Facebook collects and stores a significant amount of data about its users. This includes things like your posts, messages, photos, connections, interests, and more. While this data belongs to Facebook, users do have some ability to access, download, and even delete certain types of data associated with their accounts.
What types of data does Facebook collect?
Facebook collects different categories of data from its users:
- Profile information – This includes basic data like your name, email, phone number, gender, birthday, hometown, current city, relationships, work and education history.
- Posts and messages – This includes your posts, comments, messages, notes, and more that you share on Facebook.
- Connections – Your friends list, followers, pages you follow, and groups you have joined.
- Interests and other details – Things like pages you follow, ads you click on, events you view or say you’re interested in, apps you use, and more.
- Photos and videos – Any images or videos you upload to Facebook.
- Device information – Data from devices you use to access Facebook, including location data.
- Browsing history – Data on your clicks and activity across Facebook products while logged in, even outside of Facebook itself.
Facebook uses all this data to personalize the experience for each user, target ads and recommendations, and to continue improving its products and services.
How can I download my Facebook data?
Facebook allows you to download the data associated with your account through its “Download Your Information” tool. Here are the steps to use it:
- Go to your Facebook Settings and select “Your Facebook Information” in the left menu.
- Click “Download Your Information” on the next page.
- Select the date range you want data for using the dropdowns.
- Toggle the data types you want to include. Options include posts, photos, videos, comments, Friends lists, and more.
- Click “Create File” to request your download.
- Facebook will prepare a download link and notify you via email when it’s ready, usually within a few hours or days depending on how much data is involved.
- Follow the link in the email when ready and download your Facebook data zip file from the page.
- Unzip the file on your computer to access your Facebook data.
The data will be in JSON format organized by data type in different folders and files. It can take some time to dig through it all, but this gives you a complete copy of your Facebook history and activity.
How far back can I download my Facebook data?
Facebook allows you to download data going back to the beginning of your account history. The main limit is that Facebook deletes some data after a while, so you can only download archived data that still exists on their servers.
- Posts – Access posts back to your first one.
- Messages – Download messages as far back as they are still available.
- Photos – Download any photos still stored in your account.
- Videos – Access videos dating back to when you first uploaded them.
So in many cases you can download a complete record of your Facebook history and activity. But certain older content may have been deleted per Facebook’s data retention policies.
What are the data types I can download?
You have access to download the following data types from Facebook:
- Timeline posts
- Messages
- Photos and videos
- Likes and reactions
- Friends lists
- Following and followers
- Ads interests
- Events
- Groups
- Marketplace activity
- Pages and more
The Download Your Information tool lets you select which of these categories to include. You can download everything at once, or just select the specific types of data you want.
Are there any limitations to the data I can download?
Facebook does not provide access to download all data associated with your account. Here are some limitations:
- No access to security logs – Can’t see login records or account security activity.
- No browsing history – Your clicks and activity across Facebook are not included.
- No expired stories – Accessing expired Stories or posts not possible.
- No deleted data – Content you or Facebook deleted is not retrievable.
- Limited metadata – Some additional data like timestamps or device info may be omitted.
So while the download gives you extensive data, it does not encompass your full account history and activity on Facebook.
How long does it take to get my Facebook data?
It typically takes Facebook anywhere from a few hours up to a few days to compile and prepare your download file. The speed depends on a few factors:
- Account size – More data means longer processing time.
- Data types – Including more categories adds to processing time.
- Request volume – More requests can slow down response.
- Bandwidth – Speed limits on preparation and download.
For an average account with a few years of typical activity including posts, photos and messages, you can expect to wait 12-24 hours. Larger downloads with more data could take a couple of days to process.
Typical Facebook data download times
| Account Size | Data Types | Processing Time |
|---|---|---|
| Small | Basic info only | 2-6 hours |
| Average | Posts, photos, messages | 12-24 hours |
| Large | All data types | 24-48 hours |
Facebook will notify you by email when the archive is ready to download. Overall it provides access in a reasonable time frame considering the amount of data involved.
How do I access my downloaded Facebook data?
When your Facebook archive is ready, you will get an email with a link to download the file. Here are the steps to access it:
- Click the link in the Facebook email when ready, which will open a page displaying info about your download.
- Click the “Download” button on this page which will download a ZIP file to your computer.
- Locate the ZIP file in your computer’s downloads folder.
- Double-click the file to unzip and extract the contents.
- Inside will be a folder called “facebook-[your-name]” containing your data in JSON format.
From here you can now access and view your Facebook information exported into a variety of files and formats. It takes some digging but gives you an unprecedented look at your personal data.
What format is my Facebook data in?
The data Facebook provides is formatted as a series of JSON (JavaScript Object Notation) files contained within folders organized by data type. JSON is a common lightweight data format that is easy for computers to parse and process.
For example your photos will be individual .json files inside a “photos” folder. Your messages will be similarly organized. This computer-readable format allows the entire archive to be processed and analyzed if desired.
How do I view and read my JSON Facebook data?
Because JSON files are structured data without a friendly interface, you have a couple options to view and interact with them:
- Code editor – Open files in a text/code editor like VSCode to view content.
- Online JSON viewer – Copy/paste data into an online JSON viewer to make it more readable.
- Browser extension – A JSON browser extension can format the data automatically.
- Import into app – Many apps can import JSON data for analysis and visualization.
While not the most user-friendly, with some patience you can dig into the JSON files to access and understand your Facebook data dump.
Can I export my data from Facebook in other formats?
In addition to the complete JSON data archive, Facebook provides a few options to export specific slices of your data in more user-friendly formats:
- Posts – You can create a text file export of all your posts and notes.
- Photos – Your photos can be exported to a downloadable ZIP file.
- Videos – You can also download just your videos in MP4 format.
- Events – Export your Events to a PDF calendar or ICS file.
- Friends – Download your Friends list as a PDF document.
These exports provide easier access to certain data types that you may want to view or transfer outside of Facebook. Options are available on the “Your Facebook Information” settings page.
Can I export my data in CSV format?
Unfortunately Facebook does not offer any options to export your data as CSV files. The JSON format provides more complete data but is harder to analyze. Some users utilize JSON converters to transform their Facebook data into CSV for easier spreadsheet access.
How do I transfer or delete my Facebook data?
Once you have downloaded your Facebook data, you have full control over it on your local device. You can:
- Share it – Send or transfer specific data to other apps and uses.
- Save it – Keep the archive as a personal backup of your Facebook history.
- Analyze it – Use tools to parse and study your Facebook usage.
- Delete it – Permanently erase the data from your computer if desired.
Facebook’s data portability tools enable you to liberate your data from their platform. You can then independently manage, transfer or delete this copy as you choose.
Can I transfer my Facebook data to another platform?
Yes, Facebook provides flexible data portability so you can transfer copies of your data to other apps and services. For example:
- Google Takeout to import contacts, photos, videos, etc.
- Twitter to post archived tweets and content.
- Dropbox to store files and docs.
- Messaging apps to transfer conversations.
While the JSON format takes some work, you can transfer pieces of your data to many platforms. This gives you choices beyond Facebook.
Can I delete my Facebook data?
Yes, if you decide you want to delete parts of your Facebook data or history, you have a couple options:
Delete selected data before downloading
When using the “Download Your Information” tool, you can choose which data types to include or exclude from the archive. For example, you can unselect photos, posts, or other categories before creating your download.
Delete data from your local archive
Once you have downloaded your Facebook data, you can delete portions of it from your computer. For example, you can permanently erase photos, messages, or other files manually from your device.
Request data deletion from Facebook
You can submit requests to Facebook to delete specific data from their servers:
- Delete posts – Remove individual posts published on your Timeline.
- Delete photos – Delete specific images you’ve shared on Facebook.
- Delete comments – Request removal of comments you’ve made.
Facebook provides forms to submit these data deletion requests. However, success is not guaranteed; Facebook reviews these individually to determine if they will comply with removal or retain the data. But it provides an option for trying to delete data directly from their systems.
Conclusion
Facebook grants users access to extensive amounts of personal data via its “Download Your Information” feature. You can download your full Facebook history going back to your first posts and activities on the platform.
However, there are limitations in accessing deleted data or expired content no longer on Facebook’s servers. And you only get data that Facebook decides to provide – it’s not the full picture of their operations and tracking behind the scenes.
But having the ability to extract your posts, photos, messages and other activities in structured data formats does offer unprecedented transparency. You gain control to analyze your data, transfer it elsewhere, or delete it as desired. While Facebook still maintains the primary copy, these tools offer a level of freedom and privacy.
So while not perfect, downloading your Facebook data provides capabilities most social platforms still do not allow. Take advantage of these data portability options to access this valuable archive of your personal content and history.