My Facebook Account Was Hacked and Deleted – What Should I Do?

Having a hacked Facebook account is highly frustrating and can lead to misunderstandings. However, some hackers go further and delete the account altogether. Sadly, if this happened more than 30 days ago, your only option is to create a new account.

However, if the deletion happened less than a month ago, you might still have a chance to save your account.

Protect Your Facebook Account from Deletion by a Hacker

Before diving into fixing the problem, let’s first explore actions you can take before the hacker can delete your account.

Note 1: Be sure to perform routine backups of your Facebook Data because you never know what might happen or when! You can also manually download/save pictures and images into a particular folder on your device(s). Both suggestions help protect your valuable data in case of a hack or social disaster.

Note 2: It is highly suggested that security and privacy settings for all social accounts get reviewed and implemented to help protect against data theft, malware, and hacking. Be sure to review your security info for all your social accounts. Ensure that two-factor authentication is enabled and that your backup contact information is current.

Note 3: To further protect your Facebook account from hackers, it is advised that you avoid auto-login features whenever possible.

Note 4: If you link other social accounts, ensure they are protected with two-factor authentication and other security settings as well. Otherwise, a hacker can access your Instagram account, for instance, and then go straight to your Facebook account from there.

If you aren’t sure whether your Facebook account is compromised, you should verify whether or not someone is using your Facebook account. Catching the problem at the onset is the best-case scenario for recovering your account.

As a Facebook user, you should keep your contact information up-to-date, including your email and phone number. Facebook will send you alerts for new logins and changes to your login information. If someone has taken over your account, you’ll first want to go to your email account. Search for communications from Facebook.

If you’ve received an email from Facebook alerting you of changes, open the email and click on the “Secure your account” link. This process sends you to a help page that assists you in recovering your account.

Assuming you didn’t catch this email in time, that’s ok. Other options exist to help you recover your Facebook account after deletion, even if the hacker changed your login credentials.

How to Recover a Hacked and Deleted Account

The good thing about account deletion is that Facebook doesn’t delete it immediately. Instead, it keeps the account “alive” but makes it invisible to your friends for 30 days. Here’s how to go about recovering a hacked and deleted account.

Recover Facebook if Password and Email Were Not Changed

There is a slight chance the hacker forgot to change your login data before they deleted the account. If that’s the case, here’s how to reactivate and regain access to your account.

1. Open the browser on your computer and go to “https://facebook.com.” If you’re on a smartphone or tablet, launch the “Facebook” app.
   
2. Next, enter your “email” and “password.” If you were logging in with your phone number, type it in instead.
   
3. Click or tap the “Log In” button.
   

If you’ve succeeded, you should see all your contacts, photos, posts, and so on, assuming the hacker didn’t delete them.

Recover Facebook if Password was Changed

The most common scenario, especially with inexperienced hackers, is that they only change the password. While you can’t reactivate your account with the old password, you can still get your account back. Here’s how to do it.

1. Open a browser on your computer and navigate to “facebook.com.” If you’re on a smartphone or tablet, launch the “Facebook” app.
   
2. Enter your “old login credentials” and click/tap “Log In.”
   
3. Facebook will then show you a screen saying you have entered an incorrect Password.
   
4. Click or tap the “Forgot Password” option.
   
5. Check the current email account you have associated with Facebook. Choose “Send code via email,” then hit “Continue.”
   
6. You will receive an email with a six-digit code. Type the provided “Security Code” into the provided field, then click or tap “Continue.”
   
7. You will then be prompted to provide a new password for your account. Type in a strong, new password. Use special characters, uppercase and lowercase letters, and throw in some numbers too.
   
8. Tap or click the “Continue” button.
   
9. Next, you will see a message telling you when your account will be deleted if you don’t cancel the deletion. Keep in mind that after that date, recovery will be impossible.
   

Recover Facebook if You Can’t Access Your Email

Let’s say that the hacker was a bit more thorough than in the previous case and that they’ve disabled your access to your email account to log in to Facebook. You still have a way to get your account back. First, you should check whether the password is still valid.

1. Open a browser, head to Facebook, or launch the “Facebook” app on your mobile device.
   
2. Click on your “profile photo” for the mobile app and skip to “Step 4.” If on a PC, continue to “Step 3.”
   
3. Enter the “most recent password” you used. If the hacker hasn’t changed it, Facebook will allow you to cancel the deletion of your account. Skip to “Step 5.”
   
4. Type in the “most recent password” you’ve used if on a mobile device. Facebook will show you the Confirm Your Identity message if it checks out. Tap “Get Started.” You will then see the message about when your account was slated for deletion.
   
5. Tap the “Cancel Deletion” option on the browser or the “Yes, Continue to Facebook” button on the mobile app.
   

Recover Facebook using a PC if Both Email and Password Were Changed

If the hacker was thorough with their actions and changed both the email and password, you could possibly recover your account using your phone number.

1. Launch a web browser and go to “facebook.com.”
   
2. Enter the “most recent credentials” that worked, then click “Log In.”
   
3. On the next screen, click “Find your account and log in.”
   
4. Enter your “email address” in the search box. If the email search fails, instead, enter the “mobile number” linked to your account.
   
5. Check the “Send code via SMS” option.
   
6. When you get the text, copy and paste the code into the correct box, then click “Continue.”
   
7. Enter a “new password,” then click “Continue.”
   
8. Select “Cancel Deletion.”
   

Recover Facebook using Android/iPhone if Both Email and Password Were Changed

1. Launch the “Facebook” app.
   
2. Choose the “Find Your Account” option.
   
3. Check the “Confirm via SMS” option, then tap “Continue.”
   
4. Copy the “SMS code,” then paste it into the provided field and tap
   “Continue.”
   
5. Create a “new password” and tap “Continue” once more.
   
6. On the “Confirm Your Identity” screen, tap “Get Started.”
   
7. Choose “Yes, Continue to Facebook” to cancel the account deletion.
   

If none of the methods helped, you should report it to Facebook.

No matter what process you used to resolve your hacked Meta Facebook account issue, ensure you create a super-strong password now and in the future. Also, consider changing the associated email and adding 2-factor authentication to make future hacks even less likely to happen.

Hacked Facebook FAQs

Can I recover my Facebook data after 30 days?

Facebook gives users the option to download and save all of their Facebook data on the website. But, if your account got deleted after the 30-day holding period, there is no way to retrieve it. While Facebook states that they can store some information, this has no personal posts, pictures, or anything related to the individual.

Essentially, if someone has hacked your account and deleted it, there is no way to recover anything after the first 30 days.

Does Facebook have a customer support team?

Unfortunately, Facebook doesn’t have a phone number or chat service that puts you in touch with a customer service representative for more help. The only option you have is to reach out to the Facebook Support Team. You won’t receive immediate feedback, but the team will do their best to help you.

Remember, you must be as detailed as possible when filling out the forms to reduce the number of interactions you have and how long it will take to resolve your issue.