How to Create a Facebook Account (and Get Your Name Accepted)

It takes a few minutes. The step that stops people is usually the name, because Facebook blocks some names to cut fake accounts. Here's the whole process from Facebook's Help Center, read in October 2026.

How to create a Facebook account on a computer

1. Go to facebook.com.
2. Click Create new account.
3. Enter your name, email or mobile phone number, a password, your date of birth and your gender.
4. Click Sign up.
5. Confirm your email address or mobile number using the code Facebook sends you.

How to create a Facebook account in the app

1. Download the Facebook app from the App Store or Google Play and open it.
2. Tap Create new account.
3. Follow the prompts for your name, birthday, gender, email or mobile number and password.
4. Confirm your email or phone number to finish.

Facebook notes it's gradually moving people to Meta Accounts, so once you're in, your account settings may show up as Accounts Center or Meta Account settings.

What you'll need

Detail	Why it matters
Your everyday name	Facebook asks for the name you use in everyday life
An email or mobile number you can access	You confirm it to finish creating the account, and it's how you recover access later
Your real date of birth	You must be at least 13 to create a profile
A strong, unique password	It's the main thing standing between you and a hacked account

If the confirmation code doesn't arrive

This is the most common hold-up after signing up. Facebook's fixes, in the order I'd try them:

1. Check the mobile number you entered. If it's wrong, choose Update contact info and add the right one.
2. Ask for the text again with Send SMS Again.
3. Switch to email: choose Update contact info, add your email and confirm with that instead.
4. If you chose email, look in your spam or junk folder, then use Send email again.

For email, the confirmation is a link you click or tap. For a mobile number, it's a code you type into the Confirm box that shows when you log in.

Don't leave it. Facebook says you may not be able to use your account until you confirm your email or number, and an unconfirmed account may be deleted after one year of inactivity.

Why Facebook rejects some names

Facebook says it blocks certain names to help prevent fake or malicious accounts, and it wants the name people know you by. If your name's rejected while signing up, its advice is:

• Use the name you use in everyday life and follow Facebook's naming guidelines.
• Don't use a business, organisation or idea. Profiles are for individual use only.
• Match the name on your ID if you might need to confirm your name later.
• Try signing up again at facebook.com.
• If it still won't go through, fill in Facebook's My Name Wasn't Accepted contact form.

Setting up a business? Make a Page, not a profile

That individual-use rule matters for business owners. You create your personal account first, then a Page for the business from inside it. My guide on how to create a Facebook business Page walks you through that second step.

First things to do after you sign up

1. Add a profile photo so people can recognise you.
2. Check your privacy settings before you post or add friends.
3. Turn on two-factor authentication to protect the account.
4. Add a second way to recover your account, such as a phone number as well as an email.

If you'd rather keep things locked down from day one, here's how to make your Facebook profile private.

Decide who can find you before you add anyone

Facebook's privacy settings let you choose who can look you up using the email address or phone number you signed up with, who can send you friend requests, and whether search engines outside Facebook link to your profile. New accounts are the best time to set these, before a single friend request arrives.

Can you have more than one Facebook profile?

Some people want separate profiles for different interests. My guide to multiple Facebook profiles explains how that works and what it's for. It's different from making a second account to get around a rejected name, which won't help.

Trouble logging in after you've created it

Facebook's own help points two ways. If it's your password, reset it. If you still can't get in, use its account recovery steps. That's why the email or phone you confirmed at sign-up matters so much: it's your key back in.

My advice

Use an email you check every day, not an old one you've half forgotten, and turn on two-factor authentication before you do anything else. It takes a minute and saves an enormous amount of trouble later.

Stuck during sign up? Here's where my guide to contacting Facebook support helps.

Frequently asked questions

How do I create a new Facebook account?

Go to facebook.com or open the app, tap Create new account, enter your name, email or mobile number, password, date of birth and gender, then tap Sign up and confirm your email or phone.

How old do you have to be to create a Facebook account?

Facebook says you must be at least 13 years old to create a Facebook profile.

Can I create a Facebook account without a phone number?

Yes. Facebook lets you sign up with an email address or a mobile phone number, so you can use either.

Why won't Facebook accept my name?

Facebook blocks some names to prevent fake accounts. Use your everyday name, not a business or idea, and match your ID if you can.

Can I create a Facebook account for my business?

Profiles are for individual use only. Create a personal account first, then make a Page for your business.

What if I don't get the Facebook confirmation code?

Check the number you entered, ask for the text again, or switch to confirming with your email address instead.

What happens if I never confirm my Facebook account?

You may not be able to use it, and Facebook says an unconfirmed account may be deleted after one year of inactivity.