Can you still search a deactivated Facebook account?

Facebook allows users to deactivate their accounts while keeping their information and photos stored in case they decide to reactivate. This raises the question – can you still search for someone’s profile if their account is deactivated?

Can you search for a deactivated Facebook account?

Yes, you can still search for a deactivated Facebook account, but you won’t be able to see any of the person’s posts, photos, or other information. When you search for someone who has deactivated their account, their profile picture and name will still show up in search results. However, if you click on their profile, you’ll see a message saying “This account is deactivated.”

So in summary:

You can find a deactivated account through Facebook search
The profile picture and name will be visible
You won’t see any posts, photos, friends list, or other info

Clicking the profile will show “This account is deactivated”

What happens when you deactivate a Facebook account?

When someone deactivates their Facebook account, here’s what happens:

The profile is hidden from other users on Facebook

Friends will no longer see posts or be able to search for the account
No one will be able to view photos, status updates, or anything else on the profile
The account can still be reactivated later by logging back in

Facebook stores all the data in case the person decides to reactivate

So in a nutshell, deactivating temporarily hides the account and all its content from other Facebook members. The account owner can still log back in to reactivate it.

Why you might search for a deactivated account

There are a few reasons why someone might try to search for a deactivated Facebook profile:

To see if an old friend or ex has deactivated their account
To check if a celebrity has deactivated their verified account
Out of curiosity if someone seems to have disappeared from Facebook

To test whether a reported account was actually deactivated
To find out if your account can still be searched after deactivating

Even though you won’t see any of their information, searching can help determine if their account has been deactivated temporarily or permanently deleted.

Tips for searching deactivated accounts

Here are some tips to improve your chances of finding a deactivated Facebook account:

Search using their full name – this gives the best chance of finding them
Check the spelling of their name in case it’s listed differently

Search under any alternate names or spellings they may use
Browse through all search results to uncover their account
Try searching on mobile and desktop in case results differ

Use the Facebook search bar for names rather than posts for best results

What happens if you request info from a deactivated account?

If you use Facebook’s “Request Info” feature to request information from someone who has deactivated their account, here’s what to expect:

You’ll be able to send the info request as normal

The request will be sent, but the deactivated user won’t receive it
Once they reactivate, the request will show up for them to respond to
Until then, you won’t get any information back from the request

There’s no notification if the info request failed due to deactivation

So in summary, Facebook allows requesting info from deactivated profiles, but the deactivated user needs to manually respond next time they log in. Don’t expect any response until they reactivate.

Mistakes to avoid when searching deactivated accounts

Here are some common mistakes people make when trying to search for deactivated Facebook profiles:

Searching for posts, photos or hashtags – accounts won’t show up this way
Using partial names or nicknames – search the full name for best results
Not checking different name spellings and variations

Stopping after a quick search assuming the account is gone – be thorough!
Searching immediately after deactivation – profiles can take hours to disappear fully
Assuming accounts have been deleted rather than deactivated

Avoid these errors to improve your chances of tracking down a deactivated profile successfully.

What happens if you send a message to a deactivated account?

If you try to message someone who has deactivated their Facebook account, here is what will happen:

You’ll be able to compose the message as normal

When you try to send it, you’ll get an error saying “Couldn’t send to [name]”
The message will not be delivered or saved as a draft
Once the account is reactivated, they won’t receive the message

You’ll have to resend the message after they reactivate their profile

In summary, any messages sent to deactivated accounts will fail to send and will not reach the recipient. The send error makes it clear the profile is unreachable.

Can you tell if someone blocked you after deactivating?

No, there is no definite way to tell if someone blocked you in addition to deactivating their Facebook account. Here’s why:

A deactivated profile shows the same message if you’re blocked or not
Any messages will fail either way, since the account is deactivated
You won’t see any updated info to know if you’re blocked

Once reactivated, blocking will prevent new friend requests

So until the account is reactivated, it’s uncertain whether you’re also blocked. The block only takes effect after they log back in.

Can you be friends again after one person deactivated?

Yes, it is possible to be Facebook friends again after someone deactivated their account, as long as it gets reactivated in the future. Here’s the process:

Person A deactivates their Facebook account temporarily
This removes them from Person B’s friends list
When Person A decides to reactivate their account, they log back in

Person B can now search and find Person A’s account again
Person B sends a new friend request to Person A
If Person A accepts, they will be Facebook friends again

So deactivation breaks the Facebook friendship, but it can be renewed later if both people are willing to reconnect.

Can a deactivated account post on your Timeline?

No, someone with a deactivated Facebook account will be unable to post anything on your Timeline or interact with your profile in any way. Here’s why:

Deactivated accounts lose access posting or commenting

They will not receive notifications or updates from your profile
They can’t react to, share, or engage with your posts
Any old posts/comments remain, but nothing new can be added

Your name and info will be hidden from their deactivated view

So you don’t have to worry about a deactivated person suddenly spamming or harassing you – they can’t reach you until the account is reactivated.

Should you delete or deactivate your inactive account?

If you have an old, inactive Facebook account you no longer use, here are some pros and cons of deactivating vs. deleting it:

Deactivation	Deletion
Reversible – can log back in to reactivate Keeps all data, photos, posts, etc. No one can view profile or search posts Temporarily hides account from others	Permanent – cannot recover account or data Profile and posts erased from Facebook No going back – will lose everything forever Removes account from Facebook permanently

In most cases, deactivation is the best option if you think you may ever want to access the account again. But if you’re sure you’re done, deletion will permanently remove it.

Conclusion

While deactivated Facebook accounts remain hidden from other users, determined searching can still uncover the profile. Just don’t expect to see any posts, photos or information. And remember – any communication attempts will fail until an account is reactivated. Deactivation is temporary, but deletion will permanently erase an account from Facebook.