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If you believe Facebook has wrongly disabled your account, you can submit an appeal for up to 30 days after deactivation. You'll need to submit proof of identification, such as a driver's license or government ID, and provide convincing evidence to regain access to your account. If Facebook hasn't disabled your account but you've found that a friend has blocked you, you may be able to convince them to unblock you. This wikiHow teaches you how to ask Facebook to restore your disabled account, as well as how to ask a friend who has blocked you to reconsider their action.
Steps
Submitting a Reactivation Appeal to Facebook
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1Make sure your Facebook account is disabled. If you try logging in to Facebook and see a message that says your account is disabled, you can use this method.[1] If you just get an error regarding your username or password, Facebook hasn't disabled your account—you just need to reset your password.
- Facebook disables accounts that violate their terms. This may mean you were using a fake name, impersonating someone, or using behavior that goes against Facebook's community standards. If you think Facebook disabled your account by mistake, you can continue with this method to submit an appeal.
- You can only submit an appeal within the first 30 days of your account being disabled. If your account has been disabled for more than 30 days, it was permanently purged and can no longer be recovered.[2]
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2Go to https://www.facebook.com/help/contact/260749603972907 in a web browser. This is Facebook's appeal form.
- You can only view this form if you're not signed in to a Facebook account.
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3Enter your email address or phone number. Type the email address or phone number that you use to log into Facebook into the "Login email address or mobile phone number" field near the top of the page.
- This needs to be an email address or phone number you can currently access.
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4Enter your name. Type the name you use on your Facebook account into the "Your full name" field.
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5Upload a picture of your ID. This can be a driver's license, a learner's permit, or a passport. To do so:
- Take a picture of your ID's front and back and move it to your computer.
- Click Choose Files
- Select the pictures to upload.
- Click Open
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6Add details for your appeal. In the "Additional info" field near the bottom of the page, type in any information that you think might help Facebook side with you. Some examples of instances where this might help include the following:
- Your account was hijacked by someone.
- Someone with whom you argued or disagreed marked all of your posts as spam.
- You have visual evidence that someone other than you is responsible for the actions that prompted Facebook to disable your account.
- Your legal name is different from what you were using on Facebook.
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7Click Send. It's in the bottom-right side of the form. This sends your appeal to Facebook, who will review your case. If Facebook determines you were wrongfully blocked, they will reinstate your account.
Asking a Friend to Unblock You
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1Confirm that your friend blocked you. Before you even attempt to contact your friend about the suspected blocking, make sure that they did indeed block you rather than simply deleting or deactivating their account. Here's one way you can check:
- Go to https://facebook.com/messages and click a conversation with the person. It can be on-on-one or a group conversation.
- Can you see the person's profile photo at the top of the message? If it's a group convo, do you see their profile photo in the far-right panel under "Chat members?" If so, their account is active, which means they haven't deactivated it.
- If the person has no profile photo and you can't access their profile, they've likely deactivated their account, not banned you.
- Click the person's name at the top of the message (if it's a one-on-one chat). If it's a group chat, click the three dots next to their name and select View Profile.
- If you see their profile, you are not blocked. But if you see "This content isn't available right now," you're blocked.
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2Consider why the person may have blocked you. If the block occurred out of the blue, then the person may have blocked you because of work- or school-related reasons (for example, newly promoted managers often must block their employees as per their contract). If you recently had an ideological debate or argument with the person, however, there might be a more personal reason for the block.
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3Find a way to contact your friend outside of Facebook. Try a phone number, an email address, or other social media accounts. You can use a more professional service like LinkedIn if you and the person both have accounts.
- Another way that you can contact someone who blocked you is by creating a new Facebook account, finding their profile, and messaging them from there. This will only work if their security settings allow you to look them up, and your message may not be sent directly to them due to Facebook Messenger's filtering system for people who aren't friends.
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4Ask your friend why they blocked you. In a non-confrontational tone, politely ask your friend if they blocked you, and if so, why they did. Let them know that you would like to remain in contact with them, and that you're open to discussing your relationship.
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5Consider your friend's response. Depending on what your friend says, you may have to allow the block to stand (e.g., the aforementioned newly promoted manager situation). However, if they're open to unblocking you, make sure you listen to their side of the situation.
- If your friend doesn't respond at all, don't follow up with additional communications.
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6Ask your friend to re-friend you. If they do agree to unblock you, let your friend send you a friend request rather than sending one yourself.
Community Q&A
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QuestionWhy am I getting a message that says there is "suspicious activity"?Community AnswerIn some cases it can be because you have recently logged in on an unusual computer or in a new location. Change your password and follow any additional instructions.
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QuestionMy Facebook account was blocked for 72 hours. Those 72 hours are now up, but it is still blocked. What should I do?Community AnswerContact Facebook support and tell them about your problem.
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QuestionWhat can I do to unblock myself if someone blocked me on Facebook?Osimi AmosCommunity AnswerThe person has a reason for blocking you. You can't unblock yourself. This is about privacy and personal choice and you can't force the person to be your friend. You can learn more by reading about Facebook policy.
References
About This Article
1. Make sure your account is really deactivated.
2. Go to https://www.facebook.com/help/contact/260749603972907.
3. Fill out the form.
4. Upload your government ID.
5. Explain your circumstances.
6. Click Send.