Let's be real. Nobody actually wants to spend their Saturday morning digging through menus just to figure out how to change password on facebook. You’re probably here because you got one of those "suspicious login" emails that makes your stomach drop, or maybe you realized your current password is just your dog's name followed by a "1" and you're feeling a bit exposed. Whatever the reason, it's gotta get done.
The thing about Facebook is that they change the interface constantly. Seriously. One day the settings are under a little gear icon, and the next day they’ve moved everything into a "Meta Accounts Center" that feels more like a maze than a social media app.
It’s annoying. I get it.
But security isn't just a "nice to have" anymore. With hackers using automated brute-force attacks and credential stuffing—where they take passwords leaked from other sites and try them on your Facebook—having a fresh, unique password is the only thing standing between your private messages and a scammer in another country.
Finding the Meta Accounts Center (The New Way)
Most people get lost because they're looking for the old "Settings & Privacy" layout. It’s gone. Or rather, it’s buried. Meta, the parent company, has unified everything.
If you’re on a desktop, look at the top right. Click your profile picture. From there, you hit "Settings & Privacy" and then "Settings." Now, don't just scroll down. Look at the left-hand sidebar. You’ll see a box labeled Accounts Center. That’s the cockpit. That is where the magic (and the frustration) happens.
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Once you click that, look for Password and Security. It’s usually the third or fourth option down. From there, it's pretty straightforward: you click "Change Password," select the account you want to update, and you're in.
But there is a catch.
Facebook will demand your current password before it lets you create a new one. If you’ve been logged in for three years and have totally forgotten what that password is, don't panic. There’s a "Forgot your password?" link right at the bottom. Click it. They'll send a code to your email or phone.
Honestly, it’s easier than trying to guess your middle school crush's name which you might have used as a security hint back in 2012.
Why Your New Password Might Still Be Weak
Changing the password is only half the battle. If you change it from Password123 to Password456, you’ve basically done nothing. You’re just moving from a screen-door lock to a slightly shinier screen-door lock.
Cybersecurity experts like those at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) have actually changed their stance on what makes a password "good." They used to say "use a mix of capital letters, numbers, and symbols."
Now? They say length is king.
A twelve-character password with a bunch of weird symbols like P@$$w0rd! can actually be cracked faster by modern computers than a twenty-character "passphrase" made of random words. Think of something like Purple-Toaster-Running-Fast-77. It’s easier for your human brain to remember but exponentially harder for a bot to guess through random permutations.
The Mobile App Shortcut
If you’re on your phone, the steps for how to change password on facebook are slightly different but follow the same logic.
- Tap the three horizontal lines (the "hamburger" menu) or your profile pic in the bottom right (iOS) or top right (Android).
- Scroll down to the very bottom. Tap "Settings & Privacy."
- Hit "Settings."
- Boom. "See more in Accounts Center" is right at the top.
- Tap "Password and security," then "Change password."
It’s fast. Usually takes less than thirty seconds if you know where you're going.
The app version is actually a bit more sensitive to your location. If you try to change your password while connected to a public Wi-Fi at a Starbucks, Facebook’s security triggers might get jumpy. They might ask for extra verification just to make sure it's really you and not someone who just swiped your phone while you were waiting for a latte.
The "Hidden" Security Checkup
While you’re in there, you should really look at the "Where You're Logged In" section. This is the part most people ignore, and it’s arguably more important than the password itself.
It shows a list of every device currently signed into your account. If you see an "iPhone 15" in a city you’ve never visited, you have a problem. You can—and should—force log out of those devices immediately.
I once helped a friend who couldn't figure out why her account kept posting weird links. We checked this list and found a desktop login from halfway across the world. We logged them out, changed the password, and the problem vanished.
It’s a digital housecleaning. Do it.
Dealing with Two-Factor Authentication (2FA)
If you really want to be "unhackable" (or as close as possible), you need to turn on Two-Factor Authentication.
I know, I know. It's a pain to wait for a text message every time you log in. But here’s the reality: if a hacker gets your password through a data breach but doesn't have your physical phone, they still can't get in.
Avoid using SMS-based 2FA if you can. "SIM swapping" is a real thing where hackers trick your phone carrier into giving them your phone number. Instead, use an app like Google Authenticator or Authy. They generate codes locally on your device. It’s a bit more "techy," but it’s significantly more secure.
Common Roadblocks and How to Smash Them
Sometimes, the process breaks. You click "Change Password," and the page just loops. Or you don't get the recovery email.
If you aren't getting the emails, check your "Social" or "Promotions" tab in Gmail. Facebook emails often end up there. If it's still not there, you might have an old, dead email address linked to your account. This is a nightmare scenario.
In that case, you have to go to your Personal Details in the Accounts Center and try to add a new email or phone number before you initiate the password change. If you're locked out and can't access the email on file, you might have to go through the "Identify" process, which involves sending a photo of your ID to Facebook.
It’s slow. It takes days. It sucks.
That’s why you should check your contact info now while you still have access. Don't wait until you're locked out to realize your recovery email is an @aol.com address you haven't used since the Bush administration.
Is Facebook Secretly Saving Your Old Passwords?
Sort of. Facebook won't let you reuse a password you’ve used recently. This is a safety feature to prevent people from just cycling between two easy passwords. If you try to change it back to something old, you’ll get an error message.
Also, if you use a password manager (and you really should), make sure you update the entry after you change it on Facebook. There’s nothing more annoying than changing your password on your laptop and then being locked out of your iPad because the auto-fill is still using the old one.
A Quick Word on Third-Party Apps
When you change your Facebook password, you might notice that some other apps—like Spotify or Tinder—might ask you to log in again. This is normal. Since you use Facebook to "Sign In" to those services, the security token gets reset when the password changes.
It’s actually a good sign. It means the security update is working and "flushing" your credentials across the web.
Honestly, the hardest part of how to change password on facebook is just finding the motivation to do it. The menus are confusing, the prompts are annoying, and we all have a million other things to do. But in an era where identity theft is a multi-billion dollar industry, that five minutes of annoyance is a very small price to pay.
Take Action Now
Don't just read this and move on. Do the thing.
Open the app. Go to the Accounts Center. Check your "Where You're Logged In" list first. If everything looks okay, take a deep breath and update that password to something long and random.
Once that's done, set up an authenticator app. It feels like overkill until the day someone tries to log into your account from a server farm in Eastern Europe and gets stopped cold because they don't have the code on your phone. That’s the moment you’ll be glad you took this seriously.
Check your "Security Checkup" tool inside the Facebook settings to see if there are any other glaring holes in your privacy. Ensure your "Trusted Contacts" are up to date so you have a way back in if you ever lose your phone and your password at the same time. Keep your recovery email current and different from your Facebook password to avoid a domino effect if one account gets compromised.