Everyone has their own reasons for wanting to delete their Facebook account, and it's important to respect their decision. If you're one of those people who want to leave Facebook behind, this article will guide you through the process of deleting your account. We'll cover the steps on how to do it, what happens after you delete your account, and how to reactivate it if you change your mind.
Before we proceed, it's essential to note that deleting your Facebook account is a permanent action. Once you do it, your profile, photos, videos, and all other data associated with your account will be deleted and cannot be recovered. So, before making this decision, take some time to download your Facebook data and save it on your computer or cloud storage. This way, you'll have a backup copy of your information just in case you regret deleting your account.
Now that you've considered the consequences and made up your mind to delete your Facebook account, let's dive into the detailed step-by-step guide on how to do it.
How to Delete My Facebook Account
Follow these steps to permanently delete your Facebook account:
- 1. Download your data.
- 2. Deactivate your account.
- 3. Wait 30 days.
- 4. Request deletion.
- 5. Confirm your identity.
- 6. Wait another 90 days.
- 7. Accept the deletion.
- 8. Your account is gone.
Keep in mind that you won't be able to use Facebook or Messenger during the 30-day waiting period after deactivation. After 90 days from your deletion request, your account and all of its data will be permanently deleted and unrecoverable.
1. Download your data.
Before you delete your Facebook account, it's important to download a copy of your data. This includes your photos, videos, posts, messages, and other information associated with your account. By doing this, you'll have a backup of your data in case you ever change your mind about deleting your account or if you want to keep a record of your Facebook memories.
To download your Facebook data:
- Log in to your Facebook account.
- Click the down arrow in the top-right corner of the screen and select "Settings & Privacy."
- Click "Settings."
- Click "Your Facebook Information" in the left column.
- Click "Download Your Information."
- Select the data you want to download. You can choose to download all of your data or just specific categories such as photos, videos, or posts.
- Click "Create File."
- Facebook will start compiling your data into a downloadable file. This process may take some time, depending on how much data you have.
- Once the file is ready, you'll receive a notification from Facebook. Click the notification to download the file.
- Save the file to your computer or cloud storage.
Note: It's important to download your data before you deactivate or delete your Facebook account. Once your account is deleted, you will not be able to access your data.
Now that you have a backup of your data, you can proceed with deactivating and deleting your Facebook account.
2. Deactivate your account.
Once you've downloaded your Facebook data, you can deactivate your account. Deactivating your account is a temporary measure that allows you to hide your profile from other users and prevents them from contacting you. Your account will still exist, but it will be hidden from view.
- To deactivate your Facebook account:
Log in to your Facebook account. Click the down arrow in the top-right corner of the screen and select "Settings & Privacy." Click "Settings." Click "General" in the left column. Click "Deactivate Your Account." Enter your password and click "Continue." Click "Deactivate Account."
- What happens when you deactivate your account:
Your profile will be hidden from other users. You won't be able to use Facebook or Messenger. Your friends won't be able to see your posts or send you messages. You won't receive any notifications from Facebook. Your account will still exist, but it will be hidden from view.
- Reactivating your account:
If you change your mind and want to reactivate your account, you can do so by logging in to Facebook with your email address and password. Your account will be reactivated immediately.
- Important:
Deactivating your account does not delete it. If you want to permanently delete your Facebook account, you need to follow the steps in the next section.
Once you've deactivated your account, you have 30 days to change your mind and reactivate it. After 30 days, your account will be permanently deleted.
3. Wait 30 days.
After you've deactivated your Facebook account, you have a 30-day grace period during which you can change your mind and reactivate your account. This waiting period is in place to prevent people from impulsively deleting their accounts and then regretting it later.
- What happens during the 30-day waiting period:
Your account will be hidden from other users. You won't be able to use Facebook or Messenger. Your friends won't be able to see your posts or send you messages. You won't receive any notifications from Facebook. Your account will still exist, but it will be hidden from view.
- Reactivating your account during the waiting period:
If you change your mind and want to reactivate your account during the waiting period, you can do so by logging in to Facebook with your email address and password. Your account will be reactivated immediately.
- What happens if you don't reactivate your account:
If you don't reactivate your account within 30 days, your account will be permanently deleted. All of your data, including your photos, videos, posts, and messages, will be deleted and unrecoverable.
- Important:
Once your account is permanently deleted, there is no way to get it back. Make sure you're absolutely certain that you want to delete your account before you proceed.
If you're sure that you want to delete your Facebook account, you can proceed to the next step after the 30-day waiting period has passed.
4. Request deletion.
After the 30-day waiting period has passed, you can request Facebook to permanently delete your account. To do this, you need to submit a deletion request.
To request deletion of your Facebook account:
- Log in to your Facebook account.
- Go to the "Help Center" page.
- Search for "Delete my account" and click on the relevant result.
- Click on the "Request Account Deletion" link.
- Enter your password and click "Continue."
- Click on the "Delete My Account" button.
Important:
- Once you submit the deletion request, your account will be scheduled for deletion.
- You will have another 90 days to change your mind and cancel the deletion request.
- After 90 days, your account and all of its data will be permanently deleted and unrecoverable.
If you're absolutely certain that you want to delete your Facebook account, you can proceed with the deletion request. Keep in mind that this is a permanent action and you won't be able to get your account back once it's deleted.
5. Confirm your identity.
After you submit the deletion request, Facebook may ask you to confirm your identity. This is to ensure that you're the rightful owner of the account and not someone who is trying to delete it without your permission.
There are a few ways that Facebook may ask you to confirm your identity:
- Email verification: Facebook may send a verification code to the email address associated with your account. You need to enter this code to confirm your identity.
- Phone number verification: Facebook may send a verification code to the phone number associated with your account. You need to enter this code to confirm your identity.
- Government-issued ID: In some cases, Facebook may ask you to upload a copy of your government-issued ID to confirm your identity. This is typically required if you're trying to delete a Page or a business account.
Once you've confirmed your identity, Facebook will proceed with the deletion process. You will have another 90 days to change your mind and cancel the deletion request.
It's important to note that Facebook may not ask you to confirm your identity in all cases. If you're able to successfully submit the deletion request without any additional verification, your account will be scheduled for deletion without any further action from you.
6. Wait another 90 days.
After you've confirmed your identity and submitted the deletion request, your account will be scheduled for deletion. You will have another 90 days during which you can change your mind and cancel the deletion request.
- What happens during the 90-day waiting period:
Your account will be hidden from other users. You won't be able to use Facebook or Messenger. Your friends won't be able to see your posts or send you messages. You won't receive any notifications from Facebook. Your account will still exist, but it will be hidden from view.
- Canceling the deletion request:
If you change your mind and want to cancel the deletion request during the 90-day waiting period, you can do so by logging in to your Facebook account. Your account will be reactivated immediately.
- What happens if you don't cancel the deletion request:
If you don't cancel the deletion request within 90 days, your account and all of its data, including your photos, videos, posts, and messages, will be permanently deleted and unrecoverable.
- Important:
Once your account is permanently deleted, there is no way to get it back. Make sure you're absolutely certain that you want to delete your account before you proceed.
This 90-day waiting period is Facebook's final chance to give you an opportunity to change your mind about deleting your account. After this period, your account will be permanently deleted without any further chances of recovery.
7. Accept the deletion.
After the 90-day waiting period has passed, your Facebook account will be permanently deleted. You will receive a final notification from Facebook informing you that your account has been deleted.
Once your account is deleted, you will no longer be able to access it or any of its data. This includes your photos, videos, posts, messages, and friends list. All of your data will be permanently erased from Facebook's servers.
If you change your mind after your account has been deleted, there is no way to recover it. Your account and all of its data will be gone forever.
This is why it's important to be absolutely certain that you want to delete your Facebook account before you proceed. Once it's gone, there's no going back.
8. Your account is gone.
Once your Facebook account is deleted, it's gone for good. There is no way to recover it or any of its data.
- What happens to your data:
All of your data, including your photos, videos, posts, messages, and friends list, will be permanently deleted from Facebook's servers.
- What happens to your friends:
Your friends will no longer be able to see your profile or send you messages. They may receive a notification informing them that your account has been deleted.
- What happens to your groups and pages:
If you were the admin of any groups or pages, those groups and pages will be deleted as well.
- What happens to your Messenger account:
Your Messenger account will also be deleted, and you will no longer be able to send or receive messages on Messenger.
Deleting your Facebook account is a permanent decision. Before you proceed, make sure you're absolutely certain that you want to delete your account and that you've downloaded a copy of your data.
FAQ
Here are some frequently asked questions about deleting your Facebook account:
Question 1: How long does it take to delete my Facebook account?
Answer: It takes 30 days to deactivate your Facebook account and another 90 days for your account to be permanently deleted. During this 90-day period, your account will be hidden from other users and you won't be able to access it. After 90 days, your account and all of its data will be permanently deleted.
Question 2: Can I cancel the deletion request?
Answer: Yes, you can cancel the deletion request during the 30-day deactivation period or the 90-day deletion waiting period. To cancel the deletion request, simply log in to your Facebook account. Your account will be reactivated immediately.
Question 3: What happens to my data when I delete my account?
Answer: All of your data, including your photos, videos, posts, messages, and friends list, will be permanently deleted from Facebook's servers. You will not be able to recover any of your data once your account is deleted.
Question 4: What happens to my friends when I delete my account?
Answer: Your friends will no longer be able to see your profile or send you messages. They may receive a notification informing them that your account has been deleted.
Question 5: What happens to my groups and pages when I delete my account?
Answer: If you were the admin of any groups or pages, those groups and pages will be deleted as well.
Question 6: What happens to my Messenger account when I delete my Facebook account?
Answer: Your Messenger account will also be deleted, and you will no longer be able to send or receive messages on Messenger.
Remember: Deleting your Facebook account is a permanent decision. Before you proceed, make sure you're absolutely certain that you want to delete your account and that you've downloaded a copy of your data.
Now that you know how to delete your Facebook account, here are a few tips to help you prepare for the process.
Tips
Here are a few tips to help you prepare for deleting your Facebook account:
Tip 1: Download your data.
Before you delete your account, be sure to download a copy of your data. This includes your photos, videos, posts, messages, and other information associated with your account. By doing this, you'll have a backup of your data in case you ever change your mind about deleting your account or if you want to keep a record of your Facebook memories.
Tip 2: Deactivate your account first.
Before you delete your account permanently, you can deactivate it first. This will hide your profile from other users and prevent them from contacting you. Your account will still exist, but it will be hidden from view. This gives you a chance to change your mind and reactivate your account if you decide you don't want to delete it after all.
Tip 3: Consider the impact on your friends and family.
Deleting your Facebook account will affect your friends and family who use the platform. They will no longer be able to see your posts or send you messages. If you have any important conversations or memories on Facebook, you may want to consider how deleting your account will impact these relationships.
Tip 4: Make sure you're absolutely certain.
Deleting your Facebook account is a permanent decision. Once your account is deleted, you will not be able to recover it or any of its data. Make sure you're absolutely certain that you want to delete your account before you proceed.
Remember: Deleting your Facebook account is a personal choice. There is no right or wrong answer. Weigh the pros and cons carefully and make the decision that's best for you.
Now that you have all the information you need, you can decide whether or not deleting your Facebook account is the right choice for you.
Conclusion
Summary of Main Points:
- Deleting your Facebook account is a permanent decision.
- Before you delete your account, download your data and consider the impact on your friends and family.
- You can deactivate your account first to hide it from other users and give yourself a chance to change your mind.
- Once you delete your account, your data will be permanently deleted and you will not be able to recover it.
Closing Message:
Deleting your Facebook account is a personal choice. There is no right or wrong answer. Weigh the pros and cons carefully and make the decision that's best for you. If you're unsure about whether or not you want to delete your account, it's always a good idea to deactivate it first and give yourself some time to think about it.