How to Get Unbanned From Facebook: Complete Guide (2023)

Facebook is a great platform to share the latest updates on your life. Unfortunately, you might find yourself unable to do so because you’ve landed in “Facebook jail” — or, in other words, your Facebook account has been banned.

This article tells you how to get unbanned from Facebook. We’ll also discuss how long Facebook bans last, why Facebook “jails” users, and how to prevent your Facebook account from getting suspended.

How to Get Unbanned From Facebook

There are two ways to get unbanned from Facebook, depending on the type of ban. Keep in mind that Facebook bans happen on the account-level, making it almost impossible to get access to your account back without going through Facebook’s official channels. We’ll discuss these below.

1. Wait until the ban is lifted

Facebook often tries to give users a chance to “correct” their behavior rather than flat-out deleting their accounts. Offenses that aren’t extremely severe will usually get you a temporary ban, during which you can’t post or create any content.

It might seem obvious, but when you’re only temporarily banned from Facebook, you can just wait it out. Temporary Facebook bans can last from several hours to several days.

How long do Facebook bans last?

Apart from the severity of the violation, the number of bans you’ve had before will determine how long Facebook will restrict your account. Below, you’ll find a brief overview of different Facebook bans.

OneTwo to sixSevenEightNineTen or more

2. File a Facebook suspension appeal

Is your Facebook account permanently banned? If you believe Facebook disabled your account without a good reason, you can request a review. The Facebook support team will then evaluate if their decision was fair.

To file a Facebook suspension appeal, follow these steps:

Go to Facebook’s page for appeals to account suspensions.
In the corresponding fields, enter your email address or mobile phone number, and your full name as listed on the account.
Upload a digital copy of your ID. This can be a passport photo, a driver’s license, a national identity card, or anything else of that nature.
Beneath the “Choose Files” button, there might be a field titled “Additional information.” If this is the case, use it to explain why your ban was unjust or why you believe it was a mistake.
Click on “Send.”

If Facebook requires any more information after reviewing your appeal, they will contact you.

What is Facebook Jail?

Being in “Facebook jail” might sound ominous, but it’s just an informal way of saying a Facebook user is temporarily banned and prevented from creating any content with their account.

The term “Facebook jail” refers to blocks and bans that result from a clear violation of Facebook guidelines. These include posting spam, objectionable content, or copyright-infringing media.

What happens when you’re in Facebook jail?

When you’re in “Facebook jail”, you get a message saying you’ve violated Facebook’s Community Standards. You’ll no longer be able to create any content on the platform, such as posts, comments, or pages, for the duration of the ban.

However, you’ll still be able to use the platform passively and see other users’ content. To find out how long “Facebook prison sentences” generally last, check out the above section on Facebook ban durations.

Why Does Facebook Ban Accounts?

Infographic showing most common reasons why Facebook ban accounts

Facebook can decide to ban an account for many different reasons, such as:

An account name that Facebook thinks is fake
Very high Facebook activity that FB considers spamming
Posting objectionable content that violates Facebook’s policy
Copyright violations

Below, we’ll discuss these reasons for account suspension in more detail.

1. A fake account name

If Facebook suspects your account doesn’t include your real name as shown on your ID, then they might disable or delete your account. Now, you might say this makes it impossible to protect your privacy on Facebook — and we agree 100 percent.

However, Facebook makes it very clear that the above is not their priority. This is what it says in its Community Guidelines: “Facebook is a community where everyone uses the name they go by in everyday life. This makes it so that you always know who you’re connecting with.”

Text that might make Facebook believe your name is fake include the following:

Numbers, symbols, incorrect or strange capitalization, repeating characters, or punctuation
Using letters or characters from different languages
Professional titles, such as M.D., Prof., etc.
Using common words or phrases
Curse words or offensive terms

2. Spam

Facebook is not a fan of spam. In other words, if you post or share a lot of content in a short time, you might get banned. The same goes for liking lots of posts or pages, sending out tons of friend requests, or “over-interaction” of any kind.

Facebook also states you shouldn’t incite others to “over-interact” with your content under false pretenses. For instance, encouraging people to click on a link that doesn’t lead to the promised page can also get you a ban.

Facebook doesn’t give any exact numbers to explain what constitutes spam. However, Facebook considers the following actions to be “spammy”:

Sending other users “unwanted content or requests”
Sending “bulk messages”
Posting an “excessive” number of links or images to someone’s timeline
Sending friend requests to people you don’t know personally

3. Posting or sharing objectionable content

Facebook has a huge “Community Standards” section on objectionable content. You should refrain from posting or sharing content that includes the following:

Show, promote, or incite violence
Depict child or adult sexual exploitation
Bully or harass other users
Show nudity and/or sexual activity
Promote or lead to crime
Deceive or lead to fraud
Misinform others or spread lies
Constitute hate speech

Posting or sharing content in one of these categories will surely send you straight to Facebook jail. Depending on the severity of your violation, you could face more severe consequences, such as account deletion.

4. Copyright violations

Facebook can ban you not just based on the nature of the content, but also where your content comes from. If you post someone else’s content, but present it as your own, Facebook will likely remove it.

These intellectual property rights can include anything from company trademarks to media such as music and videos.

How to Prevent Getting Banned on Facebook

We have now seen what kind of bans Facebook gives and why they ban users. Make sure you follow these tips to keep you out of Facebook jail:

Observe Facebook’s rules for name creation. Avoid fake-sounding names or names that include numbers, symbols, or offensive phrases.
Avoid spam or spam-like behavior, such as posting ten things on your timeline within one hour.
Stay away from what Facebook considers objectionable content. This includes violence, bullying, hate speech, misinformation, sexual exploitation, and others.
Avoid infringing on others’ copyright. When in doubt, it’s best to ask the author’s permission before sharing or posting something.
Use a VPN to avoid receiving security checks from Facebook. Facebook typically sends security checks when it detects that you’re in an unfamiliar location. You can get yourself temporarily locked out of your account if you fail the security check.

How to Use a VPN to Avoid Facebook Security Checks

Facebook will ask you to perform a security check when you log in from an unrecognized location. Failing the security check can get you locked out of your account.

Are you traveling abroad? Virtual private networks (or VPNs) let you change your current IP address to an IP address from your home country. This reduces the chances of Facebook detecting an unfamiliar location.

Here’s a quick and easy guide on how to use Facebook with a VPN:

Visit the NordVPN website and sign up for a subscription. NordVPN’s 30-day money-back guarantee lets you try out the service for free. We recommend this service for its top-notch speeds, customer service, and privacy features.
Install NordVPN on your device. NordVPN is available for Windows, Mac, Android, and iPhone devices.
Open the NordVPN app and choose a location from the list of servers. For example, if you’re from the US and are visiting Japan, you should choose a US location to try and avoid getting a security check.
That’s it! You can now browse Facebook as usual.