Where to find the email setting and what you need before you start

You change your Facebook email address in the Settings menu, which takes about two minutes. Before you begin, know that Facebook will send a confirmation link to your new email address — you must be able to receive and open that email, or the change will not go through. If you are switching to a new email provider, make sure you can log into that account first.

You will also need to know your current Facebook password. If you have forgotten it, you can reset it before making the email change, which takes a few extra minutes but prevents you from getting locked out mid-process.

Key Takeaways

  • Facebook sends a confirmation link to your new email address, so you must have access to that inbox before you start the change.
  • The email change happens in Settings and Privacy, then Settings, then Personal Information — the path is the same on phone and computer.
  • You will see a confirmation screen showing your old email and new email; review both carefully before clicking the final button.
  • If you do not confirm the new email within a set time, Facebook will keep your old email as your login address.
  • You can add multiple email addresses to your account so you have a backup login option if you lose access to one.

Steps to change your email on a computer

Open Facebook in your web browser and log in if you are not already logged in. In the top right corner, you will see a downward-pointing arrow or your profile picture. Click it to open a menu.

From that menu, select Settings and Privacy, then click Settings. On the left side of the screen, you will see a column of options. Click Personal Information. You will now see a section labeled Email with your current email address displayed.

Click the pencil icon or the word Edit next to your email address. A box will appear where you can type your new email. Delete the old email and type the new one carefully — misspelled emails will cause the confirmation to fail. Click Save Changes.

Facebook will display a confirmation screen showing both your old email and your new email. Read both carefully to make sure the new address is correct. Click the button to confirm. Facebook will then send a confirmation link to your new email address.

Steps to change your email on a phone or tablet

Open the Facebook app and tap the three horizontal lines (called a menu icon) in the bottom right corner on Android, or the bottom left on iPhone. Scroll down and tap Settings and Privacy, then tap Settings.

Scroll down to Personal Information and tap it. You will see your email address listed. Tap the pencil icon next to it or tap Edit. Type your new email address carefully in the box that appears, then tap Save or Save Changes.

A confirmation screen will appear showing your old and new email addresses. Check that the new address is spelled correctly, then tap the button to confirm the change. Facebook will send a confirmation link to your new email inbox.

Confirming your new email address

Within a few minutes of making the change, you should receive an email from Facebook to your new address. The email will have a subject line like "Confirm your email address" or "Verify your email address." Open that email and look for a blue button or a link that says Confirm Email Address or Verify Email.

Click that button or link. You will be taken to a Facebook page confirming that your email has been changed. If you do not see the confirmation email within 10 minutes, check your spam or junk folder — sometimes confirmation emails are filtered there by mistake. If it is not there, you can go back to Settings and Personal Information to request that Facebook send the confirmation email again.

Until you confirm the new email, Facebook will keep your old email as your login address. Once you confirm, you can log in using either your old email or your new email — both will work.

What happens if you do not confirm in time

If you do not click the confirmation link within a certain time period, Facebook will cancel the email change and your old email will remain your login address. You can try the process again at any time. There is no penalty for not confirming — Facebook straightforward reverts to your previous email.

If you realize you made a typo in the new email address before confirming, go back to Settings and Personal Information and click Edit again. You can change it to the correct address and request a new confirmation email.

Adding a backup email address instead of replacing your old one

If you want to keep your current email but also have a second email address you can use to log in, you do not have to replace it. Instead, you can add an additional email address to your account. Go to Settings and Personal Information, and look for an option to Add Email or Add Another Email rather than Edit.

Type the new email address and click Save. Facebook will send a confirmation link to that new address. Once you confirm it, you will have two email addresses on your account, and you can log in using either one. This is useful if you are changing email providers but want to keep your old email working as a backup for a while.

Troubleshooting if the change does not go through

If you clicked Save but did not see a confirmation screen, or if the confirmation email never arrived, first check that you typed the new email address correctly. Go back to Settings and Personal Information to see what email is currently listed. If it still shows your old email, the change did not save.

Make sure you have a strong internet connection and try again. Type the new email very slowly and carefully — copy and paste it from another source if possible, rather than typing it by hand. If the confirmation email still does not arrive after 15 minutes, check your spam folder, then try requesting the confirmation email again from the Settings menu.

If you are locked out of your account or cannot access your current email address, you can use Facebook's account recovery process. Go to the Facebook login page, click Forgotten Password?, and follow the steps to regain access using a phone number or another recovery method.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use the same email address for multiple Facebook accounts?

No. Each email address can only be connected to one Facebook account. If you try to add an email that is already linked to another account, Facebook will show an error. You would need to remove that email from the other account first, or use a different email address.

What if I change my email but then want to change it back?

You can change your email address as many times as you want. Just go back to Settings and Personal Information, click Edit next to your current email, and type your old email address. Facebook will send a confirmation link to that old address, and once you confirm it, you are switched back.

Will changing my email address affect my Facebook password?

No. Your password stays the same. Changing your email only changes the address you use to log in — it does not change your password or log you out of your account. You will still use the same password you have always used.

Do I need to update my email on Facebook Messenger too?

No. Messenger uses the same account as Facebook, so changing your email on Facebook automatically updates it for Messenger. You do not need to make any separate changes in the Messenger app.

What if I confirm the new email but then lose access to it?

You can add another email address to your account as a backup. Go to Settings and Personal Information and add a second email. You can then log in using that second email if you lose access to your primary one. You can also use your phone number as a login option if you have one saved to your account.