Where to find the email setting on Facebook

Your email address on Facebook lives in your account settings, not in your profile. Open Facebook on a computer or phone, click the downward arrow in the top right corner, and select Settings and privacy, then Settings. On a phone, you may see Settings directly instead of the arrow menu.

Once you are in Settings, look for Personal information on the left side (on a computer) or scroll down to find it (on a phone). Click or tap Personal information, then find Email in the list. This is where you will see your current email and make changes.

Key Takeaways

  • Your email address is stored in Settings under Personal information, not in your profile or About section.
  • Facebook lets you add multiple email addresses to one account, so you can keep your old one active while adding a new one.
  • You must confirm a new email address by clicking a link Facebook sends to that email before it becomes your primary address.
  • If you forget your password, Facebook uses your email to send you a reset link, so update your email before you lose access to the old one.

Adding a new email address to your account

Click or tap the Add email button next to your current email. Type in your new email address and click Add email. Facebook will send a confirmation link to that new address — you must open that email and click the link within a few hours, or the new address will not be saved to your account.

After you confirm the new email, it will appear in your email list as a secondary address. At this point, your old email is still your primary address, meaning it is the one Facebook uses to contact you and the one you can use to log in. You can now remove the old email if you want, or keep both active.

Making a new email your primary address

If you have added a new email and confirmed it, you can make it your primary address by clicking the three dots next to that email and selecting Make primary. Your old email will move to secondary status. You can still use either email to log into Facebook, but Facebook will send notifications and password resets to your primary address.

You do not have to remove your old email to make a new one primary. Many people keep both addresses active in case they need to recover their account later. If you do want to remove the old email entirely, click the three dots next to it and select Remove.

What happens if you remove your only email

Facebook requires at least one email address on every account. If you try to remove your only email, Facebook will not let you — you must add and confirm a new email first, make it primary, and only then remove the old one. If you accidentally remove your email and cannot remember your password, you may have trouble getting back into your account, so always keep at least one working email saved.

If you are locked out and cannot access your email, Facebook has a recovery process where you can use a phone number or trusted contacts to regain access. This takes longer than a straightforward password reset, so it is worth keeping your email current.

Changing your email on a phone versus a computer

The steps are the same on both, but the layout is slightly different. On an iPhone or Android phone, open the Facebook app, tap the three horizontal lines in the bottom right, scroll down to Settings and privacy, then Settings. Scroll to Personal information and tap Email. The buttons and confirmations work the same way as on a computer.

If you are using Facebook in a mobile web browser instead of the app, the layout matches the computer version more closely. Either method works — use whichever is easier for you.

Why you might want to change your email

People change their Facebook email for several reasons: they no longer use an old email address, they want to use a work email instead of a personal one, or they are consolidating accounts. If you are changing because you no longer have access to your old email, add the new one and confirm it before you lose access completely. This prevents you from getting locked out if you forget your password.

If you are switching to a new email provider entirely, update Facebook before you close the old account. Once an email is gone, you cannot confirm new addresses or reset your password using it.

Troubleshooting a stuck or unconfirmed email

If you added a new email but never received the confirmation link, check your spam or junk folder — confirmation emails sometimes end up there. If you still do not see it, go back to Settings, find the unconfirmed email in your list, and click Resend confirmation email. Wait a few minutes and check again.

If the confirmation link has expired (usually after a few hours), you can request a new one. If you are having trouble removing an old email, make sure you have already added and confirmed a new one first — Facebook will not let you delete your only email address. If none of these steps work, you may need to use Facebook's help center or contact support through your account settings.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use the same email for two different Facebook accounts?

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

What if I do not remember my password and cannot access my email?

Facebook has a recovery process for this situation. Go to the login page, click Forgotten password?, and follow the prompts. You can use a phone number, a trusted contact, or a government ID to prove you own the account. This process takes longer than a straightforward email reset, so it is worth keeping your email current.

Will changing my email affect my friends or my posts?

No. Your email is private and only you and Facebook can see it. Changing it will not affect your profile, your posts, your friends list, or anything else visible on your account. Only you will notice the change.

Do I have to remove my old email when I add a new one?

No. You can keep both emails active on your account. Many people do this as a backup in case they lose access to one email address. You only need to remove the old email if you want to.

How long does it take for a new email to be confirmed?

It is when ready once you click the confirmation link in the email Facebook sends you. The link usually arrives within a few minutes. If you do not see it, check your spam folder or request a new confirmation email from your Settings.