Facebook Login Notifications: How to Turn On Login Alerts and What to Do

A login alert is Facebook's way of saying "someone just signed in to your account from somewhere new. Was that you?" It's one of the simplest security features to switch on, and it can make the difference between catching a hacker in minutes and finding out weeks later when your friends start getting scam messages from your account.

This guide shows where to turn login alerts on, what to do when one arrives, and the related settings worth turning on at the same time.

What login alerts do

When login alerts are on, Facebook notifies you if your account is accessed from a device or browser it doesn't recognize. The alert tells you which device was used and roughly where it was located, and asks whether it was you.

You can choose how to receive alerts:

• Facebook notifications in the app.
• Email to the address on your account.

Turning on more than one channel is wise. If someone gets into your account, they might clear your Facebook notifications, but they can't easily delete an email in your inbox.

How to turn on Facebook login alerts

Login alerts now live in Meta's Accounts Center, which manages security for Facebook, Instagram and Messenger together.

1. Open Facebook and go to Settings & privacy, then Settings.
2. Tap Accounts Center (or See more in Accounts Center).
3. Choose Password and security.
4. Under Security checks, tap Login alerts.
5. Select your Facebook account if asked, then switch on the alert channels you want, such as in-app notifications and email.

If your menus look different, search "login alerts" in the Settings search bar. Meta adjusts Accounts Center from time to time, but the alerts have stayed under Password and security.

What to do when you get an alert

If it was you

Logging in on a new phone, a new browser or after clearing cookies can trigger an alert. Confirm it was you, and you're done.

If it wasn't you

Act quickly:

1. Tell Facebook it wasn't you. The alert usually includes an option to secure your account. Use it from inside the app or by going to facebook.com directly, not through an email link.
2. Change your password to a new, unique one.
3. Check Where you're logged in. In Accounts Center, under Password and security, open Where you're logged in and log out of any device you don't recognize.
4. Turn on two-factor authentication if it isn't already on.
5. Check your account details. Make sure the email address and phone number on the account are still yours, and look for posts, messages or friend requests you didn't send.
6. Remove unknown apps under Apps and websites in Settings.

If you've already been locked out, go to facebook.com/hacked, which walks you through recovering a compromised account. Our guide to protecting your Facebook account from hackers covers recovery in more depth.

Beware fake login alerts

Scammers send emails and texts designed to look exactly like Facebook security notices: "Unusual login attempt detected, click here to secure your account." The link leads to a fake login page that steals your password.

Protect yourself:

• Never sign in through a link in a security email or text. Open the app or type facebook.com yourself.
• Check Recent emails from Meta. In Accounts Center, under Password and security, there's a list of recent security emails Meta has actually sent you. If an email isn't on that list, it didn't come from Meta.
• Never share a login code with anyone, including someone claiming to be from Facebook support or a friend who "accidentally" sent their code to your number.

Settings to turn on at the same time

Login alerts tell you about a problem. These settings help prevent it:

• Two-factor authentication. In Accounts Center, under Password and security, choose two-factor authentication and set up an authenticator app, security key or text messages.
• Passkeys. Facebook began rolling out passkeys on its iPhone and Android apps in 2025. If your app offers one, it lets you sign in with your device's screen lock and is very hard to phish.
• Security Checkup. Also under Password and security, this guided tool reviews your logins, password and alerts in one pass.
• A unique password. If your Facebook password is used on any other site, change it.

Encryption is already handled for you; Facebook has used HTTPS for every connection since 2013, as we explain in Facebook HTTPS: what still needs doing.

For parents of teens

Teens are frequent targets for account takeovers, often through "can you send me the code I just sent to your phone" messages from a friend's hacked account. Help your teen:

1. Turn on login alerts by email to an address they actually check.
2. Set up two-factor authentication with an authenticator app.
3. Learn the rule: a login code is like a house key; you never hand it to anyone.
4. Know they can come to you right away if they get an alert they don't recognize, without worrying about losing their phone.

The same settings exist for Instagram in Accounts Center, so do both at once.

Login security checklist

• Login alerts on, by in-app notification and email.
• Two-factor authentication on, ideally with an authenticator app or security key.
• Passkey set up if available.
• Unknown sessions removed from Where you're logged in.
• Unique password, not used anywhere else.
• Family rule: never share a login code, never sign in from an email link.