How to Change Your Email Address on Facebook (Computer, Android)

Changed jobs, closed an old inbox or finally set up a dedicated address for your business? Then the email tied to your Facebook account needs updating, and it's one of those jobs that's better done before something goes wrong rather than after.

Facebook's help centre has a clear rule for this: to change your email address, you remove an email address associated with your account first and then add a new one. I'll show you the steps on a computer and on Android, then the safety points that matter if you manage a Page or ads.

The rule behind changing a Facebook email address

There's no edit button that swaps one address for another. Facebook describes three actions in its settings: add an email, remove an email and change which one is primary. Changing an address is the remove-then-add combination.

The practical catch is that the order feels back to front. If the old address is the only one on the account, I'd add the new address first and confirm it, so you're never left without a working contact. Facebook's help centre doesn't spell out that order, so that part is my own caution rather than official guidance.

Adding a new email address to Facebook on a computer

According to Facebook's help centre, these are the steps in a browser:

1. Click your profile picture in the top right of Facebook.
2. Select Settings and privacy, then click Settings.
3. Click Accounts Centre.
4. Click Personal details, then click Contact info.
5. Click Add new contact, click Add email address, enter the email address and select the account, then click Next.
6. Enter the confirmation code sent to the email address you entered, click Next and then click Close.

Check your inbox for the code straight away. If it doesn't appear, look in your spam folder before you request another.

Adding a new email address to Facebook on Android

1. Tap Menu in the top left of Facebook.
2. Scroll down and tap Settings and privacy, then tap Settings.
3. Tap Accounts Centre, then tap Personal details.
4. Tap Contact info, then tap Add email.
5. Enter your email address and choose the accounts for the email.
6. Tap Next, then enter the confirmation code that was sent to the newly added address.

I couldn't load the iPhone version of this article, and menus vary by app version, so on an iPhone look for the same names: Accounts Centre, Personal details, Contact info.

Removing the old email address from Facebook

Once the new address is confirmed, you can take the old one off. On a computer:

1. Click your profile picture, then Settings and privacy, then Settings.
2. Click Accounts Centre, then Personal details, then Contact info.
3. Click the email address you want to remove.
4. Click Delete email, then click Delete to confirm.
5. If you're asked to re-enter your password, do so and click Submit, then Close.

On Android you tap the email address, tap Delete email address, then tap Delete to confirm. Facebook says you may be asked to enter your password again, so keep it to hand.

Making a different Facebook email address your primary one

If you've got more than one address on the account, you don't have to delete anything. Facebook's help centre says you can change which email address is primary and who sees the email addresses on your account.

A primary address is where Facebook sends most account messages, so choose the inbox you check daily. For anyone running a business Page, I'd use an address on your own domain rather than a personal one, so your Page doesn't depend on whoever once owned that inbox.

Who can see your email address on Facebook

Adding an address to your account doesn't mean it's on show. Facebook has a separate help article on controlling who can see your email address on your profile. After saving a new address, take a minute to check that setting. My rule is that an email shown publicly will attract spam, so keep it to Only me unless it's meant for customers.

While you're tidying up account details, you may also want to look at what Facebook does with location data, which sits in a different part of the settings.

If you used the wrong email to create your Facebook account

Facebook has a dedicated article for this: Change your email if you used the wrong one to create your Facebook account. Its snippet says that when you confirm the new email, Facebook replaces the incorrect email you created the account with. I haven't read the whole article, so open it in the help centre if that's your situation.

If you've lost access to your old Facebook email

Facebook's help centre says that if you no longer have access to your account email address or mobile phone number, you should use its account access help. That's the safe route, and it's better than trying to guess passwords or using any outside service that claims it can get you back in.

It's also a good reason to keep both an email and a mobile number on the account, so one can rescue the other.

Spotting fake Facebook emails after you change your address

Changing an address often triggers a burst of Facebook emails: confirmation codes, notices and security messages. Facebook has a help article titled Check whether an email is really from Facebook. Never click a link in an email you weren't expecting. Go to Facebook directly in your browser or app and look for the notification there.

If you want to keep tidy records of what you've changed, my walkthrough on finding archived Facebook posts shows another place where Facebook keeps account history.

Related guides live in the Facebook Help: 80 Guides to Pages, Groups, Ads, Stories and Fixes.

Frequently asked questions

Can I change my Facebook email address directly?

Facebook's help centre says you need to remove an email address associated with your account first and then add a new one. There isn't a single swap button.

Where do I find my email in Facebook settings?

Go to Settings and privacy, then Settings, then Accounts Centre, then Personal details, then Contact info.

Will Facebook ask me to confirm the new email?

Yes. Facebook sends a confirmation code to the new address, and you enter it to finish adding it.

Can an account hold more than one email on Facebook?

Yes. Facebook's help centre says you can choose which one is primary and who can see the addresses on your account.

What if I can't get into my old email?

Use the account access help that Facebook's help centre points to when you no longer have access to your account email address or mobile phone number.