It is no longer news people still dread losing their Facebook account which could happen due to many reasons. However, being locked out is the most common one but the question is how do you intend to gain it when such happens?
I have received countless messages from friends that mostly start with, ‘My Facebook Locked Me Out’ as people normally expect me to have the answers. In most cases, I do have the solutions provided you have already put the proper settings in place before being pushed out. For instance, some people only sign up with their Phone numbers which always makes it very difficult for their accounts to be restored if they lose the numbers. Putting the right thing in place is first if you plan to hold on to your account for long.
Meanwhile, there are other things you should know to avoid being locked out of your Facebook account – why your account may be disabled, and how to get it back if it does happen. This article would provide valuable inputs and also guide you towards getting your account back.
REASONS WHY YOU ARE LOCKED OUT OF YOUR FACEBOOK ACCOUNT
When a user is locked out of his or her Facebook account, it is always difficult to pinpoint the main reason. Still, if we are to go by several cases we have seen, then it should be any of the following reasons:
1. Your Facebook account could be locked due to suspicious activity which normally is to protect your account from being tampered with by unauthorized users.
2. Continuous violation of usage and community standards especially when people have reported your posts, or content known to be against terms of use.
3. Your Facebook account is locked due to the inability to confirm your identity. This normally happens when there is no credible way to confirm if you truly own it.
4. Your account was reported to be malicious, fake, or fall short of what is expected of the standard. Facebook will review it and if found to be so, you may get the padlock.
5. If you are below the accepted age or underage and not part of a group in the High school. Facebook strongly believes that only those aged 13 and over should use the social media platform.
6. If your account or content poses a security threat to a person or a particular group, you may find your Facebook account getting the kick soon.
7. Facebook, acting by a system error, believes you may have violated one or more rules, thereby leading to Facebook accounts being locked out.
8. If you send too many friend requests within a short period, you are also likely to be blocked from accessing your account.
9. Inviting several people to a Facebook page or group could also pose an issue, thereby leading to their account being disabled.
10. Users that join too many groups, above 200, will be considered a violation and thereby risk losing control of their Fb accounts.
11. Facebook may flag your account and put a lock on it if your action leads you to a phishing site that could put your account at risk.
12. Facebook account can also be disabled when you click on a link that appears to be a scam or misleading.
13. If a user is found to post too many messages on someone’s timeline or in a group, the activity can be considered spam thereby leading to his or her account being disabled.
14. Another reason why an account may be temporarily locked is if Facebook detects unusual activities. For instance, a sudden increase in how you use your account may appear suspicious.
15. If you failed to register or use your real names, this also will likely happen as Fb is trying to build a real and trusted community.
HOW DO I RECOVER MY LOCKED FACEBOOK ACCOUNT?
Method 1 – Contact Facebook
If you are unable to log into your Facebook account despite using the correct login details, you are probably blocked from accessing your account. One of the most proven methods that tend to work is to contact Facebook by filling a form.
In the form, you are required to provide every detail that will help Facebook help you with your request. Remember, I said, ensure you add your email address in your personal information, Facebook will need such detail among others to investigate it.
Methods 2 – Contact Trusted friends
Normally, this only works if you have previously set it up for your friends to receive the recovery code if ever you are logged out.
1. If such a thing has already taken place, then you should just go to the Facebook login page and click the FORGOT PASSWORD.
2. Enter your name, email address, or phone number in the field. If you use a name, you may see lots of results while using a Phone number or email address will be more specific.
3. Select the applicable one. If you no longer have access, you will need to click NO LONGER HAVE ACCESS TO THESE?
4. Provide a new phone number or active email address that belongs to you and click ‘CONTINUE’
5. Now that it has been taken care of. Click REVEAL MY TRUSTED CONTACTS and provide FULL NAMES of one of your trusted contacts.
6. Follow the prompts. If fully complied with, your friend will get the recovery codes which you can now use to restore your locked Facebook account.
Users who have yet to set it up can take action now by visiting the Facebook website or via the mobile app. Tap the menu icon and go to SETTINGS. Navigate to SECURITY AND LOGIN, then scroll down and click CHOOSE TO 3 TO 5 FRIENDS TO CONTACT IF YOU ARE LOCKED OUT. Tap ‘CHOOSE TRUSTED CONTACT’ and follow prompts.
After making your selections, you can always go back to the page to add or remove any Trusted Contact on the list.
Method 3 – Reset your account
If you were not blocked from Facebook due to going against terms of use or community standard, you can just reset your account provided you have the phone number or email address linked to your account.
Simply, tap ‘Forgotten Password’, enter ‘Phone Number’, or switch to ‘Email Address’ and follow the prompts. The codes or URL to get your Facebook account back will be sent to the email or the mobile number. You will need to provide a new password once you are on the page.
Method 4 – Get backup codes
If you have set up 2FA on your Facebook account, you can always go to LOGIN & SECURITY and add any of the backup options, Recovery codes, and Security keys.
Most people will select Recovery Codes since Security keys will require a device to function.
HOW TO MAKE SURE YOU NEVER GET LOCKED OUT OF FACEBOOK ACCOUNT
We have been able to illustrate several reasons why you may be locked out of your Facebook account, it is also important for you to make sure it never happens again by following our suggestions:
1. Find a good antivirus that could disarm threats such as viruses and malware.
2. Stop sending too many friend requests at once.
3. Never click on any link that appears to be from Facebook especially if you have not made a request such as a Password reset. You can always go through the official URL or verify first if the link is truly from Facebook.
4. Never violate the terms and conditions guiding how you use your Facebook account. The social giant often displays terms of usage during sign-up, but not many will bother to read it because it can be very boring.
5. Avoid logging into your Facebook account using multiple platforms. If facebook notices too many different Ip addresses, they may lock it, mostly to protect the owner.
6. If you constantly get notifications or emails of someone trying to log into your account, you can enable Two Factor Authentication on your Facebook account to avoid being locked out due to many compromises.
