Learn what Advanced Protection on Facebook does, how to turn it on from the mobile app, and how passkeys can help protect your account from phishing.
Our Facebook account has years of photos, personal information and contacts. For many of us, it is also connected to other services and business.
This makes a Facebook account an attractive target for scammers and hackers. A fake Facebook login page, a convincing message or a stolen password can give someone access to your account.
Facebook has a feature called Advanced Protection that adds extra security to your account. It can help you strengthen important security settings and, on supported devices, set up a passkey for safer sign-ins.
A passkey lets you use your phone’s fingerprint, face unlock or PIN instead of typing your Facebook password. It can also protect you from a common scam like fake login pages designed to steal passwords.
In this article, we explain what Advanced Protection does, how to find it in the Facebook mobile app, and how you can set up a passkey to make your account safer.
What Is Facebook Advanced Protection?
Advanced Protection is an additional layer of security for your Facebook account. It was created for accounts that face a higher risk of targeted hacking attempts. This includes journalists, human rights activists, political leaders, government officials, and admins who manage high-reach Facebook Pages or Business accounts.
When you turn it on, Facebook checks for unusual login patterns, flags login attempts from unknown devices, and requires stronger login controls, such as Two-Factor Authentication (2FA) or passkeys.
You can check whether Advanced Protection is available directly from the Facebook app.
How to Enable Facebook Advanced Protection
Setting up Advanced Protection is quick and usually takes less than five minutes.
- Open Facebook on your smartphone app or web browser and sign in.
- Click or tap your profile picture in the top corner to open the menu.
- Select Settings & Privacy, then click Settings.
- Open the Accounts Centre
- Under Account Settings, click Password and Security.
- Select Advanced Protection (or Facebook Protect, depending on your region).
- Click Get Started and follow the on-screen prompts to run a security check on your account.
If your account needs stronger password requirements or mandatory two-factor authentication, the wizard will guide you through setting those up immediately.
Facebook is making Advanced Protection available to users gradually, so the option may not appear for everyone.
You can still protect your account by turning on two-factor authentication from the same Password and security section.
It is also worth checking whether Facebook gives you the option to create a passkey.
What Are Passkeys?
A passkey is a newer way to sign in to Facebook without typing your password.
Instead, your phone can ask you to confirm your identity using your fingerprint, face recognition or phone PIN.
Meta introduced passkeys for Facebook on mobile devices in 2025. According to Meta, the biometric information used to unlock a passkey stays on your device and is not shared with Meta.
Passkeys can also help against phishing. If you enter your Facebook password on a fake website, a scammer may be able to steal it. A passkey works differently because it is linked to the genuine service.
Because passkeys rely on encryption tied specifically to your physical device and the real Facebook website, scammers cannot trick you into giving your login code to a fake website.
How to Create a Passkey on Facebook
Once your main security settings are updated, adding a passkey makes signing in easier on your everyday devices.
- Go back to Settings & Privacy > Settings > Accounts Center.
- Tap Password and Security.
- Select Passkeys.
- Tap Create a Passkey.
- Your device will prompt you to confirm using your fingerprint, face scan, or screen lock PIN.
- Once confirmed, your passkey is saved to your device or cloud password manager (like iCloud Keychain or Google Password Manager).
Next time you log in from that phone or computer, you can tap sign-in and unlock with your face or fingerprint. No password typing will be required.
Setting Up Passkeys for Your Business Portfolio
If you manage Facebook ad accounts, client pages, or brand assets inside Meta Business Manager, account security is critical. A compromised personal profile can lead to unauthorized charges or lost business assets.
To secure your business assets:
- Log in to your Meta Business Suite or Business Manager.
- Go to Business Settings on the left menu.
- Select Security Center.
- Set two-factor authentication to Required for Everyone across your organization.
- Under the authentication settings, encourage or require all team members and page admins to add a Passkey as their primary sign-in method.
Requiring passkeys for everyone in your business portfolio ensures that even if an employee falls for a phishing email, hackers still cannot access your business account.
What You Should Know
Advanced Protection can make your account harder to break into, but it cannot protect you from every scam.
A fake message may also claim that your Facebook account is about to be suspended and ask you to “secure” it through a link.
Don’t click on such links.
Open the Facebook app yourself and check your account settings.
If someone asks you for your Facebook password or login code, don’t share it. Facebook does not need you to send these details to another person to secure your account.
Should you turn on Advanced Protection?
If the option is available in your Facebook app, there is little reason not to use it.
It gives you an opportunity to review your account security and turn on stronger protections. If you can also set up a passkey on your phone, that gives you another useful layer of protection against phishing.
Check your Facebook security settings today. It takes only a few minutes, and it can save you a much bigger problem later.