Facebook no longer has its old Face Recognition setting. Meta's Help Center says that setting is gone, the features it powered are switched off and stored face templates are being deleted. Meta does still use facial recognition in narrower ways: to catch scam ads using famous faces, to spot fake accounts of public figures, and to check video selfies when you recover a locked account.
So the answer to "does Facebook use facial recognition?" is yes, but not the way it used to. The old account-wide setting has gone. What's left compares faces in specific security checks, and Meta says it deletes the facial data from those comparisons straight afterwards.
The old Face Recognition setting
Facebook used to have a Face Recognition setting in your account. Facebook's help page on it now says the setting is no longer available, the experiences it made possible have been disabled, and if your setting was turned on, Facebook can no longer recognise you and your template will soon be deleted. There's nothing for you to switch off.
Where Meta uses facial recognition now
| What it's for | What Meta compares | What Meta says happens to the face data |
|---|---|---|
| Stopping celeb-bait scam ads | Faces in a suspected scam ad against a public figure's Facebook and Instagram profile pictures | Deleted immediately after the one-time comparison, match or not |
| Finding impostor accounts of public figures | Profile pictures on a suspicious account against the public figure's profile pictures | Meta says it deletes facial data as soon as it's no longer needed |
| Getting back into a locked or hacked account | Your video selfie against the profile pictures on the account | Deleted immediately after the comparison, match or not |
Celeb-bait ads
Scammers put a celebrity's face on an ad to make a scam look real. Meta says that when its systems suspect an ad is a scam using a public figure's image, it can compare the faces in the ad with that person's Facebook and Instagram profile pictures, and block the ad if it confirms a match and a scam. Public figures enrolled in this protection can opt out in their Accounts Center. Meta says nearly 500,000 public figures are now protected this way.
Account recovery with a video selfie
If Meta thinks your account has been compromised, you normally verify your identity with an official ID. Meta has added a video selfie option: you record a short video and facial recognition compares it with the profile pictures on the account you're trying to get back. Meta says the video is encrypted and stored securely, is never visible on your profile or to other people, and only takes a minute. It's optional.
If your account has already been taken over, start with how to recover a hacked Facebook account.
Is it available where you live?
Meta started testing these tools in October 2024. In March 2025 it launched them in the UK, the EU and South Korea, including the video selfie option for account recovery, and in September 2025 it expanded the impostor-account checks for public figures in the EU, UK and South Korea. Some of the related Facebook Help pages show as not available in your region, so what you see depends on where you are.
Video selfies for other checks
Not every video selfie involves facial recognition against your photos. Facebook uses video selfies for a few different jobs, and the rules differ:
- Confirming you're a real person, or getting permission to run ads or use Meta Verified. Facebook says the selfie isn't shown on your profile or to anyone else, is checked by people and automated systems, and is kept for up to 180 days. For ads about social issues, elections or politics, or if fraud is suspected, that can stretch to 1 year.
- Proving your age. If you're under 18 and try to change your age to over 18, or use an adults-only feature, Facebook may ask for a video selfie or ID. With a selfie, a vendor's technology estimates your age. Facebook says it can't identify specific people, and the image is deleted within 30 days. It can take up to 20 minutes.
If Facebook is asking you to verify yourself right now and you're not sure why, I've explained the triggers in why Facebook is asking you to verify your identity.
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How to tell a real request from a scam
Because Meta does ask for video selfies, scammers copy the idea. Meta describes video selfies as part of checks inside Facebook itself, like account recovery or age verification. A message from a stranger asking you to send a selfie, a code or ID somewhere else is a red flag. The common patterns are in Facebook scams to watch for.
My verdict
If you're worried Facebook is quietly scanning every photo of you, Meta's own help pages say that era is over. What's left is narrower and useful: a faster way back into a hacked account and fewer fake celebrity ads. If you'd still rather not use your face, the ID route remains an option for account recovery.
Frequently asked questions
Does Facebook still use facial recognition?
Not through the old setting. Facebook's help page says the Face Recognition setting is no longer available. Meta does use facial recognition for specific security checks, such as scam ads using public figures and video selfie account recovery.
Can I turn off facial recognition on Facebook?
There's no setting to turn off now, because Facebook says the Face Recognition setting has been removed and its experiences disabled. The video selfie option for account recovery is optional.
Does Facebook keep my video selfie?
It depends on why you sent it. Meta says recovery selfies are compared and the facial data deleted straight afterwards. Selfies for ads permission or Meta Verified are kept for up to 180 days, or up to 1 year in some cases.
Is the Facebook video selfie safe?
Facebook says your video selfie isn't shown on your profile or to anyone else, and is stored securely. Only send one inside the Facebook app or website during a check you started.
Where is Facebook video selfie recovery available?
Meta launched it in the UK, the EU and South Korea in March 2025, after testing in other countries from October 2024. Availability depends on where you are.
