How to add an email to your Facebook account

You can add a new email address to your Facebook account in your settings, and you can have multiple email addresses linked to the same account. Facebook uses your email to send you notifications, password reset links, and security alerts. If you want to change which email Facebook uses to contact you, or add a backup email so you can recover your account if you lose access, the process takes about two minutes.

Open Facebook on a computer or phone, go to Settings and Privacy, then Settings. Look for the "Personal Information" section and select "Email." You'll see the email address currently on your account. Click or tap "Add email" to add another one, or click the pencil icon next to an existing address to change it. Facebook will send a confirmation link to the new email — you must click that link to finish adding it.

After you confirm the new email, Facebook asks whether you want to make it your primary email. Your primary email is the one Facebook uses to send you messages and the one you can use to log in. You can have up to four email addresses on one account, but only one can be primary at a time.

Key Takeaways

  • Go to Settings and Privacy, then Settings, then Personal Information, then Email to add or change your email address.
  • Facebook sends a confirmation link to any new email you add — you must click that link before the address becomes active.
  • You can have up to four email addresses on one Facebook account, but only one can be set as primary.
  • Your primary email is the address Facebook uses to send you notifications and the one you can use to log in to your account.
  • If you want to remove an old email, go to the same Email section and click the X next to the address you no longer need.

Why you might want to add a second email

Adding a backup email to your Facebook account protects you if you lose access to your main email. If someone hacks your primary email account or you forget the password, you can use the backup email to recover your Facebook account without waiting for Facebook support to help you.

Some people also add a work email or a different personal email if they use Facebook for different purposes — for example, a professional account separate from a personal one. Each email address can be linked to only one Facebook account, so you cannot use the same email for two different Facebook profiles.

What happens when you change your primary email

When you switch your primary email, Facebook stops sending notifications to the old address and starts sending them to the new one. You can still log in with either email address — changing the primary email does not remove the old one from your account unless you delete it.

If you change your primary email because you no longer use the old one, you should delete it from your account afterward. Go back to Settings and Privacy, then Settings, then Personal Information, then Email, and click the X next to the address you want to remove. You cannot delete your primary email until you set a different one as primary first.

Confirming a new email address

After you enter a new email in your Facebook settings, Facebook sends a confirmation message to that address. Open your email inbox and look for a message from Facebook with the subject line "Confirm your email address" or similar. The message contains a link or a code you need to use.

If you click the link in the email, Facebook confirms the address automatically. If Facebook sends a code instead, go back to your Facebook settings, find the email confirmation section, and enter the code. The new email will not work for logging in or receiving notifications until you complete this step.

If you do not see the confirmation email within a few minutes, check your spam or junk folder — sometimes email providers filter Facebook messages by mistake. You can also ask Facebook to send the confirmation link again from your settings.

Using email to recover your Facebook account

If you cannot log in to Facebook because you forgot your password or someone else changed it, you can use any email address linked to your account to reset it. Go to the Facebook login page and click "Forgotten password?" Enter any email address connected to your account, and Facebook sends a password reset link to that address.

This is why having a backup email is useful — if someone hacks your primary email account, you can still recover Facebook using the secondary email. Make sure your backup email is one you can actually access and that you check regularly, or it will not help you when you need it.

Removing an email address from your account

You can delete any email address from your Facebook account except the one currently set as primary. Go to Settings and Privacy, then Settings, then Personal Information, then Email. Find the address you want to remove and click the X next to it. Facebook asks you to confirm the deletion — once you confirm, that email address is no longer connected to your account.

If you want to remove your primary email, you must first set a different email as primary. Choose another email from your list, click the radio button or toggle next to it to make it primary, and then you can delete the old one. You must always have at least one email address on your account.

Frequently Asked Questions

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

No. Each email address can be connected to only one Facebook account. If you try to add an email that is already linked to another account, Facebook will not let you. You would need to remove it from the first account before you can add it to the second one.

What if I don't get the confirmation email?

Check your spam or junk folder first — email providers sometimes filter Facebook messages by mistake. If it is not there, go back to your Facebook settings, find the email section, and look for an option to resend the confirmation. Wait a few minutes and check again. If you still do not receive it, the email address you entered might be incorrect.

Can I log in with any email on my account?

Yes. You can log in to Facebook using any email address linked to your account, not just the primary one. This is useful if you forget which email is set as primary — just try logging in with any email connected to your account and it should work.

What if someone added an email to my account without permission?

Go to Settings and Privacy, then Settings, then Personal Information, then Email. If you see an email you did not add, click the X to remove it. Then change your password immediately by going to Settings and Privacy, then Settings, then Security and Login, then Change Password. If you cannot access your account, use the "Forgotten password" option on the login page to reset it.