How to Recover My Facebook Account Through Trusted Friends

We've all got a million things on our mind these days and it's not uncommon for us to become forgetful at the most inopportune moments.

One of the most frequent memory lapses many of us experience is when we're logging onto our online accounts. I don't know what it is, but remembering that password — whether it's comprised of letters, numbers, special symbols are some combination therein — can be one of the most difficult things to do.

And what happens when we put the wrong password in there multiple times? We get locked out of our account!

Locked out of your Facebook? Here's how your friends can get you back in

Facebook has created an easy way for us to regain access of our accounts when we've forgotten the password or otherwise gotten locked out. It's called the "Trusted Contacts" feature.

Here how it works: You can choose among your Facebook friends some trusted contacts that can securely send you a recovery code with a special URL. This is what you'll use to get back into your account.

While the process involves you following a number of steps, your trusted contacts have some responsibility, as well. The main thing is that they must make sure that it's actually you before handing over those security codes. Once you enter the codes, you'll get access to your account.

To add a measure of security, once you choose your trusted contact(s), Facebook will notify them, so that they know what and who it's for in the case you ever need the security codes. Here's a step-by-step guide on how to pick your contacts:

Here's how to choose your trusted contacts

1. In Facebook, go to your Security and Login Settings
2. Scroll down to where it says "Choose 3 to 5 friends to contact if you get locked out" and click "Edit."
3. Click "Choose friends" and enter the names of people you wanted as your trusted contacts.

Once you add your trusted contacts, you'll see a screen that will allow you to enter three codes that only you and your contacts will know.

Don't worry, you can edit the list at any time to change it. Now that you've done that, you're prepared in case you get locked out of your account. Here's what to do:

What to do if you get locked out of your Facebook account

1. Go to the login page and click Forgot account?
2. Access your profile by entering your full name, username, email or phone number and click Search. If you don't have access to any of the above, you will have to enter a new email or phone number. That's what Facebook will use to reach you. This is what that screen looks like below.

Once you enter your new email or phone number, that will take you to a page that says "Ask Your Trusted Contacts For Help." This is what it looks like below.

1. Click "Reveal My Trusted Contacts" and type the full name of one of them.
2. Each one of your contacts will give you a recovery code.
3. Use the security codes from your trusted contacts to access your account.

And — voila — you'll regain access to your account! Remember to keep your password somewhere safe.

Of course, it's a good idea to talk to your friend in person when asking for the code. This way, it cuts down on the likelihood that a hacker could be making the request to get into your account.

RELATED: Facebook rolls out Messenger For Kids, but is it safe?

Clark.com

How to Recover My Facebook Account Through Trusted Friends

Source: https://www.wftv.com/consumer/clark-howard/heres-how-your-friends-could-help-you-recover-your-facebook-account/700762337/

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