Facebook says 'Your account has been locked' or 'suspended'? What it means and how to get back in

Read the message first: which one do you have?

Take a screenshot of the exact wording before you tap anything. It decides which section of this guide applies.

• 'Your account has been locked' or 'Your account is temporarily locked', usually with a 'Get started' button: a security lock. See the next section.
• A request to do a security check, enter your date of birth or upload a photo of your ID: Facebook asking you to confirm your identity, the same unlock flow.
• You can't log in at all, or the password no longer works and you didn't change it: account recovery, or a hacked account. See the sections on recovery and hacking.
• 'We've suspended your account': an enforcement decision with an appeal window. See the suspension section.
• 'We've disabled your account': the account has been permanently disabled. Facebook says disabling follows an unsuccessful or missed appeal, and that for serious violations or emergencies it can disable an account without suspending it first.

'Your account has been locked': the security lock

Facebook's help center puts it simply: if it sees unusual activity on your account, it might lock it for security. That can be a login from a new country, a new device, a burst of failed password attempts, or someone else trying your password. Facebook says you will know it is a security lock if you get an email from Facebook saying the account was locked, or you log in and see a message saying so.

Unlocking is done from inside Facebook, not through a form or a third party:

• Open Facebook in the app or at facebook.com, or follow the link in Facebook's email about the lock.
• Select 'Get started' and follow the steps on screen.
• Facebook may ask you to confirm your identity. Its security-check help says this can include the date of birth you gave when you signed up; if you can't answer a security question, you may be able to choose a different one or try again later.
• If you are asked for a code and it doesn't arrive, wait a day if you have already requested several, check the phone number or email it was sent to, look in spam and in your phone's blocked messages, check your signal and phone storage, restart the phone, and ask your carrier whether your plan limits certain messages. Those are Facebook's own suggestions.
• Once you are back in, change your password and check the devices logged in to your account, because the lock usually means someone else tried to get in.

You can't log in to start the unlock

If you don't know your password, or the email and phone number on the account are gone (a lost phone, an old work address, a hacked email), Facebook's recovery flow is the way in. It works best from a phone or computer you have logged in to Facebook from before, using your usual browser.

• Go to facebook.com/login/identify and enter an email address or phone number linked to the account. If that fails, try your account name or username. A friend can find your username in the address of your profile page.
• If you can still reach that email or phone, reset your password with the code Facebook sends.
• If you can't, select 'No longer have access to these?'. If you don't see it, look for 'Forgotten account?' or 'Recover'.
• Facebook may ask for new contact details. Its help page states that the contact information you provide must not have been used for your Facebook account before, so use a fresh address or number.
• Follow the prompts to confirm the account is yours, then choose a new password.

If the account was hacked

Signs of a hack are a password that suddenly stops working, posts or messages you didn't send, or an email saying your login email was changed. Facebook's advice is to go to facebook.com/hacked, and if you can, use a device you have used to log in to Facebook before. That page walks you through recovering a hacked account, including when you can no longer reach the account's email or phone number.

Check your old inbox too. Facebook says that when the email address on an account is changed, it sends a message to the previous address with a special link you can click to reverse the change and secure your account. Scammers copy these emails, so check the sender first. Facebook's help lists the domains real Meta email comes from, including fb.com, facebook.com, facebookmail.com, meta.com and metamail.com. You can also see the security emails Facebook really sent you in the past year under 'Settings & privacy', 'Settings', 'Accounts Center', 'Password and security', then 'Recent emails' under 'Security checks'.

Facebook says it never asks for your password by email. Anyone who messages you offering to restore your account for a fee, or sends you their own 'checkpoint' or 'appeal' link, is not Facebook.

Locked out by two-factor authentication

If the lock is your own two-factor login and the code isn't coming, for example because you changed phones, Facebook's troubleshooting help gives these options in order.

• Approve the login from another device. If you are still logged in on a tablet or old phone, check its notifications for a prompt to approve.
• Use one of your saved recovery codes in place of the login code. Each one can only be used once.
• On a computer, click 'Need another way to authenticate?', then 'Other options', then 'Get more help'. You will be asked to confirm your identity, which may involve uploading an ID, answering security questions or trusted contacts. Facebook says it reviews the request typically within 1-2 working days.

'We've suspended your account': how the appeal works

A suspension is not a security check. Facebook's help center says an account is suspended when Facebook finds the account or its activity doesn't follow its Community Standards. Common reasons it lists include posting content that breaks those standards, pretending to be someone else or misrepresenting your identity, and harassing people. Suspended accounts are hidden from other people and can't be used. Facebook tells you by email and shows 'We've suspended your account' when you log in.

The appeal deadline is the part to act on. Facebook's page says you can appeal the suspension within 180 days, and also that the time period during which you can appeal varies by region, so trust the date on your own screen over any general figure. To appeal, log in to Facebook and follow the prompt. If you don't appeal in time, or the appeal is unsuccessful, Facebook says it will permanently disable your account, and you can't request another review of that decision.

Because there is no second review, write the appeal carefully. Stick to facts, say plainly if you think the account was hacked and the violating activity wasn't yours, and complete any identity step it asks for.

Prevent it next time

Every recovery step above is easier when your contact details and backup options are current. A few minutes now saves days later.

• Turn on two-factor authentication: profile picture, 'Settings and privacy', 'Settings', 'Accounts Center', 'Password and security', 'Two-factor authentication'. You can use a security key, an authentication app or text message codes.
• Save your recovery codes. Facebook gives you 10 recovery login codes for when you can't use your phone. Keep them somewhere that isn't the phone.
• Keep login alerts on. Facebook says it emails you when someone tries to log in from a device or browser it doesn't recognise, and you can choose to get those alerts by text message too.
• Add a backup email or phone number that only you can access, and give the backup email a different password from Facebook.
• Facebook recommends using your real name and date of birth on your profile, since you may need them to prove the account is yours.
• Consider a passkey. Facebook describes passkeys as unique to each account and less susceptible to phishing than passwords.

Give customers a way to reach you while you wait

If customers find you through Facebook, a lock or an appeal can leave them with no way to get in touch. A free OneSol page gives them one link with all your contacts, such as WhatsApp, Instagram and email, so they can still reach you while one account is locked.