With over 2 billion monthly active users, Facebook is one of the most popular social media platforms in the world. Many people use Facebook to stay connected with friends and family and share life updates. However, some users decide they want to delete their Facebook profiles completely for privacy or other reasons.
Deleting your Facebook profile does not deactivate your account – it erases all of your information permanently from Facebook’s servers. This includes posts, photos, videos, comments, likes, and more. Once your profile is deleted, it cannot be recovered.
How Do I Delete My Facebook Profile Completely?
If you want to delete your Facebook profile completely, follow these steps:
- Log into your Facebook account
- Click on the arrow in the top right corner and select “Settings”
- Click on “Your Facebook Information” in the left menu
- Click on “Deactivation and Deletion”
- Choose “Permanently Delete Account”
- Click “Continue to Account Deletion”
- Enter your password and click “Permanently Delete Account”
Once you complete these steps, your profile and all associated data will be erased from Facebook within 90 days. You cannot recover it after this point.
Why Completely Delete a Facebook Profile?
Here are some common reasons people choose to permanently delete their Facebook profiles:
- Privacy concerns – Deleting Facebook removes all personal data from their servers
- Stop wasting time on the platform – Some find Facebook distracting or tedious
- Avoid old connections – Exes, former friends or bullies from school days
- Professional image – Employers sometimes screen candidates via Facebook
- Start fresh – Removing old posts, photos, etc. for a clean slate
- Prevent access after death – Stop Facebook profiles from becoming online memorials
What Exactly Gets Deleted from Facebook?
When you permanently delete your Facebook profile, all of the following will be erased:
- Your profile information (bio, work, education, location, etc.)
- Your posts and activity (status updates, shared links, check-ins, etc.)
- Your photos and videos
- Your comments and posts on friends’ timelines
- Your messages and chat history
- Your friends list and followers
- Your interests and “likes” pages
- Your events and groups
- Your marketplace posts and purchases
- Your Oculus information if you have an account
Everything you have posted on Facebook or engaged with will be permanently erased. Facebook says the process may take up to 90 days to fully complete.
What Happens to Friends’ Posts You’re Tagged In?
When you delete your Facebook profile, you are untagged from friends’ posts. However, the posts themselves remain on your friends’ timelines. For example, if a friend tagged you in a photo, the photo will stay on their profile but your name will be removed from the tag.
Can You Recover a Deleted Facebook Profile?
No, once you permanently delete your Facebook profile, it cannot be recovered. The profile and all associated data is erased from Facebook’s servers within 90 days. Do not delete your profile if you think you may want to reactivate it later.
How to Download Your Facebook Data Before Deleting
Before deleting your profile forever, you may want to download a copy of your Facebook data for your records. Here’s how:
- Go to Settings > Your Facebook Information
- Click “Download Your Information”
- Select date range and media types to download
- Click “Create File”
- You will get an email when the download is ready (may take a few hours or days)
- Download zip file from link in the email and save it
This will let you save a copy of your posts, photos, messages and more before you delete your profile. The download only includes data you have posted – not info from friends.
Can You Deactivate Instead of Deleting?
Rather than completely deleting your Facebook profile, another option is to deactivate your account. This removes your profile from view temporarily but saves all your information in case you want to reactivate.
To deactivate:
- Go to Settings
- Click “Your Facebook Information” > “Deactivation and Deletion”
- Choose “Deactivate Account”
- Enter your password and click “Continue”
- Click “Deactivate”
Your profile will disappear until you log back in to reactivate it. This is a good option if you may want to take a break from Facebook but aren’t ready to delete forever.
Can You Sign Up Again After Deleting?
Yes, after completely deleting your Facebook profile you are free to sign up for a new account at any time if you choose. It will be a fresh account with none of your old data. Just use your name, email and password to create a new profile.
Conclusion
Deleting your Facebook profile permanently erases all your information from their servers, removes your access, and prevents recovery of the account. Before deleting, download any data you may want to keep. Deactivating your profile temporarily hides it from view if you just need a break. With privacy an increasing concern, removing Facebook profiles is becoming more common.