Many people find Facebook overwhelming and filled with too many notifications, comments, and other distractions. However, they still want to keep in touch with friends and family through Messenger. So a common question arises: Can I deactivate my Facebook account but still use Messenger?
The short answer is yes, you can deactivate your Facebook account but keep access to Messenger. When you deactivate your Facebook account, it gets disabled but not deleted. So you can reactivate it whenever you want in the future. Messenger gets disconnected from your Facebook account but remains usable on your device with your existing conversations.
Steps to Deactivate Facebook and Keep Messenger
Here are the steps to deactivate your Facebook account while keeping Messenger accessible:
On Desktop
1. Log into your Facebook account through a desktop browser.
2. Click on the downward arrow at the top right corner of any Facebook page.
3. Select “Settings & Privacy” from the dropdown menu.
4. Click on “Settings” in the left sidebar.
5. Click on “Your Facebook Information” in the sidebar menu.
6. Select “Deactivation and Deletion” from the options.
7. Choose “Deactivate Account” and then click “Continue to Account Deactivation”.
8. Select “Continue to Facebook” when asked if you want to continue using Messenger.
9. Enter your password and click “Deactivate Account”.
On Android
1. Open the Facebook app on your Android phone.
2. Tap on the three-line menu icon in the top right.
3. Select “Settings & privacy” and then tap on “Settings”.
4. Scroll down and tap on “Account ownership and control”.
5. Tap on “Deactivation and deletion”.
6. Tap on “Deactivate account” and then confirm again.
7. When prompted, tap on “Keep using Messenger” to continue accessing it.
On iOS
1. Open the Facebook app on your iPhone or iPad.
2. Tap on the three-line menu icon in the bottom right corner.
3. Scroll down and select “Settings & Privacy”.
4. Tap on “Settings”.
5. Select “Account Ownership and Control”.
6. Choose “Deactivation and Deletion”.
7. Tap on “Deactivate Account” and confirm.
8. Tap on “Continue Using Messenger” when prompted.
What Happens When You Deactivate Facebook
Here are some key things that happen when you deactivate your Facebook account:
– Your profile, photos, posts, videos, and other content gets hidden until you reactivate your account.
– People can’t search for your profile or see it in their friends list anymore.
– You stop getting notifications, friend requests, messages (except Messenger), and other updates.
– Your Messenger app remains intact with all your conversations. You can still chat normally.
– You can reactivate your account anytime by logging back in with your credentials.
– Some data remains stored by Facebook, like your contacts list, in case you return.
– After 30 days of being deactivated, your name and photos stop appearing in friends’ tags and other areas.
– Facebook permanently deletes deactivated accounts after a certain time, usually over a year.
So in essence, deactivation puts your account on hold while deleting all visibility and activity. But Messenger sticks around so you can continue messaging friends and family seamlessly.
Pros of Deactivating Facebook and Keeping Messenger
There are several upsides to deactivating your Facebook while holding onto Messenger:
– **Avoid distractions:** Facebook contains many time-wasting feeds, videos, posts, ads, and more. Deactivating it lets you avoid these distractions.
– **Improve productivity:** Less time spent scrolling Facebook means more time for work, hobbies, and real-life activities.
– **Digital detox:** Taking a break from Facebook’s algorithms and notifications gives your mind a detox.
– **Privacy:** Your information and data becomes inaccessible to Facebook while deactivated.
– **Keep Messenger:** You can still conveniently chat with friends and family through the Messenger app.
– **Take a break:** Deactivating lets you take a break from Facebook without losing your content and data. You can rejoin fresh later.
– **Assess usage:** Stepping away can help assess your Facebook usage and decide if you want to manage it better.
Cons of Deactivating Facebook and Keeping Messenger
There are also some downsides to watch out for when deactivating Facebook but continuing with Messenger:
– **Lose access to content:** You can no longer view posts, photos, or videos that require a Facebook login to access.
– **Disconnect from friends:** It becomes harder to connect with wider friend circles without having an active Facebook profile.
– **Miss updates:** Deactivating means you may miss events, announcements, invitations, and other updates posted by friends.
– **Reduced functionality:** Messenger loses certain integrations with Facebook data and features when used standalone.
– **FOMO:** Deactivating Facebook can instill a fear of missing out on what friends and family are posting.
– **Can’t easily rejoin groups:** You need to get re-added by admins to any Facebook groups you were part of earlier.
– **May miss messages:** If friends message you on Facebook rather than Messenger, you could miss those messages.
What Does Messenger Lose When Facebook is Deactivated?
Although Messenger still works when Facebook is deactivated, it does lose integration with some Facebook features:
– **Facebook friend syncing:** Messenger no longer automatically syncs your Facebook friends list. You must add each contact manually.
– **Facebook notifications:** Notifications of Facebook messages, posts, events, etc within Messenger stop.
– **Facebook posts:** You can no longer cross-post Facebook content directly to Messenger.
– **Facebook profile data:** Messenger loses access to your Facebook bio, profile photo, cover photo, and other info.
– **Facebook login:** You now need your phone number or Messenger login credentials, not your Facebook login.
– **Facebook integrations:** Messenger apps, games, and features linked to your Facebook account get disabled.
– **Facebook ads:** Messenger likely shows fewer targeted Facebook-based ads when separated.
– **Facebook payments:** You may lose payment integrations between Messenger and Facebook Pay.
So in summary, Messenger transitions to being more of a standalone messaging app without Facebook integrated behind the scenes. But chats and conversations remain unaffected.
What Happens if You Deactivate Both Facebook and Messenger?
You can go beyond just deactivating Facebook and also deactivate your Messenger account alongside it. Here’s what happens when you disable both:
– **All messaging stops:** You can no longer send or receive any Messenger chats when it’s deactivated.
– **Messenger gets deleted:** Your Messenger app and account will be scheduled for deletion after a set inactive period.
– **Lose Messenger contacts:** Your Messenger contacts and chat history will get erased after deactivation.
– **Need to re-add friends:** You’ll have to ask contacts to re-share their Messenger IDs or phone numbers when you return.
– **Temporary deactivation:** Like Facebook, you can still recover your Messenger account if you reactivate within the deletion time window.
– **Can’t be reached:** Friends will be unable to contact you on either Facebook or Messenger while deactivated.
– **Total digital detox:** Shutting down both provides the maximum break from social media and messaging apps.
So fully deactivating both ends your access to contacting and being contacted by friends through either platform. Only your Facebook data remains recoverable.
Steps to Deactivate Both Facebook and Messenger
If you do want to shut down both Facebook and Messenger, here are the steps:
Deactivate Facebook
1. Follow the steps above to deactivate your Facebook account first.
2. Choose “Do not continue using Messenger” when prompted during deactivation.
Deactivate Messenger
1. Open the Messenger app and go to your profile.
2. Go to Settings & Privacy > Account Ownership & Control.
3. Tap on “Deactivate Messenger” and confirm.
Once you complete both deactivations, you will be logged out of both apps and unable to sign back in unless you reactivate your accounts during the grace period.
Conclusion
Deactivating your Facebook account while keeping Messenger is convenient for taking a break from Facebook’s feeds and notifications while still chatting with friends. Both apps function independently, but Messenger loses some Facebook integrations. Fully deactivating both means losing contact ability until you reactivate, but all data remains recoverable if done within the deactivation window. Evaluate your reasons for taking a break and decide based on your needs for either a partial or complete detox.