With over 2 billion monthly active users, Facebook is one of the most popular social media platforms in the world. Many people use Facebook daily to connect with friends, share photos and life updates, join groups, and more. However, some users decide they want to leave Facebook entirely and delete their account permanently.
Why Would You Want To Delete Facebook?
There are several reasons why someone may want to delete their Facebook account:
- Privacy concerns – Facebook collects a lot of personal data about its users which may make some uncomfortable.
- Too time consuming – For some, Facebook can be an unnecessary distraction taking up too much time.
- Negative effects on mood – Seeing updates from friends’ lives can lead some to feel down about themselves.
- Online harassment – Bullying or harassment from other users may prompt leaving.
- Breakup or other major life event – Some people delete Facebook after a breakup or when they want a fresh start.
- Political reasons – There has been controversy over Facebook’s handling of political ads and misinformation.
How To Delete Facebook
If you’ve decided you want to delete your Facebook account, here is a step-by-step guide on how to do it:
- Go to the Facebook Settings page and click on the “Your Facebook Information” tab in the left sidebar.
- Click on “Deactivation and Deletion”.
- Choose “Permanently Delete Account” and click “Continue to Account Deletion”.
- Facebook will now show you some reminders to make sure you want to proceed. Click “Delete Account”.
- Enter your password to confirm your identity.
- Click the “Continue” button and then click “Delete Account” to permanently delete your account.
It’s important to know that when you delete your account, it may take up to 90 days for Facebook to fully delete everything you’ve posted, like photos or status updates. During this time your information is inaccessible to other users.
What Happens When You Delete Facebook?
Here’s an overview of what happens when you decide to delete your Facebook account:
- Your profile, photos, posts, videos, and everything else you’ve shared is deleted from Facebook.
- You won’t be able to recover anything you’ve shared or posted once the account is deleted.
- Friends will no longer be able to search for you or view your profile or anything you’ve shared.
- Your name will no longer appear in friends’ lists or notifications.
- Some data may still remain in Facebook’s systems for up to 90 days before being permanently erased.
- You can reactivate your account within 30 days by logging back in.
What About Facebook Messenger?
Deleting your Facebook account also deletes your Facebook Messenger account and all messages. You have a few options regarding Messenger:
- Download your Messenger data – In Messenger settings you can download your message history.
- Let friends know you’re leaving – Notify them you’re deleting Facebook and share other ways to contact you.
- Keep using Messenger – You can keep using Messenger with just a phone number, without a Facebook account.
Things To Know Before Deleting Facebook
Here are some key things to be aware of before you decide to delete your Facebook account:
- You’ll lose access to everything you’ve shared on Facebook like photos, posts, videos, etc.
- It could impact people and businesses who use your Facebook account to connect with you.
- Logged in devices may still be logged into Facebook after you delete your account.
- Some sites and apps use your Facebook login so you may lose access to them.
- Facebook may still have some of your data for up to 90 days after deletion.
Other Options Besides Deleting Facebook
Permanently deleting your account is not the only option. Here are some other choices to consider:
- Deactivate instead of delete – You can deactivate your account temporarily and reactivate it later to access your information again.
- Increase privacy settings – Adjust settings so only certain people can see your posts and information.
- Remove app permissions – Revoke access to third-party apps and sites connected to your Facebook account.
- Unlike Pages and unfollow people – Keep your account but clean up your feed by unfollowing certain people or Pages.
- Limit your use – Put limits on when/how you access Facebook rather than leaving entirely.
Conclusion
Here are some key takeaways about deleting your Facebook account permanently:
- It can take up to 90 days for Facebook to fully delete all your data.
- You’ll lose access to everything you’ve shared including photos, posts, and messages.
- Notify friends and access Messenger data before deleting your account.
- Consider other options like deactivating or limiting your use if you still want access.
- Once your account is deleted your information cannot be recovered.
Overall, deleting your Facebook account is permanent and means losing access to everything you’ve shared on the platform over the years. Be certain before proceeding and consider alternative options that may work better for you like temporarily deactivating your account.