How to Recover Your Facebook Account Without Email or Phone Number (2026 Guide)

By App World Team · Updated July 2026 · appworld.work

Getting locked out of Facebook is stressful on a normal day. It gets worse when the recovery email or phone number Facebook wants to text a code to is one you gave up years ago, changed carriers on, or simply forgot. The good news: Facebook still has a path back into your account even when neither the email address nor the phone number on file works anymore. It just requires proving, in a different way, that the account genuinely belongs to you.

This guide walks through exactly what to do inside the Facebook mobile app when you no longer have access to your registered email or phone number, what Facebook's identity verification options actually look like in 2026, how long recovery typically takes, and how to avoid the recovery scams that specifically target people in this exact situation.

Table of Contents

• Why This Happens
• Before You Start: What to Gather
• Step 1: Open "Find Your Account" in the Facebook App
• Step 2: Choose "No Longer Have Access to These?"
• Step 3: Confirm Your Identity
• Using Trusted Contacts to Recover Your Account
• If the App Still Won't Let You In
• If Someone Else Changed Your Email or Phone Number
• Warning: Fake "Facebook Recovery" Services
• How to Prevent This From Happening Again
• Frequently Asked Questions

Why This Happens

Facebook ties every account to at least one recovery contact — an email address, a phone number, or both — because that contact is how the platform confirms a login attempt is really you. Over the years it's extremely common for that contact information to go stale: you switch phone numbers when you change carriers or countries, an old email provider shuts the account down, a work email gets deactivated after you leave a job, or you simply forget which of several old addresses you used to sign up. When that happens, Facebook's fastest recovery method — sending a one-time code — is no longer available to you, and you have to fall back on identity verification instead.

Before You Start: What to Gather

Recovery goes faster when you have a few things ready before you open the app:

• The exact name on your Facebook profile (including any middle name or nickname you used)
• Any old email addresses or phone numbers you've ever used with the account, even outdated ones
• A government-issued photo ID that matches the name on the profile (passport, driver's licence, national ID, or similar)
• Access to a device with a working camera, in case Facebook requests a short video selfie
• The names of two or three close Facebook friends, in case you previously set up Trusted Contacts

Step 1: Open "Find Your Account" in the Facebook App

On your phone, open the Facebook app and tap the login screen. Where you'd normally type your password, look for "Forgot password?" (sometimes shown as "Find your account"). Tapping it starts the standard recovery flow, but it's also the entry point for identity-based recovery.

1. Open the Facebook app and go to the login screen.
2. Tap Forgot password?
3. Enter your full name, username, or any email/phone number you remember ever using — even an old one, since Facebook only needs it to locate the account, not to send a code.
4. Select your profile from the search results when it appears.

Step 2: Choose "No Longer Have Access to These?"

Facebook will show you the masked email and/or phone number currently on file and offer to send a login code to it. Since that's exactly what you can't access, look underneath the send-code button for a smaller link that says something like "No longer have access to these?" or "Try another way to log in." Tapping this is the key step — it moves you out of the code-based flow and into Facebook's identity confirmation flow.

Step 3: Confirm Your Identity

Depending on your account, region, and what Facebook can verify automatically, you'll typically be offered one or more of the following options:

1. Add a new email or phone number

Facebook may let you enter a different, currently working email address or number. It sends a code there so you can reset your password and simultaneously update your account's recovery contact.

2. Upload a government-issued photo ID

If Facebook can't verify you another way, it will ask you to photograph a valid ID — passport, driver's licence, or national identity card — that clearly shows your name, date of birth, and photo. You can cover sensitive numbers (like a licence number) as long as your name and photo stay visible. Facebook states that identity documents submitted this way are reviewed and then deleted from its systems once your identity is confirmed.

3. Record a short video selfie

In many regions, Facebook now offers a video-selfie identity check as an alternative or supplement to ID upload. You record a brief video following on-screen prompts (such as turning your head), and Facebook's system compares it with photos already on your profile.

4. Trusted Contacts

If you set up Trusted Contacts on this account before losing access, you can use them now — see the dedicated section below.

Once you submit whichever verification method is offered, Facebook typically reviews it within a few minutes to a couple of days, though ID reviews can occasionally take longer during high-volume periods. You'll get a notification or email at any address you provided once a decision is made.

Using Trusted Contacts to Recover Your Account

Trusted Contacts is a feature you must have configured before losing access — it can't be set up retroactively once you're locked out, so it's only useful if you enabled it in the past under Settings → Password and Security. Here's how it works if you did:

1. During the "No longer have access" flow, choose the Trusted Contacts option if it's offered.
2. Facebook sends a unique recovery code to each of the three to five friends you previously selected.
3. Contact those friends outside of Facebook (by text, phone call, or in person) and ask them to read you their code.
4. Enter the required number of codes (Facebook typically asks for three) into the app.
5. Once verified, you'll be able to reset your password and log back in.

Tip: Only pick Trusted Contacts you'd genuinely trust with a spare house key. Because multiple codes are needed to unlock the account, choose people who don't all know each other closely, which reduces the (small) risk of collusion.

If the App Still Won't Let You In

If none of the automated options work, or your ID submission gets rejected, you have a few more avenues:

• Facebook Help Community / in-app support: From the app, go to Settings → Help & Support → Report a Problem, or browse the Facebook Help Center for the "Recover Your Account" article, which sometimes surfaces additional identity-verification options tailored to your specific lockout reason.
• Try a browser instead of the app: Occasionally the recovery flow on a desktop browser presents different or additional identity checks than the mobile app. It's worth trying facebook.com's login page from a computer if the app stalls.
• Wait and retry: If you're told you've reached a temporary limit on identity attempts, Facebook usually asks you to wait 24 hours before trying again.
• Check for an existing session on another device: If you're still logged in on an old phone, tablet, or browser, you can go straight to Settings → Password and Security and update your contact details without needing recovery at all.

If Someone Else Changed Your Email or Phone Number

If your account was compromised and a hacker replaced your email and phone number before you could stop them, the process is slightly different. During the "Find Your Account" flow, Facebook typically detects this and offers a "My account is compromised" or "This was not me" path. Choosing it walks you through identity verification specifically designed for hijacked accounts, and — if confirmed — Facebook will revert the recent email/phone change and force a password reset, cutting off the attacker's access. Move quickly: the longer a hijacker holds an account, the more likely they are to also change the linked login approvals or two-factor authentication settings, which can complicate recovery further.

Warning: Fake "Facebook Recovery" Services

Because this exact problem — no email, no phone number, locked out — is so common, it's also heavily targeted by scammers. Be alert for:

• Search results, forum posts, or downloadable PDFs advertising a "Facebook account recovery hotline" phone number. Facebook does not operate a general customer-service phone line for password or identity recovery.
• Websites or "specialists" that ask you to pay a fee, install remote-access software, or hand over your ID and password together to "speed up" recovery.
• Anyone contacting you first (by comment, DM, or email) offering to recover your account after you've posted about being locked out.

The only legitimate way to recover a Facebook account is through the Facebook app or facebook.com directly, or through Meta's official Help Center. Never share your password with a third party, and never pay anyone claiming to "unlock" your account faster.

How to Prevent This From Happening Again

Once you're back in, take a few minutes to make sure you don't end up here again:

Action	Where to find it
Add a current email and phone number	Settings → Password and Security → Contact Info
Set up Trusted Contacts	Settings → Password and Security → Trusted Contacts
Turn on Two-Factor Authentication	Settings → Password and Security → Two-Factor Authentication
Save recovery codes somewhere offline	Two-Factor Authentication → Recovery Codes
Review active sessions periodically	Settings → Password and Security → Where You're Logged In

Frequently Asked Questions

How long does Facebook account recovery take without an email or phone number?

It varies. Adding a new email or phone number can restore access within minutes. ID or video-selfie verification usually takes anywhere from a few minutes to a couple of days, depending on review volume.

Can I recover my account with just my name?

Your name alone can help Facebook locate the account in search results, but you'll still need to complete one of the identity confirmation steps — ID upload, video selfie, Trusted Contacts, or a new recovery contact — to actually regain access.

What ID documents does Facebook accept?

Generally a passport, driver's licence, national ID card, or similar government-issued photo ID that shows your name, date of birth, and photo. Requirements can vary slightly by country.

Is there a phone number I can call for Facebook account recovery?

No. Facebook does not provide a general public phone line for account recovery. Any number claiming to offer this is not an official Meta channel — treat it as a scam.

What if I never set up Trusted Contacts?

You'll need to rely on the other identity verification options — adding a new recovery contact, uploading an ID, or completing a video selfie check. Trusted Contacts can't be added retroactively once you're locked out.

My ID upload was rejected. What now?

Try again with a clearer photo in good lighting, make sure all four corners of the document are visible, and confirm the name matches your profile exactly. If it's rejected repeatedly, use the Facebook Help Center's "Report a Problem" option for further review.

Final Thoughts

Losing access to the email or phone number tied to your Facebook account is inconvenient, but it isn't the end of the road. Facebook's identity-based recovery — new recovery contacts, ID verification, video selfies, and Trusted Contacts — exists specifically for this situation. Work through the app's official "Find Your Account" flow patiently, avoid any service that asks for payment or your password outside of Facebook itself, and once you're back in, add updated contact details and turn on two-factor authentication so you're never locked out this way again.

Have a question about a specific step? Drop it in the comments below and the App World Team will help point you in the right direction.