Facebook Hacked and Email Changed: How to Get It Back
When a hacker changes the email on your account, the usual password reset stops working. These steps give you the best chance of recovering it.
By Siddharth ShankarUpdated October 21, 2026If a hacker changed your Facebook email, first secure your own email inbox. Look for a Facebook message asking “Was this you?” and choose to secure your account. Then use Facebook’s official hacked-account recovery flow, be ready to verify your identity, and clean up ads, payments and connected apps after you regain access. Recovery can take from hours to days, and Facebook does not offer live phone support to most users.
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When your account is hacked and the email is changed, you lose the main route for password resets. You are not out of options, but the order of the steps matters.
Step 1: secure your email first
According to Anonyome’s recovery guide, the first job is to regain control of your own inbox. Change its password, turn on two-factor authentication, check for forwarding rules you did not create and review recent login activity. The guide warns that if your email is not secure, Facebook recovery will not stick.
Step 2: look for the notification
If Facebook sent an email asking if a change was you, choose “No, secure my account” straight away. Then confirm every change you did not make, such as the email change, a password change and any posts or ads.
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Step 3: use the official recovery flow
Go to facebook.com/hacked and choose that someone else got into your account, so that Facebook treats it as a security issue and not a forgotten password. The FTC’s guide to recovering a hacked email or social media account also says to update your computer’s security software, run a scan and delete suspicious programs before you follow the provider’s recovery instructions.
Step 4: expect identity checks
If you are locked out, Facebook may ask you to upload a government ID, record a selfie video or confirm recent activity. The Anonyome guide says this can take 24 to 72 hours and sometimes longer. Try recovery from a device or location you used before.
Step 5: if recovery stalls
- Repeat the hacked-account flow after 24 to 48 hours.
- Try the login identification page with your name or old email.
- If ads or payments are involved, look for Facebook’s business support channels.
- Do not pay anyone who offers to “recover” your account. Many are scams.
After you get back in
1Change the password
Use a strong, unique password and sign out of all devices.
2Turn on two-factor authentication
Use an authenticator app if you can.
3Check email and phone
Make sure the recovery email and number are yours.
4Clean up ads and payments
Remove anything unfamiliar and report fraudulent charges to your bank.
5Remove suspicious apps
Review connected apps and logged-in devices.
6Warn your contacts
Tell friends not to click links or send money if they got messages from your account.
Why speed matters
Hackers often use a taken account within hours to message friends, run ads or sell access. The sooner you start the official recovery, the sooner Facebook can freeze the account. While you wait, change the password on every other account that shared it, and warn people close to you through another channel, such as a phone call or text.
If the account is a business page
Pages and ad accounts are linked to personal profiles. If the profile is taken, the business assets can be affected, including payment methods. Check who has admin roles, remove anyone you do not know and contact your bank if you see unauthorised charges.
Do not fall for recovery scams
People who have lost an account are targets. Fake support accounts, comments offering to help and messages claiming to be from Facebook may try to take a fee or your password. Only use the official recovery pages, and never give your password, a code or a payment to someone who contacts you first.
Related help
For Instagram, read Instagram hacked and email changed. To lock down the account afterwards, see how to make Facebook private and how to report an impostor account on Facebook.
Sources
- Anonyome: What do I do if my Facebook account gets hacked? (secure email first, notification, identity checks, timelines, aftermath)
- FTC: How to recover your hacked email or social media account (signs of a hack, security scan, following provider instructions, steps after recovery)
Frequently asked questions
What should I do first if my Facebook email was changed?
Secure your own email inbox, then look for Facebook’s notification and use the official hacked-account recovery flow.
Will Facebook ask for ID?
It may ask for a government ID, a selfie video or confirmation of recent activity.
How long does recovery take?
One guide estimates a few hours at best, one to three days typically, and longer for complex cases.
Does Facebook offer phone support?
The guide says Facebook offers no live phone support for most users.
Should I pay someone to recover my account?
No. Offers to recover accounts for a fee are often scams.
See if your email has already leaked
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