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How To Delete or Deactivate Your Facebook Account

Pooja Verma

Facebook is one of the most widely used social media platforms globally. However, many people want to get off Facebook due to increasing privacy concerns, either temporarily or permanently. Maybe you are one of them, or you just want to go on a social media detox.

No matter the reason, this guide will show you how to deactivate Facebook or delete it while retaining all your personal information if you choose to.

How to Delete Facebook

What This Guide Covers

Deleting vs. Deactivating Your Account

Deleting and deactivating your Facebook account are two sides of the same coin, depending on your goal. There are pros and cons to both options.

Deleting your account can eliminate any underlying privacy concerns, but you won’t be able to use the same account again. On the other hand, account deactivation lets you enjoy all the perks of deleting an account, but the temptation to rejoin may never leave you.

Deleting

If you delete your Facebook account, you’ll lose access to everything on your account and everything tied to it. This means:

  • Account deletion will permanently remove your profile, photos, posts and videos.
  • You won’t appear in searches.
  • Facebook Messenger won’t function for your account, although your previous messages might appear in your friends’ inboxes.
  • If you’ve used Facebook to log into third-party apps, you’ll have to contact the apps and their websites to recover the account.
  • If you’re the sole admin of page(s), you can give someone else complete control, or the page(s) will also get deleted.
  • You won’t be able to cancel deletion after 30 days.
  • You’ll permanently lose access to your Oculus products and account information, including in-app purchases, achievements and existing store credits. Alternatively, you can use Meta accounts to log in to your Oculus products.

Deactivating

On the other hand, you won’t lose your data if you deactivate your account. This means:

  • Your profile won’t be visible, and no one else will be able to visit it. But the pictures, videos and so on that you posted will be intact, including group posts. Admins will be able to see your name and comments.
  • You can continue using Messenger while your account is deactivated. Your profile picture will be visible, and even if you choose not to operate Messenger, your friends can message you and see you.
  • Pages will get deactivated if you’re the only admin, provided you choose to make someone else admin.
  • Deactivating your account won’t affect third-party app logins.
  • The best and sometimes worst part is that you can reactivate your account anytime.
  • You’ll lose access to your Oculus products and account information.

How To Delete Facebook

Browser

Before deleting your Facebook account, you can download a copy of your account information, including photos, videos and other personal data. After you delete your account, you permanently lose access to all your account data.

To delete your account:

Step 1: Click your profile picture in the top right corner.

Step 2: Choose Settings and Privacythen click Settings.

Step 3: Tap Accounts Centre in the top left corner of the page.

Step 4: Select Personal details under Account settings.

Step 5: Tap Account ownership and control.

Step 6: Select Deactivation or deletion, and choose the profile you want to delete.

Step 7: Choose Delete Account and follow the prompts. Finally, enter your password to confirm account deactivation.

Mobile

The deletion process is the same for iPhones and Android phones.

Step 1: Open the Facebook app and tap the hamburger menu.

Step 2: Scroll down to Settings and Privacy.

Step 3: Select Settings and click on Personal and Account Information under Account. Three options will appear; choose Account Ownership and Control, and select Deactivation and Deletion.

Step 4: Select Delete account; after you do, the app will prompt responses on why you want to do so. You may or may not select any of those options.

Step 5: Whatever you choose to do, click on the blue button at the bottom, Continue to Account Deletion. Even with phones, Facebook will let you download your information and then delete your account.

Can I cancel the account deletion?

Facebook takes 90 days from the start of your deletion request to permanently delete all your posts. It also keeps this data in backup storage to protect against data loss events, software errors or any disaster. As part of its privacy policy, Facebook can also use this data in situations like terms violations, legal issues or for harm prevention.

It lets you cancel your account deletion within a 30-day grace period. After that, Facebook deletes all your personal information and doesn’t allow you to retrieve it.

To cancel account deletion, you can:

  • Log in to your account within 30 days of deleting it.
  • Tap Cancel Deletion.

Can I remove the Facebook account for a medically incapacitated person?

Yes, Facebook enables you to remove the account of your family or friend who’s mentally or physically unable to manage it. There are different policies according to age groups:

  • Under age 13: Facebook members must be above 13. You can report the account if you believe someone below this age uses it.
  • Above age 13: You can submit the request, and Facebook will review the provided information to take action.

Note: Facebook doesn’t consider people in rehab or prison as incapacitated.

Now that we have understood the process of deleting a Facebook account let’s consider the second option: how to deactivate Facebook.

How To Deactivate Facebook

The procedure is similar for deactivating a Facebook account to that of deleting it. The only difference is that instead of deleting an account, you need to click on deactivate the account. To recap:

    • Click your profile picture, tap Settings and Privacy and click on Settings.
    • Tap Accounts Centre in the top left corner of the page.
    • Select Personal and Account Information and go to Account Ownership and Control.

Choose Deactivation and Deletion, then select Deactivate Account.

  • It’ll ask you to enter your password and provide a list of reasons why you wish to deactivate your account. Choose the most appropriate option.
  • It’ll show you more prompts (mainly alternatives to deactivating your account), and the last option will say Reactivating your Account.
  • Select the number of days you wish to deactivate your account, one day being the minimum and seven the maximum.
  • If you can’t decide or want to do it for a more extended period, choose Don’t reactivate automatically.
  • On the next page, click on Deactivate my account. You’re no longer visible on Facebook without deleting your account permanently. As soon as you log into Facebook, it’ll reactivate your account.

How To Reactivate Your Account

If you decide to reactivate your account after deactivation, you can simply log back into Facebook anytime or use your login to access another website. You must remember your email address or mobile number to log in and reactivate your account.

Note: If the reason for deactivating or deleting your account is annoying ads, you can directly block ads on Facebook.

Tips To Stay Safe on Facebook

You may be concerned about your safety but don’t wish to delete or deactivate your Facebook account. Here’s how you can ensure a safe online presence:

  • Use Strong Passwords: You must use strong, unique passwords for your Facebook account. Also, enable two-factor authentication for an added layer of security.
  • Beware of Phishing Scams: Avoid clicking suspicious or unknown links and messages. Be wary of requests for personal information.
  • Log Out Regularly: Always log out of Facebook after using it, especially on shared or public devices.
  • Customize Privacy Settings: Review and adjust your privacy settings regularly. Facebook lets you limit who can see your posts and profile information and who can contact you.
  • Manage Friend Requests: Be cautious about accepting friend requests from strangers. Verify the person’s identity before adding them to your friends list.
  • Control Tagging: You can enable settings that allow you to review tags before they appear on your timeline. It prevents unwanted or inappropriate content from being associated with your profile.
  • Think Before Sharing: Always be mindful of the information you share. You must avoid publicly sharing sensitive personal details such as your address or phone number.
  • Check App Permissions: Review and manage permissions granted to third-party apps connected to your Facebook account. Revoke access to apps that you no longer use or trust.

Conclusion

To sum it up, there isn’t a right or a wrong choice. Whether to deactivate or delete your Facebook account depends on your purpose, the time you want to spend and your reasons. Hope this article helped.

Which one of the methods do you find more appropriate? Is there any other way to deactivate or delete a Facebook account? Let us know in the comments below.

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