How to Change Your Facebook Account: A Comprehensive Guide

Changing your Facebook account details, whether it’s your primary email address, phone number, password, name, or even your profile picture, is a relatively straightforward process. However, navigating the settings can sometimes be confusing, especially with Facebook’s frequent interface updates. This comprehensive guide will provide you with step-by-step instructions on how to modify various aspects of your Facebook account, ensuring you maintain control over your privacy and security. We will cover everything from basic profile information to more advanced security settings.

I. Updating Your Basic Profile Information

This section covers changing information that’s publicly visible (or visible to friends, depending on your privacy settings) on your profile. This includes your name, profile picture, cover photo, bio, and other personal details.

A. Changing Your Name

Facebook has specific guidelines regarding name changes to prevent impersonation and maintain authenticity. Be prepared to provide documentation if your name change is unusual.

1. Log in to Facebook: Open your web browser and go to Facebook.com or open the Facebook app on your mobile device. Ensure you are logged into the account you wish to modify.
2. Access Settings & Privacy:
   • On a computer: Click the downward-facing arrow in the top right corner of the Facebook page. A dropdown menu will appear. Select “Settings & Privacy”, and then click on “Settings”.
   • On the Facebook app (Android/iOS): Tap the three horizontal lines (the “hamburger menu”) in the top right corner (Android) or bottom right corner (iOS). Scroll down and tap “Settings & Privacy”, then tap “Settings”.
3. Navigate to Name Settings: In the Settings menu, you should see various options in the left-hand sidebar (on a computer) or listed on the screen (on mobile). Look for the “Account” section, and you will find options like “Personal Information”. Click or tap on “Personal Information”. Alternatively, you can use the search bar within the Settings menu and type “Name” to quickly find the relevant setting.
4. Edit Your Name: In the Personal Information section, you will see your current name displayed. Click or tap the “Edit” button next to your name.
5. Enter Your New Name: You will now be presented with fields to enter your first, middle, and last names. Enter your desired new name. Important: Pay close attention to the warnings displayed by Facebook. You may not be able to change your name again for 60 days after making this change. Also, ensure that the name you enter complies with Facebook’s naming policies (e.g., no unusual characters, symbols, or titles).
6. Review Changes: After entering your new name, click the “Review Change” button. Facebook will show you a preview of how your name will appear on your profile.
7. Enter Your Password: To confirm the name change, you will be prompted to enter your Facebook password. Enter your password in the provided field.
8. Save Changes: Click the “Save Changes” button. Your name will now be updated on your Facebook profile.

B. Changing Your Profile Picture

Your profile picture is a key identifier on Facebook. Choose a clear and representative image.

1. Go to Your Profile: Click on your name in the top left corner of the Facebook page (on a computer) or tap on your profile picture in the top left corner of the app to navigate to your profile.
2. Hover Over Your Profile Picture: On your profile, hover your mouse cursor over your current profile picture. You should see an option that says “Update Profile Picture” or a camera icon.
3. Select a New Picture: Click on “Update Profile Picture”. You will be presented with several options:
   • Upload Photo: Choose a photo from your computer or mobile device.
   • Take Photo: Use your device’s camera to take a new photo (available on mobile).
   • View Profile Picture: View your current profile picture in full size.
   • Edit: Edit your current profile picture, which might include cropping or adding a frame.
4. Upload and Adjust (If Applicable): If you choose “Upload Photo” or “Take Photo”, select the image you want to use. After uploading, you might be able to adjust the photo’s position by dragging it within the frame. You can also zoom in or out to get the desired framing.
5. Add a Description (Optional): You can add a description to your new profile picture. This will be displayed when someone clicks on your profile picture to view it.
6. Make it Temporary (Optional): Facebook allows you to set a temporary profile picture that reverts to your previous picture after a specified duration (e.g., a day, a week). This is useful for showing support for a cause or event. Look for the option to “Make Temporary” and set the duration.
7. Save Changes: Click the “Save” button. Your new profile picture will now be displayed on your profile.

C. Changing Your Cover Photo

The cover photo is the large banner image at the top of your profile. It’s a great way to showcase your personality or interests.

1. Go to Your Profile: As with changing your profile picture, navigate to your profile page.
2. Hover Over Your Cover Photo: Hover your mouse cursor over your current cover photo. You should see an option that says “Update Cover Photo” or a camera icon.
3. Select a New Photo: Click on “Update Cover Photo”. You will be presented with several options:
   • Upload Photo: Choose a photo from your computer or mobile device.
   • Select Photo on Facebook: Choose a photo from your Facebook albums.
   • Create Collage: Create a collage of multiple photos to use as your cover photo.
4. Upload and Adjust (If Applicable): If you choose “Upload Photo”, select the image you want to use. After uploading, you can reposition the photo by dragging it up or down. Unlike profile pictures, you usually cannot zoom in or out on cover photos.
5. Save Changes: Click the “Save Changes” button. Your new cover photo will now be displayed on your profile.

D. Updating Your Bio

Your bio is a short description of yourself that appears below your profile picture. It’s a quick way to tell people about your interests, profession, or anything else you want to share.

1. Go to Your Profile: Navigate to your profile page.
2. Find the Bio Section: Look for the “Bio” section below your profile picture. If you haven’t set a bio yet, it will say “Add Bio”. If you already have a bio, it will be displayed there.
3. Edit Your Bio: Click on the “Add Bio” or “Edit Bio” button.
4. Enter Your New Bio: A text box will appear where you can enter your new bio. Keep it concise and engaging. Facebook usually limits the length of the bio to a few hundred characters.
5. Save Changes: Click the “Save” button. Your updated bio will now be displayed on your profile.

E. Editing Other Profile Details

Facebook allows you to add and edit a wide range of other profile details, such as your work experience, education, places you’ve lived, relationships, and more.

1. Go to Your Profile: Navigate to your profile page.
2. Click “About”: Below your cover photo, you should see a row of tabs (e.g., Posts, About, Friends, Photos). Click on the “About” tab.
3. Choose a Category: The About section is divided into several categories, such as:
   • Work and Education: Add or edit your work experience, education, and skills.
   • Places Lived: Add or edit your current city, hometown, and other places you’ve lived.
   • Contact and Basic Info: Edit your contact information (email address, phone number), birthday, gender, religious views, political views, and other basic information.
   • Family and Relationships: Add or edit your relationship status and family members.
   • Details About You: Add or edit details about yourself, such as your favorite quotes, nicknames, and other information.
   • Life Events: Add significant life events, such as graduations, marriages, or new jobs.
4. Edit the Details: Click on the “Edit” button next to the category or specific detail you want to modify.
5. Enter the New Information: Enter the new information in the provided fields. Pay attention to the privacy settings for each detail. You can usually choose who can see each piece of information (e.g., Public, Friends, Only Me, Custom).
6. Save Changes: Click the “Save” button. Your updated details will now be displayed on your profile.

II. Updating Your Account Security and Privacy Settings

This section covers changing your email address, phone number, password, and adjusting your privacy settings.

A. Changing Your Email Address

Keeping your email address updated is crucial for account recovery and receiving important notifications from Facebook.

1. Access Settings & Privacy: Follow steps 2 in section I.A (Changing Your Name) to access the Settings & Privacy menu.
2. Navigate to Contact Information: In the Settings menu, go to “Account” section and find “Personal Information”. Click on “Personal Information” then click on “Contact Info”.
3. Add a New Email Address: Click on “Add Email Address”.
4. Enter Your New Email Address: Enter your new email address in the provided field.
5. Enter Your Password: Facebook will ask you to enter your password to confirm the change.
6. Verify Your Email Address: Facebook will send a verification email to the new email address you provided. Open the email and click on the verification link to confirm that you own the email address.
7. Remove the Old Email Address (Optional): Once you have verified your new email address, you can remove the old email address from your account. Go back to the Contact Information section and click on “Remove” next to the old email address.

B. Changing Your Phone Number

Your phone number is used for two-factor authentication, account recovery, and receiving SMS notifications.

1. Access Settings & Privacy: Follow steps 2 in section I.A (Changing Your Name) to access the Settings & Privacy menu.
2. Navigate to Contact Information: In the Settings menu, go to “Account” section and find “Personal Information”. Click on “Personal Information” then click on “Contact Info”.
3. Add a New Phone Number: Click on “Add Phone Number”.
4. Enter Your New Phone Number: Enter your new phone number in the provided field. Facebook will usually send an SMS message to this number with a verification code.
5. Enter the Verification Code: Enter the verification code you received via SMS in the provided field.
6. Remove the Old Phone Number (Optional): Once you have verified your new phone number, you can remove the old phone number from your account. Go back to the Contact Information section and click on “Remove” next to the old phone number.

C. Changing Your Password

A strong and unique password is essential for securing your Facebook account.

1. Access Settings & Privacy: Follow steps 2 in section I.A (Changing Your Name) to access the Settings & Privacy menu.
2. Navigate to Security and Login: In the Settings menu, look for “Security and Login”. Click on it.
3. Change Password: In the Security and Login section, find the “Change password” option. Click on the “Edit” button next to it.
4. Enter Your Current and New Passwords: You will be prompted to enter your current password, your new password, and then re-enter your new password to confirm it.
5. Choose a Strong Password: Make sure your new password is strong. It should be at least 8 characters long and include a combination of uppercase and lowercase letters, numbers, and symbols. Avoid using easily guessable information like your birthday or name.
6. Save Changes: Click the “Save Changes” button. Facebook may offer to log you out of other devices to further secure your account.

D. Adjusting Your Privacy Settings

Facebook offers a variety of privacy settings that allow you to control who can see your posts, profile information, and activity.

1. Access Settings & Privacy: Follow steps 2 in section I.A (Changing Your Name) to access the Settings & Privacy menu.
2. Navigate to Privacy: In the Settings menu, look for “Privacy”. Click on it.
3. Review Your Privacy Settings: The Privacy section contains several key settings:
   • Who can see your future posts?: This setting determines who can see the posts you make on your timeline (e.g., Public, Friends, Only Me, Custom).
   • Review all your posts and things you’re tagged in: This option leads to your Activity Log where you can review and manage your past activity on Facebook.
   • Limit the audience for posts you’ve shared with friends of friends or Public?: This tool allows you to retroactively limit the audience of your past posts to Friends only.
   • Who can send you friend requests?: This setting determines who can send you friend requests (e.g., Everyone, Friends of Friends).
   • Who can see your friends list?: This setting determines who can see your list of friends (e.g., Public, Friends, Only Me, Custom).
   • Who can look you up using the email address you provided?: This setting determines who can find your profile by searching for your email address (e.g., Everyone, Friends, Friends of Friends).
   • Who can look you up using the phone number you provided?: This setting determines who can find your profile by searching for your phone number (e.g., Everyone, Friends, Friends of Friends).
   • Do you want search engines outside of Facebook to link to your profile?: This setting controls whether your Facebook profile can be found through search engines like Google.
4. Adjust Settings as Desired: Click on the “Edit” button next to each setting to modify it to your preferences. Consider carefully who you want to be able to see your information and activity.

E. Using Privacy Checkup

Facebook’s Privacy Checkup tool provides a guided walkthrough of key privacy settings.

1. Access Settings & Privacy: Follow steps 2 in section I.A (Changing Your Name) to access the Settings & Privacy menu.
2. Navigate to Privacy Checkup: In the Settings & Privacy menu, look for “Privacy Checkup”. Click on it.
3. Follow the Prompts: The Privacy Checkup will guide you through various privacy settings, explaining each one and allowing you to adjust it as needed.

III. Managing Your Account and Preferences

This section covers some advanced settings that may not be changed as frequently but are important for managing your Facebook experience.

A. Language and Region Settings

You can change the language in which Facebook is displayed, as well as your region settings.

1. Access Settings & Privacy: Follow steps 2 in section I.A (Changing Your Name) to access the Settings & Privacy menu.
2. Navigate to Language and Region: In the Settings menu, look for “Language and Region”. Click on it.
3. Change Language: Click on the “Edit” button next to “Language” to change the language in which Facebook is displayed.
4. Change Region Format: Click on the “Edit” button next to “Region Format” to change the format used for dates, times, and numbers.

B. Notification Settings

Control the types of notifications you receive from Facebook (e.g., email, push notifications, SMS).

1. Access Settings & Privacy: Follow steps 2 in section I.A (Changing Your Name) to access the Settings & Privacy menu.
2. Navigate to Notifications: In the Settings menu, look for “Notifications”. Click on it.
3. Customize Notifications: You can customize notifications for various activities, such as comments, tags, friend requests, groups, and more. Click on each category to adjust the settings. You can choose how you receive notifications (e.g., on Facebook, email, push notifications) and whether you want to receive them at all.

C. Ad Preferences

Manage the types of ads you see on Facebook based on your interests and activity.

1. Access Settings & Privacy: Follow steps 2 in section I.A (Changing Your Name) to access the Settings & Privacy menu.
2. Navigate to Ads: In the Settings menu, look for “Ads”. Click on it.
3. Review Ad Settings: The Ads section allows you to manage several aspects of advertising on Facebook:
   • Advertisers you’ve interacted with: See a list of advertisers whose ads you’ve clicked on or interacted with.
   • Ad topics: Control which topics are used to show you ads. You can remove topics you’re not interested in.
   • Data about your activity from partners: Manage whether Facebook uses data from websites and apps you visit to show you more relevant ads.
   • Ad settings: Control whether Facebook shows you ads based on your relationship status, employer, or education.
4. Adjust Settings as Desired: Click on each category to adjust the settings to your preferences.

IV. Deactivating or Deleting Your Account

If you no longer wish to use Facebook, you have the option to deactivate or delete your account. Deactivation is temporary, while deletion is permanent.

A. Deactivating Your Account

Deactivating your account temporarily disables it. Your profile will not be visible to others, but you can reactivate it at any time by logging back in.

1. Access Settings & Privacy: Follow steps 2 in section I.A (Changing Your Name) to access the Settings & Privacy menu.
2. Navigate to Your Facebook Information: In the Settings menu, look for “Your Facebook Information”. Click on it.
3. Deactivation and Deletion: Select “Deactivation and Deletion”.
4. Choose Deactivate Account: Select “Deactivate Account” and click “Continue to Account Deactivation”.
5. Follow the Prompts: Facebook will ask you why you are deactivating your account and may offer solutions to address your concerns. You will also have the option to opt out of receiving future emails from Facebook.
6. Deactivate Now: Click the “Deactivate Now” button to confirm the deactivation.

B. Deleting Your Account

Deleting your account permanently removes it from Facebook. All of your photos, videos, posts, and other content will be permanently deleted. This process cannot be undone. Facebook delays deletion for a period of time (usually 30 days) in case you change your mind.

1. Access Settings & Privacy: Follow steps 2 in section I.A (Changing Your Name) to access the Settings & Privacy menu.
2. Navigate to Your Facebook Information: In the Settings menu, look for “Your Facebook Information”. Click on it.
3. Deactivation and Deletion: Select “Deactivation and Deletion”.
4. Choose Delete Account: Select “Delete Account” and click “Continue to Account Deletion”.
5. Download Your Information (Optional): Before deleting your account, you may want to download a copy of your Facebook information (e.g., photos, videos, posts). Facebook provides a tool to do this.
6. Delete Account: Click the “Delete Account” button.
7. Enter Your Password: You will be prompted to enter your password to confirm the deletion.
8. Confirm Deletion: Click the “Delete Account” button again. Facebook will schedule your account for permanent deletion. During the grace period, you can cancel the deletion by logging back into your account.

V. Conclusion

Changing your Facebook account details is an essential part of managing your online presence and ensuring your privacy and security. By following the step-by-step instructions in this comprehensive guide, you can easily update your profile information, adjust your security settings, and manage your account preferences. Remember to regularly review your privacy settings and make sure they align with your comfort level. Whether you’re updating your name, changing your password, or adjusting your ad preferences, taking control of your Facebook account puts you in charge of your digital identity.