Forgot Facebook Password? 2 Ways to Sign In Again

We’ve all been there at one point or another: that moment of uncertainty when the familiar Facebook login screen stares back at us, yet our password remains elusive. Whether it’s a momentary lapse of memory or a complete mental blank, our post goes through the steps you must take when you realize you forgot your Facebook password and need to reconnect with your digital community.

Good to know: follow our guide to quickly enable dark mode on Facebook.

1. Check Your Browser’s Password Manager

If you’ve previously logged in to Facebook from this browser, chances are you’ve opted to save the password when you were prompted to do so. In this case, you can retrieve it by checking the browser’s password manager.

Chrome

1. Open Chrome in your browser, and press on the three dots in the upper corner.

2. Select “Settings” from the menu.
3. Click “Autofill and passwords” on the left side and “Google Password Manager” on the right.

4. Browse the list of websites that have saved the passwords on this browser, and click on Facebook.

5. Windows Security will ask you to type in your Windows device’s PIN (if you’ve set one).

6. Find the account with the forgotten password, then click on the eye icon beneath the “Password” field to view the password.

7. If you used the mobile version of Chrome to log in to Facebook (which is unlikely, as most people use the app), access “Settings -> Password Manager” to view your saved passwords.

Firefox

1. Open Firefox in your browser, click on the hamburger menu in the upper-right corner, and select “Passwords.”

2. Click on your Facebook account on the left.
3. Your Facebook password page will be generated on the left. Click “Copy,” then paste the password.

4. If you want to refresh your memory regarding the password, click “Edit.”

5. Press on the eye icon next to the “Password” box to reveal it.

6. On Firefox for mobile, go to “Settings -> Logins and passwords -> Saved logins” to view your previously-saved passwords.

Edge

1. Open Microsoft Edge, and click on the hamburger menu in the upper-right corner. Select “Settings.”

2. Click on “Profiles -> Passwords” to view all your saved passwords in Edge.

3. Check the “X saved passwords” area toward the bottom to see your list of saved passwords.

4. Click on the eye icon to reveal the password for your Facebook account. You’ll be prompted to type in your PIN first.
5. On Edge for mobile, navigate to “Settings -> Account -> Passwords.” View your saved passwords at the bottom of the screen.

Tip: learn how to remove the Bing Chat icon from the Microsoft Edge browser.

2. Reset Facebook Password

If you didn’t save your Facebook password to your browser, you will have to resort to using the reset password option instead. This is done from the Facebook login screen from within the browser or mobile app.

1. Open Facebook in your browser.
2. Click “Forgot password?” on the login screen.

3. Input your email or mobile phone number (if you previously added one) to help Facebook identify your account.

4. If your account identification is successful, Facebook will offer to send a verification code to the secondary email you’ve previously added.

5. Note that if you added your phone number, there will also be the option to receive this code via SMS.
6. Enter the security code you’ve received in the indicated inbox.
7. Type your new password.

Resetting Password Using a Google Account

1. If your primary email associated with Facebook is a Google account, resetting the password is very easy. Once Facebook identifies your account, it will prompt you to just log in with your Google account to verify your identity. If you’d like to change the email associated with Facebook, read on.

2. A pop-up will verify that your email has been verified.

3. Type in your new password, and press “Continue.”

4. Try logging in to your account again.

Tip: want to start cleaning up your Facebook Friends list? Learn how to unfriend people on Facebook.

How to Ensure You Never Forget Your Facebook Password Again

To avoid having to go through all of this again in the future, take some precautions that will ensure that you can access your Facebook account at all times.

Set a Recovery Email or Phone Number

Setting up a recovery email or/and phone number is an essential step to ensure that you can regain access if you forget your password or encounter any other login issue. Follow these steps to check whether you have added this information:

1. Access Facebook in your browser, and click on your profile picture in the upper-right corner.

2. Select “Settings & privacy -> Settings.”

3. Click on “Accounts Center” on the left side.

4. Select “Personal details -> Contact info.”

5. Click “Add new contact” at the bottom, and select whether you are adding a mobile phone number or email to add new information.

Always Check the Option to Remember Password

The next time you successfully log in to your Facebook account in a browser on a PC, make sure to keep an eye out for the “Remember password” prompt when it shows up. This way, you won’t have to input your password every time you want to access your account on that browser and device.

This can be used in conjunction with Facebook’s own “Remember password” option that you can tick underneath the password field, for it to automatically populate the next time you want to check your Facebook messages.

As for mobile, users rarely log in to Facebook using their mobile browser, opting instead for the Facebook apps that will also ask to remember the password. Make sure to make use of this option.

Install a Password Manager

You may also want to start using a password manager on your device. On top of offering auto-fill and auto-login capabilities, these apps help you create stronger and unique passwords, thus contributing to enhanced security. For ideas on which app to use, check out this list of the best password managers for Web, desktop, and mobile.

Tip: has Facebook stopped working for you? Learn how to take care of it.

Frequently Asked Questions

What if I've forgotten my Facebook recovery email or don't have access to it anymore?

Before Facebook sends the code, it gives you a hint on which email address you’ve added as a recovery option by showing you part of the recovery email. If that doesn’t help you recognize the email, you may need to opt for the alternative option of receiving the code via SMS (a viable option only if you added a mobile recovery phone number).

If you can’t access the email in question, Facebook suggests contacting your email service provider to recover your email account. Alternatively, try using the “Forgot password” option on your email provider’s login page. Or, if you have multiple recovery emails and phone numbers associated with the account, you may be able to use them to sign in to your Facebook account. If you can’t remember which information you added, visit this page, and follow the instructions.

What if I don't have a recovery email or phone number attached to my Facebook?

Facebook will usually prompt you to add at least one of these recovery options to your account, but if you currently don’t have access to any of these emails or phone numbers, your only solution is to check your browser and hope you’ve previously saved your Facebook password.

What can I do if I can't access my code generator app?

If you’ve enabled 2FA on your account and need to input a 6-digit code in addition to your password to access your account, but can’t access the code generator app, don’t worry. There are alternative ways to get around that. Head to this guide to learn how to log in to your Facebook account without a code generator.

What happened to trusted contacts?

Facebook used to offer a feature called Trusted Contacts that enabled you to add three to five contacts that you could reach out to for help in case of problems with your account. Unfortunately, Facebook has removed that option.

Image credit: Freepik. All screenshots by Alexandra Arici.