Facebook Not Working Today: Outage or Is My Account Restricted?

Here's a fast way to tell whether Facebook is down or you're restricted.

Last checked: 29 October 2026 against the sources listed at the end of this guide.

#Is Facebook down or am I restricted?

The quickest test is whether the problem follows you or follows Facebook. An outage hits many people at the same moment. Feeds stop refreshing, messages will not send and pages fail to load on every device and network, often with a generic error such as "Something went wrong". An account problem is personal. It shows a specific message naming your account, it stays the same when you switch from Wi-Fi to mobile data, and friends using Facebook beside you are fine.

#Five quick checks

1. Ask someone else to open Facebook on their phone. If it fails for them too, it is not your account.
2. Switch between Wi-Fi and mobile data, and try both the app and a browser.
3. For business tools such as Pages, ads and Meta Business Suite, check Meta's own status page at metastatus.com, which lists outages and issues for Meta business products.
4. Read the exact words on any error. A temporary block, checkpoint or suspension message is about your account, not an outage.
5. Open Account Status. If it shows a new restriction, that is your answer.

Facebook's page Limits on the use of certain features on Facebook explains that some features can be limited for a period when activity looks like it goes against the Community Standards or looks like spam, for example sending many friend requests or messages in a short time. These limits come with a notice and usually lift on their own after the time shown.

#What should I do?

1. Ask a friend or check outage trackers.
2. Wait if it's an outage.
3. If you were logged out, log in from the app you normally use.
4. If you see a specific message, follow the official steps.
5. Check Account Status and Where you're logged in.

Related guides: Messenger Says "We Limit How Often You Can Message": What Triggered It?.

#If it is an outage

Wait. Outages are fixed on Meta's side and nothing you change on your phone will speed that up. Avoid uninstalling the app, clearing data or resetting your password during an outage, because you may then face extra login checks once service returns. If you were logged out and the login page does not respond, wait until other people report that Facebook is working again before trying.

#If it is your account

Facebook's Check your Account Status on Facebook page explains that you can find it by clicking your profile picture, then Help & support, then Account Status. It shows restrictions, strikes and limits on your profile and the Pages and groups you manage. If you cannot log in at all, use Facebook's Recover your Facebook account if you can't log in page, from a device and network you have used before. If you see changes you did not make, such as a new email or password, treat it as a hack and follow Facebook's If you think your Facebook account was hacked or taken over steps.

#What common mistakes should I avoid?

• Searching for Facebook support phone numbers, which are often scams.
• Resetting your password during an outage.
• Creating a second account.
• Logging in through 'Facebook down' links.

During big outages, scammers post fake "Facebook down, verify your account" links and fake support numbers in comments and search ads. Meta does not ask you to log in through a link sent in a message to fix an outage. Type facebook.com yourself or use the official app. Creating a second account to evade a restriction is also risky, as it can lead to both accounts being removed.

#How do I keep the account safe while I sort this out?

• Never share a login code, password or backup code with anyone, including people who say they work for Meta, the police or a recovery service.
• Make sure the email address and phone number on the account are ones you still control, and remove any you do not recognise.
• Turn on two-factor authentication where the platform offers it, ideally with an authenticator app, and keep your backup codes somewhere offline.
• Log in only from the official app or by typing the address yourself, not from links in messages, comments or ads.
• Keep screenshots of every notice, email and step you take, with dates, in case you need them for a review or a report.
• Make one careful attempt at each official step rather than many rushed ones, because repeated failed attempts can trigger extra checks.

#When It Is Safer to Get Expert Help

Ask for help before you appeal if the account matters to your income, your business or your memories, if you have already had one appeal rejected, or if you cannot tell whether the problem is a bug, a restriction or a hack. That is where most avoidable losses happen.

AwareXone is independent and not affiliated with Meta, Instagram, Facebook, WhatsApp or Threads. Recovery work is best-effort and the platform makes the final decision.

• Everyone else's Facebook works but yours keeps showing a checkpoint or suspension.
• Your email, phone or password changed and you did not do it.
• Account Status shows a restriction on a Page or ad account your business relies on.
• You were logged out and every recovery option sends codes to details you no longer have.