What you need before you start
Creating a Facebook account takes about five minutes and requires three things: a working email address or phone number, a password you have not used elsewhere, and your real name as you want it to appear. Facebook will ask for your birth date and gender during setup — these are required fields, though you can control who sees them after you finish.
You do not need a credit card, a phone number on file, or any payment method to create a basic account. Facebook makes money from advertising, not from charging users. If you see a website claiming you need to pay to set up an account, that is not Facebook.
Have a strong password ready. A strong password is at least 12 characters long, mixes uppercase and lowercase letters, includes numbers and symbols (like ! or #), and does not contain your name or birth year. Write it down somewhere safe — a password manager, a locked notebook, or a sealed envelope — because you will need it to log in later.
Key Takeaways
- Go to facebook.com on a computer or open the Facebook app on your phone, then click "Create New Facebook Account" to begin.
- Enter your real name, email address or phone number, birth date, and gender — Facebook requires all of these fields.
- Create a password that is at least 12 characters long and includes uppercase letters, lowercase letters, numbers, and symbols.
- Confirm your email or phone number by entering the code Facebook sends you, which usually arrives within a few minutes.
- After confirming, you can add a profile picture and choose your privacy settings before inviting friends or following pages.
Step 1: Go to the Facebook sign-up page
On a computer, open your web browser and go to facebook.com. You will see the login page with a blue "Create New Facebook Account" button on the right side. Click that button.
On a phone or tablet, open the Facebook app (read it from the App Store if you have an iPhone, or from Google Play if you have an Android phone). Tap "Create New Facebook Account" at the bottom of the login screen.
Either way, you will see a form asking for your name, email or phone number, password, birth date, and gender. Fill in each field as you go — you cannot skip any of them.
Step 2: Enter your name and contact information
In the first field, type your real first and last name as you want it to appear on your profile. Facebook checks that names match your identity if you later try to recover a lost account, so use the name on your government ID or the name people actually call you by.
In the second field, enter either your email address or your phone number. Use an email address you check regularly — Facebook will send a confirmation code there, and you will need it to finish setting up. If you use a phone number instead, make sure it is a number you can receive text messages on.
Do not use a work email or a shared family email if you can avoid it. Use a personal email address that only you can access, so only you can reset your password if you forget it.
Step 3: Create a strong password
In the password field, type a password that no one else knows and that you have not used on any other website. If someone hacks one of your other accounts, they will try that same password on Facebook — so each account needs its own unique password.
Make your password at least 12 characters long. Include uppercase letters (A, B, C), lowercase letters (a, b, c), numbers (0, 1, 2), and symbols (!, @, #, $). An example of a strong password is "BlueSky#2024Jazz" — it is long, mixes character types, and does not spell out a real word or date.
Write the password down in a safe place before you click forward. If you forget it, you can reset it using your email address, but that takes extra time. A password manager like Bitwarden or 1Password can store it securely so you do not have to remember it.
Step 4: Confirm your email or phone number
After you fill in all the fields and click the button to continue, Facebook will send a confirmation code to the email address or phone number you entered. Check your email inbox or text messages within a few minutes.
The code is usually six digits long. Enter it into the field Facebook shows you on the screen. If you do not see the code after five minutes, check your spam or junk folder — sometimes confirmation emails end up there by mistake. You can also ask Facebook to send the code again.
Once you enter the correct code, Facebook will confirm your account and take you to a page where you can add a profile picture and choose privacy settings. You do not have to do these things right away — you can skip them and come back later.
Step 5: Set up your profile and privacy settings
Facebook will ask you to upload a profile picture. You can use a photo of yourself, a photo of something you like, or skip this step for now. If you upload a photo, Facebook stores it on its servers and shows it to anyone who visits your profile.
Next, you will see options for who can see your posts, who can contact you, and whether your profile shows up in search results. The default settings let friends see most of what you post and let anyone send you a message. You can change these later by going to Settings and Privacy, then Settings, then Privacy.
After you finish these steps, your account is live. You can search for friends by name, follow pages and groups, or start posting. Facebook will suggest people to add based on your email contacts and phone number — you can ignore these suggestions if you want.
What to do if something goes wrong
If Facebook says your name is not allowed, it may contain symbols or numbers that Facebook's system flagged. Try entering just your first and last name without nicknames or titles. If that does not work, you can request a name review — Facebook will look at it and usually approve it within a few days.
If you do not receive the confirmation code, check that you entered your email address or phone number correctly. Ask Facebook to resend the code, or try a different email address if you have one. If you are using a phone number, make sure your phone plan includes text messages.
If you see a message saying "This email is already registered," someone else has already created an account with that address. Try a different email address, or use the "Forgot Password" link on the login page to recover the existing account if it is yours.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I have to use my real name on Facebook?
Facebook requires you to use the name you go by in everyday life. You can use a nickname if that is what people actually call you, but Facebook may ask you to prove it matches your identity if you try to recover your account later. You cannot use a fake name, a business name, or numbers and symbols.
Can I create a Facebook account without an email address?
You can use a phone number instead of an email address during sign-up. However, email is more find for account recovery — if you lose access to your phone number, you will need an email address to get back into your account. If possible, use both.
What if I want to delete my account later?
You can deactivate your account (hide it temporarily) or delete it permanently. Go to Settings and Privacy, then Settings, then scroll down to find "Deactivation and Deletion." Deactivation takes effect when ready; deletion takes up to 90 days to complete. During that time, you can cancel the deletion if you change your mind.
Is it safe to use my real phone number on Facebook?
Facebook uses your phone number to send the confirmation code and to help you recover your account if you forget your password. It does not share your phone number with advertisers or other users unless you make it public in your profile settings. You can hide your phone number after you finish setting up.
Can I create more than one Facebook account?
Facebook allows one account per person. Creating multiple accounts with fake names or using the same email address for two accounts violates Facebook's rules and can result in both accounts being disabled. If you need a separate account for a business or organization, use Facebook Pages or Facebook Groups instead.