How to Set Up Trusted Contacts to Recover Your Facebook Account

Did you ever had trouble logging into your Facebook account? Mhm... It's very frustrating when you find you can't be on Facebook for a while. May be it can extend to few days or more than a week. Yet, the fact remains true that it's for your own safety. Facebook is responsible and takes necessary precautions when your account is at a risk. You don't expect to find your Facebook account end up being compromised. Do you? I know you don't.

Account Recovery

If your Facebook account is locked or you can't get access to your account anymore, you will have to count on available account recovery options. Let's take a vote. What is your most preferable way of recovering an online account?

● Answering a security question

● Emailing a password reset link to your current or alternative email address

● Sending a verification code to your mobile number

Any account recovery options left unsaid? Let me know ;)

Currently, Facebook offers above mentioned recovery options to verify your identity and to recover your account safely. As you might already know, they are well known options to verify the real account holder and to prevent falling the account to wrong hands.

Unless Facebook relies on security question, you either need an active email address or mobile number to recover your account. Sometimes your Facebook app can help you though. Is your contact details are up-to-date? Else you will be helpless at account recovery. Have a look again and make sure your contact details are up-to-date.

Anyway, if you suspect your account had been compromised, never hesitate to secure your Facebook account.

Friends Can Help You

What if you can't access your email address and get verification message to your mobile number? Hmm... Sounds like it can never happen. But, there are incidents which users couldn't gain access to their Facebook accounts as their verified contacts were outdated.

Have no access to your old email? Changed the mobile number few months ago? Don't worry. Now, Facebook won't keep you waiting, even if you have no access to your specified contacts. With your dear friends around, gaining access to your account made easy.

Trusted Contacts

Facebook introduced a new account recovery option for everyone - Trusted Contacts. With Trusted Contacts feature on, you can turn 3 to 5 friends for help logging into your account.

I don't know if Facebook developer team was aware of the fact that an average person has 3 to 5 best friends.

If you can't log in to your account, then you can ask help from your trusted contacts. In this procedure, Facebook will send unique access codes to each of your trusted friends and you need to retrieve them from your friends to regain access to your Facebook account. You can learn about the whole procedure as you proceed with the steps below.

Keep in Mind

Before you setting it up, I believe you need to aware of few factors involved with Trusted Contacts feature.

● Trusted Eligible Contacts - When you choose Facebook friends as your trusted contacts, it's not only about how much you trust them but also the ability to reach. What's the point of choosing a friend as trusted contact if you can't reach him / her out of Facebook?

● Trust Matters (Again!) - Eventhough you made the list of your trusted contacts, still you need to verify their eligibility. Unfortunately, if your trusted contacts willing to team up against you, they can take over your account very easily. Yeah, with the help of trusted contacts feature. It's best advised to turn on Facebook login notifications to notify if someone else trying to login to your account.

● Write Down Names - It's always a best practice to keep a note of your trusted contacts. I know, you may have the ability to memorize who they are. But when you recover your account using trusted contacts, you will need to enter their full name. Well, try recalling the full names of your trusted contacts if you don't wanna write them down.

● No Trusted Friends - Simply, don't use the Trusted Contacts feature and keep your contacts up-to-date. Or else, use Trusted Contacts feature and appoint friends who don't know each other.

It seems that this feature alone can pose a threat at some point. But it depends on you and the friends you select as trusted contacts. Final word of advice is, just-use-it-wisely.

Isn't it the time to have your trusted friends set up. Shall we?

Steps:

1. Log in to your Facebook account.

2. Go to Account Settings.

3. Navigate to Security tab.

4. Click on Trusted Contacts setting.

5. Click Choose Trusted Contacts link.

6. Now proceed to select your trusted contacts by clicking Choose Trusted Contacts button.

7. Choose at least 3 Facebook friends by typing in their names in the given text box and click Confirm button.

8. Finally, you will be asked to enter your current Facebook password to confirm changes and set your chosen contacts as your trusted contacts.

Notes:

* Once you confirm your trusted contacts, they will receive a notification claiming you have chosen them as your trusted contacts.

* You can edit or remove your trusted contacts anytime using Edit or Remove All links.

More Information:

* Now you have learnt to set up your trusted contacts. Let me show how you can use your friends' help when you can't access your Facebook account.

How to Make Use of Trusted Contacts

i. Navigate to Find Your Account page and locate your Facebook account.

ii. Now you will be given available options to recover your Facebook account. Click No longer have access to these? link.

iii. Enter a new email address or phone number to send messages about recovering your account, and click Continue.

iv. Now, follow the on screen instructions and click Continue.

● Click Reveal My Trusted Contacts button and enter the full name of a friend you have chosen as your trusted contacts.

● Ask your friends to visit the URL in second step.

● Retrieve the access codes and enter in respective text fields.

v. Now you will be able to reset your password and gain access to your Facebook account.

Enjoy :-)