If you’re worried that someone might have logged into your Facebook account unauthorized, it helps to know how to check your previous login history.
Fortunately, Facebook allows you to see which devices logged into your Facebook account and when. Whether you want to see if someone using your old phone logged into your Facebook or you want to check for unauthorized devices accessing your account, this article is for you.
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Why Check Your Login History?
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The best way to prevent unauthorized access to your Facebook account is by using a secure password that is hard to crack and setting up 2FA. However, most of the time, it is not foolproof.
I’ll talk more about setting up 2FA in a bit. In any case, if you didn’t properly safeguard your account, someone might have logged in without you even realizing it.
In fact, someone might be logged into your account right now! If some strange message was posted to your wall, it’s likely that someone else is logged into your account somehow.
Sometimes, it’s a lot simpler than some hacker figuring out your password. It could be someone who has access to a device you once logged into and never logged out from.
For example, if you logged into Facebook on a school computer, library computer, or shared family tablet, and you didn’t log out, it will be easy for people to access your account.
If you forgot your old phone in a hotel or taxi somewhere, anyone who finds your phone can access your Facebook account (unless the phone itself is locked).
By checking your Facebook login history, you can ensure that you are the only person logged into your account. You can also log out of devices that shouldn’t have access to your account anymore.
Finally, checking your Facebook login history is a good way to check up on your own Facebook activity.
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How to Check Your Facebook Login History on a Desktop?
Let’s first see how to check your Facebook login history on a desktop device.
Start by logging into your Facebook account using your email address/phone number and password. If you set up 2FA, you may have to receive a security code, unless you are on a trusted device.
Then, follow these steps:
- Click on the small drop-down menu in the top-right corner of the screen. It’s indicated by an icon that looks somewhat like a downward-facing arrow.
- Select “Settings and Privacy.”
- Click on “Settings.”
- On the left-hand side of your screen, you’ll see a menu. Click on “Security and Login.”
- You will see a section that says “Where You’re Logged In.” Click on “See More” to see your full login history.
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Your login history will display the following information:
- The device that logged in (such as the specific Android model or iPhone model)
- The browser that was used to log in (Chrome, Facebook App, Messenger, Instagram, etc.)
- The location where the login happened (based on the IP address)
- The exact date on which that device logged into your Facebook account
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For the device you are using at the moment, it will say “Active Now” in green letters instead of a date.
If the login happened very recently, Facebook might say something like “8 hours ago.”
Sometimes, certain details, such as the browser used to log in, might not be available. It’s also important to note that location information isn’t always entirely accurate.
Facebook will usually give you your general location, which can vary based on which part of the city you are in. Sometimes, you might get a nearby town or area instead of where the login actually happened.
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How to Check Your Login History on a Mobile Phone?
The process for checking your login history on Facebook from the mobile app is similar but slightly different. Start by logging into the app using your email address and password.
Once logged in, follow these steps:
- Click on the hamburger menu in the top-right corner (the three stacked horizontal lines).
- Scroll down and click on “Settings & Privacy.”
- Then, click on “Settings.”
- Click on “Password and Security,” which should be the second option from the top (under “Account”).
- You will see a section called “Where You’re Logged In.” Click on “See All” to see a list of all devices you are logged in to.
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What to Do If You See an Unauthorized Login?
Start by checking your most recent logins and ensure those logins were made by you. Use details such as location, device model, and date to confirm that.
If you don’t know what type of Android you have, you can usually go to your phone’s settings and head to “About Phone” to find the model.
Remember that since Facebook uses your IP address to determine your login location, using a VPN will obscure your real location. So, if you see a login from a strange location, but you use a VPN, check your VPN app to see which server you are using.
Next, check logins made a while back. Even if someone is not currently logged in, if they have your password, they may be able to log in again.
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Log the Unauthorized Device Out
If you notice an unauthorized login, click on the three dots next to the login information. You will have two options.
The first is simply to log out. If you made the login on a shared or old device, this is the option you’ll want to select.
However, if you suspect that someone figured out your password and logged into your account, click on “Not You?” if you are on a desktop or “Secure Account” if you are on the mobile app.
Facebook will then take you through some steps to secure your account, such as making a new password and setting up 2FA.
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Make a New Password
Did you know that the most common password in the world is 123456, with over 103 million uses? It’s crazy, but it’s true, according to researchers who analyzed data from over 50 countries.
The four most common passwords after that are:
- 123456789
- 12345
- qwerty
- password
Yes, people are still using weak passwords like “password” and “qwerty.” Such passwords take less than a second to crack!
Use a secure password that is easy to remember but which contains a combination of lowercase letters, uppercase letters, numbers, and special characters. Don’t use details such as your name, date of birth, social security number, or email address, as such information is easy to discover.
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Set Up Two-Factor Authentication
Two-factor authentication is the best way to secure your account. That way, even if someone figures out your password through a data leak or by using a bot to run multiple password variations, they still won’t be able to log into your account without the 2FA code.
Facebook offers three options: SMS, authenticator app, and security key. That’s because email 2FA isn’t very secure.
For example, if you are using your email address for two-factor authentication, someone can access your Facebook account if they hack your email password or have access to your email account on a shared device.
Even if you use your phone number to set up 2FA via SMS, though, which is a lot more secure, you can still fall victim to sim swapping.
You might consider using a code authenticator app, like Google Authenticator. While this method is the safest, the downside is that if you lose your phone that has the Google Authenticator app installed, you’ll be locked out of your account.
Therefore, make sure to download some backup codes from the authenticator app. Print out those codes or write them down, and secure them in a safe place.
You can also download backup login codes from Facebook itself. These are one-time codes that you can use if you don’t have access to your phone or authenticator app.
You can also use a physical security key, but that requires you to purchase such a key upfront.
Facebook is removing the “trusted friends” feature, which allows you to choose a few Facebook friends to contact if you get locked out of your account. The feature allows users to send a special code to one of their trusted friends on Facebook when they can’t log in to their account.
Facebook may be removing the feature due to security concerns, though that is only my speculation.
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Review Your List of Authorized Devices
After going to your security settings, you’ll be able to see a list of your authorized devices under “Two-Factor Authentication.” You’ll find it under “Security and Login” on desktop devices and under “Password and Security” on the app.
These devices are devices that you have previously authorized, so Facebook is not going to ask you for a 2FA when you log into them again. In addition, Facebook will not notify you of any new logins that take place on those devices.
If a friend knows your password, for example, and has access to an authorized device of yours, they’ll be able to log into your account even with 2FA enabled.
To remove devices from the “recognized devices” list, simply click the X button next to the device.
You may see devices named as:
- Facebook for Android
- An Unknown Device
Sometimes, though, you’ll see some more specific information, such as the exact phone model the Facebook app was used on. You will almost always see the date on which the login occurred.
Facebook also has a feature that saves your login information on certain browsers. When you agree to save your login information (Facebook will ask you on each browser), you won’t even have to enter your password when logging in.
All you will need to do is click on your profile picture.
In your settings on the desktop, under “Security and Login,” you’ll be able to remove an account from your browser. Once you do that, Facebook will again require a password to log in when using that browser.
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Check Your Important Security Settings
Under “Security and Login” or “Password and Security,” you should see a section titled, “Check Your Important Security Settings.” It should show up at the top of the screen.
Click on it to have Facebook go through your important security settings with you. You’ll see a Security Checkup, which will tell you whether your password is sufficient, whether two-factor authentication is turned on, and whether login alerts are on.
By keeping 2FA and login alerts on, you can avoid most unauthorized logins. If a login does happen, you’ll be able to take action immediately by going to your login history, logging out of the unauthorized device, and setting a new password.
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Tell Facebook You Were Hacked
If you think that someone got into your account without your permission, you can scroll to the bottom of your account security settings on mobile and click on “If You Think Your Account Was Hacked.”
You’ll then have several options to choose from. You can tell Facebook that you found a post on your wall that you didn’t make or that someone got into your account without authorization.
There are a few other options as well. Simply select the most appropriate one and then click on “Continue” to get help from the Facebook team.
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Review Who Can Post on Your Profile
It’s possible that the strange post appearing on your timeline wasn’t because someone hacked into your account. On Facebook, people can post on other people’s timelines or tag others in posts.
While the post will say who wrote it, it isn’t always immediately obvious to people who aren’t that familiar with how Facebook works.
Fortunately, you can prevent people from writing on your timeline by going to your settings and then clicking on “Profile and Tagging.”
Then, click on “Who Can Post on Your Profile” at the top. Change it from “Friends” to “Only Me” if you don’t want anyone to write on your profile.
Under “Tagging,” you can also hide all posts that people tagged you in from your profile by selecting “Only Me.”
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Wrapping It Up
You need to take online security seriously.
While social media can be a safe and effective tool for keeping up with friends, it’s critical to take the proper safety precautions to keep your account secured.
