Resetting your passwords frequently is an important part of online security. Whether you’re accessing the site on the iPhone app, Android app, your mobile browser or desktop, changing your Facebook password is simple.
If you’re already logged in on the site, here’s how to change your Facebook password:
Are you already logged in? If so, you’ll follow a different process to reset your password:
If you’re already logged in but can’t remember your current password — which you’ll need to create a new password — then select Change Your Password. From there, click on “Forgot your password?” and follow the instructions to change your password. You’ll need access to your email address.
As of 2022, 98.5% of Facebook users access the site through their phones. Here’s how to change your Facebook password from your mobile device if you’re already logged in:
How do you change your Facebook password if you’re not logged in?
The Facebook app is the eighth-most-downloaded app in the world, with 298 million total downloads worldwide. Here’s how to change your Facebook password if you’re using the iPhone or Android app:
If you aren’t logged in, you’ll need to follow a different process to reset your password:
It’s important to create a strong password so people can’t easily hack your account. In general, strong passwords contain a mix of uppercase letters, lowercase letters, numbers and symbols. The best passwords don’t contain easily recognizable words, especially anything pertaining to you personally.
For example, you should avoid using your own name or the name of your pets, family members or friends in your password. It’s also a good idea not to use important numbers like your birthday, Social Security number, age or number of kids as part of your password.
Don’t use the names of your hobbies, like “soccer” or “guitar” in your password. Lastly, don’t use common words like “password,” “guess” or “qwerty” — the first six letters on a standard keyboard — in your Facebook account password.
One tip for creating a hard-to-guess password is to come up with a sentence. Then, only use the first letter of each word to create your password.
For example, the phrase could be, “I think my mom is number one in Pennsylvania! Isn’t she great?” Then, your password would be, “Itmmi#1iP!Isg?” Notice that it contains uppercase and lowercase letters, a number and three unique symbols. It would be very hard to guess that string of characters at random, especially since your mom doesn’t live in Pennsylvania — remember, don’t use personal information!
Conversely, you could use an entire sentence or string of words as your passphrase. It might be difficult to manually type on a phone, but you could use a password manager to autocomplete your password when you log in on your phone. The longer a string of characters is, the harder it will be to crack — either manually or with a computer.
In addition to creating strong passwords, you also need to use different ones for every online account. If you use the same password because it’s hard to remember more than one, all it takes is for someone to hack a single account to gain access to all of your login credentials across the internet. Considering your online presence may include everything from Instagram to banking, that can have disastrous consequences.
It’s important not to give your password out. Facebook will never ask for your password at random, so be wary of emails or text messages purportedly coming from Facebook that ask for your login credentials.
These types of messages are usually a type of spam called phishing, in which hackers try to get your login information. Once they have it, they can open your accounts and gain access to sensitive information like your credit card number, bank account info and medical data.
Finally, it’s crucial to change your passwords regularly. Even if a site allows you to, avoid reusing old passwords. Try to come up with something brand new every time. If you have trouble creating or remembering passwords, use a password manager to automatically fill in your login credentials on different sites.
Changing your Facebook password regularly is an important part of keeping your account secure. Always remember to use a strong, unique password that you don’t use for any other accounts. If someone hacks your Facebook account, changing your password is one of the first things you should do while you work to recover your account.