacts and never logged in using your current mobile phone, the most likely path will be sending a document—and the response can take anywhere from 24 hours to two weeks.
What to have on hand before starting
- Full name exactly , the It appears on the profile.
- Date of birth registered (even if it's not the actual date, it needs to be the one that's there).
- A device where you have been logged in at some point before (mobile phone or old browser).
- Official document with photo: National Identity Card (RG), Driver's License (CNH), passport, or professional ID card.
- A new, functional email address that you can access now will be your new recovery channel.
Route 1: Use a device that has already been logged in.
This is the fastest route and the one most people ignore. If at any point you logged into the Facebook app on a phone or tablet that you still have with you, that device is recognized by Meta as trusted, even if you were logged out later.
- Open the Facebook app on your old device.
- On the login screen, tap Forgot your password?.
- Instead of typing email or phone number, look for the link. Try another way ou Can't reset your password?.
- The system should recognize the device and offer to reset the password directly there, without requiring an external code.
If the device appears listed as trusted, you can set a new password immediately, register a new email address in Settings → Accounts and passwords , and regain full control in minutes. If it doesn't appear, proceed to the next step.
Route 2: Activate trusted contacts
Trusted contacts are friends you've previously designated (in Settings → Security and login → Choose friends to contact ) to help in case of a lockout. If you set this up at some point, recovery is virtually guaranteed.
How it works in practice
- Go in facebook.com/login/identify Please provide your full name, old email address (even if deactivated), or profile URL.
- When the system asks for a valid email or phone number, choose I no longer have access to these..
- Facebook will ask if you want to use trusted contacts. Confirm.
- Unique codes will be generated that only your friends will receive. Call them, ask for each of their codes, and enter everything into the form.
Typically, between three and five codes are required. Once all are entered correctly, Facebook allows for an immediate password reset and an update to the registered email address.
Route 3: Sending identification document
When there is no recognized device or trusted contacts, the only remaining option is using a document. It's not the fastest, but it's the most universal and works even on old accounts that are many years old.
- Visit facebook.com/help/contact/183000765122339 This is the official form to "Send an identity document to unlock your account".
- Fill in your profile name, your real name (if they are different), and a new email address that you can access now.
- Attach a clear photo of the document. The name on the document must match the name on your profile or a verifiable previous name.
- Send the email and wait for the reply at the new address.
Comparative table of routes
| Route | Estimated time | Chance of success | Main requirement |
|---|---|---|---|
| Trusted device | 5 to 15 minutes | Very tall | Having logged into the device before |
| Trusted contacts | 30 minutes to 2 hours | High | Having previously configured |
| Official document | 1 14 the day | Medium-high | Profile name = name in the document |
| Video selfie | 1 7 the day | Media | Have clear photos of your face on your profile. |
Route 4: Video selfie for accounts without documentation
Since 2023, Meta has offered video selfie verification for accounts where the profile name is a nickname or doesn't match any documents. The system asks you to record a short video turning your head, and an algorithm compares it to the photos available on your profile.
This option usually appears automatically during the recovery process when Facebook notices that the registered name is unconventional. If you have photos of your face clearly visible on your profile, the approval rate is reasonable. If the profile only has landscape photos or photos of third parties, the algorithm rarely approves it.
What to do if all attempts fail
If all four routes return negative, there are still two alternatives before giving up:
- Reopen the old email: If your email provider was Gmail, Yahoo, or Outlook, try recovering your mailbox from there first. Once you recover the email, the Facebook recovery will follow.
- Number portability: If the old phone was yours, some carriers allow you to reactivate the same number for a short period. Once reactivated, the recovery SMS usually arrives.
As a last resort, the form facebook.com/help/contact/260749603972907 is used to report unauthorized access — it is reviewed by a human member of the Meta team, but a response may take weeks.
How to avoid going through this again
After recovering your account, take five minutes to secure future access. Go to Settings → Security and login and do the following:
- Register at least two email addresses, one of which should be an address you use daily.
- Enable two-factor authentication via the app (Google Authenticator, Authy, or similar) — don't rely solely on SMS.
- Choose three to five trusted contacts, preferably close family members.
- Download and save the recovery codes in a safe place (printed out or in a password manager).
- Review your connected devices and remove any old devices that you no longer use.
FAQ
How long does it take to recover a Facebook account without email and phone number?
It depends on the route. With a recognized device, minutes. With trusted contacts, a few hours. With document submission, 1 to 14 days. With a video selfie, up to a week.
Do I need to pay to recover my account?
No. Official account recovery is always free. Any service, website, or person that charges to "unlock a Facebook account" is a scam, even if it appears as an advertised product on Google.
My profile is under a character name or nickname. Can I still recover it using a document?
It's difficult using the standard form, but the video selfie route was created precisely for these cases. You can also submit an explanation in the form's open field justifying the name used.
Could Facebook completely deny my recovery?
Yes, it's possible. If there's strong suspicion that the person trying isn't the rightful owner, the request is denied and you don't receive a detailed explanation. In these cases, persist with a new attempt, including more evidence: screenshots of old conversations, a list of close friends, and dates of published photos.
What if the account was hacked and the email address was changed by the intruder?
Use the form at facebook.com/hacked. It's specifically for hacks and goes through a separate, usually faster, analysis than regular recovery because Meta treats it as a security incident.
Can I create a new account while I try to recover the old one?
Yes, and it's even recommended if you need to access urgent groups or pages. Just avoid using the exact same name and photos, so the system doesn't interpret it as duplicates and block both.
