How to tell if your Facebook has been hacked in 2025

Seeing the phrase “Facebook data breach” in the headlines of media outlets multiple times in the last few years makes securing your account more important than ever. Read on to find out how to make your life on Facebook less vulnerable.

How to tell if your Facebook has been hacked

Have you ever wondered how you can tell if your Facebook account has been hacked? The main sign is the fact that someone else was using your account without your knowledge. But how can you check if you have been hacked? Follow these steps to find out if someone else has logged into your Facebook:

1. 1.Go to your Facebook profile and tap on the "Menu" button. Scroll down to “Settings & privacy.”
   
2. 2.Tap “Settings."
   
3. 3. Press on the “Accounts centre” block.
   
4. 4.Click "Password and security."
   
5. 5.Click "Where you're logged in."
   
6. 6.You'll see your social media profiles. Choose your Facebook account.
   
7. 7.This is where you'll see your account login activity. Choose the line that you want to investigate.
   
   If you see any activity you don’t recognize on your account, it is also a sign that your Facebook account was hacked. Read on to find out what specific signs should be treated as proof of your account having been breached.

Other signs your Facebook was hacked

So how do you tell if your account has been hacked? First, check if someone else has logged in, as described above, and look for other signs of your Facebook account being hacked. These include changes to your information that you did not implement and suspicious activity you have not initiated:

• Your name, birthday, email, or password suddenly changes.
• Friend requests from your account are sent to people you don’t know.
• Messages you did not write are sent from your account.
• Posts you did not create are appearing on your timeline.

With dozens of different scams on Facebook, it can be also beneficial to evaluate your recent Facebook activity: perhaps you’ve clicked on a suspicious link or participated in a dubious giveaway recently? Remembering such details can help you gain a better understanding on whether your account’s been hacked.

What to do if your Facebook account was hacked

It happened. You found out your Facebook was hacked. Now you need to know how to fix it. So, what is the first thing you do when you get hacked, and how do you recover your account immediately?

Learn how to reset your Facebook password, because that should be your very first step. You can do this by:

1. 1. Going to Facebook’s settings panel.
2. 2. Tapping on “Settings & privacy” -> "Settings" -> "Accounts Centre" -> “Passwords and security,” then find “Login & recovery” and tap “Change password.”

You can also recover external accounts associated with your Facebook account by taking these steps:

1. 1.Log into your Facebook account.
2. 2.Go to the website or service.
3. 3.When asked how you’d like to recover your account, select Facebook. The “Account recovery” Facebook page will load.
4. 4.Then follow the instructions provided.

Also, inform Facebook immediately about the hacking attempt. You can do so by clicking here, choosing the most suitable option for you, and following the on-screen instructions.

How to prevent your account from being hacked

You can take these steps to make yourself less susceptible to hacker attacks:

1. 1.Create a strong password. We have tons of tips on how to create a strong password, and we also have a password manager! Having created a strong password, review your settings for apps, websites, and games you log in to with Facebook.
2. 2.Use two-factor authentication. If you do, Facebook will ask for a login code if it notices a suspicious login attempt from an unknown device or browser.
3. 3.Adjust your privacy settings. Make yourself less visible to outsiders by changing the settings of how people can find and contact you from “Public/Everyone” to “Friends,” “Friends of friends,” or “Only me.”
4. 4.Enable security alerts. Facebook will inform you if someone connects to your account from a device you don’t regularly use.
5. 5.Take extra precautions while browsing Facebook:
   • Before clicking a link or opening any attachment that comes your way, double-check it to make sure it is reliable. It might contain a link to a fake Facebook phishing site dedicated to stealing your credentials, or it could harbor malware designed to compromise your device’s security.
   • Critically review the pages you follow and your friend list. See if you have people in your friend list whom you don’t recognize or find suspicious.
   • Be careful when communicating with people you don’t know or have little common connections. Do not share any personal information if you don’t trust the person completely.
   • If Facebook frequently logs-off automatically while you are browsing, this is a sign of a possible breach.
   • Check for any comments or messages you don’t remember writing or purchases you don’t recognize. They might have been made by an intruder.
6. 6.Read more tips about how to protect your Facebook account for more tips and keep an eye on the news for info about Facebook security issues. If you no longer want to risk your info leaking or want to prevent Facebook gathering personal information, you might consider deactivating or simply delete your Facebook and deactivate your Messenger accounts.
7. 7.Use a VPN. A virtual private network hides your IP address and encrypts your traffic, mitigating the risk of being spied on by data snoopers. If you often connect to public networks, having a VPN enabled on your device can significantly improve your security.

NordVPN also offers the Dark Web Monitor feature, which notifies you if your personal details have been leaked on the dark web. NordVPN also offers a useful anti-malware tool Threat Protection Pro that stops you from landing on malicious sites and scans your files during download for potential threats. It also serves as a tracker blocker that prevents third-party trackers from following you and gathering data about you. On top of that, it is a VPN for multiple devices — with one account you can protect up to 10 devices, such as tablets, laptops, smartphones, and routers.