It can be frustrating when you suddenly can’t access your Facebook account. There are a few main reasons why this might happen – your account may have been disabled or blocked, either temporarily or permanently, or the person you were trying to view may have deactivated or deleted their account.
Why can’t I see someone’s Facebook profile?
There are a few possibilities if you try to visit someone’s Facebook profile and get an error message or can’t find their profile:
- They blocked you – If someone blocks you on Facebook, you won’t be able to see their profile or any of their content. Their messages will no longer show up in your inbox either.
- They deactivated their account – If someone deactivates their Facebook account, their profile is hidden until they reactivate it. You won’t be able to search for or view their profile.
- They deleted their account – If someone deletes their Facebook account, their profile is permanently removed and can no longer be viewed.
- Your account is blocked – If your account has been blocked, you’ll be signed out of Facebook and unable to log back in or view most profiles.
- Your account is disabled – If your account is temporarily disabled, you’ll be signed out and unable to log back in until it is re-enabled.
So in summary, if you can’t see someone’s profile there are a few possibilities – they may have blocked you, deactivated their account temporarily, or deleted their account permanently. It could also be an issue on your end if your own account has been blocked or disabled by Facebook.
How can I tell if someone blocked me on Facebook?
Here are some signs that someone may have blocked you on Facebook:
- Their profile is completely invisible to you, even if you search for their name.
- Posts and photos they are tagged in won’t show up in your News Feed.
- You can’t start a new conversation or continue an existing conversation with them on Messenger.
- You don’t see their reactions or comments on mutual friends’ posts.
- They disappear abruptly from your friends list.
If you think you may be blocked, try having a mutual friend check the person’s profile to confirm. Blocked people remain visible to your mutual friends on Facebook.
Keep in mind that blocking is always one-sided on Facebook. If you are blocked, the other person can still see your profile and posts.
How do I know if my Facebook account is disabled?
Here are signs that your Facebook account may be temporarily disabled:
- When you try to log in, you see an error message that your account has been disabled.
- Your profile, posts and other account information disappear from view for other people.
- You stop receiving notifications from Facebook apps.
- You can’t access Facebook Messenger or chat functions.
- If you try posting, commenting or reacting, you’ll get an error message.
A disabled Facebook account is usually only temporary. You will need to contact Facebook to investigate why it was disabled and go through the process to possibly have it reactivated.
Why would my Facebook account get disabled?
Here are some of the common reasons Facebook may disable an account:
- You violated Facebook’s terms of service or community standards, such as posting abusive content, spam, hate speech, nudity or other prohibited content.
- Suspicious account activity was detected, such as many fast logins from new locations.
- Too many security check prompts were failed when Facebook suspected your account was hacked.
- You created or had multiple fake accounts or impersonated other users.
- Facebook detected underage users with inaccurate ages listed.
- Copyright violations or other legal issues with posted content.
In most cases, you will receive a notification explaining why your account was disabled and steps you can take to appeal the decision. Be sure to read any messages from Facebook closely.
How do I reactivate a disabled Facebook account?
To reactivate a disabled Facebook account, you will need to:
- Log in to your account. If you cannot log in, go to Facebook.com and click on the link that says your account has been disabled to begin the appeals process.
- Review and agree to Facebook’s terms of service.
- Verify your identity by providing your full name and a copy of your government ID.
- Fill out Facebook’s account reactivation form explaining why you should regain access.
- Wait for Facebook to review your appeal. This can take anywhere from one day to a few weeks.
Emphasize that you understand and will comply with Facebook’s policies going forward. Providing as much detail as possible will increase your chances of success. If your appeal is denied, though, the account will likely remain disabled permanently.
Can I delete a deactivated Facebook account?
Yes, you can delete a Facebook account that is currently deactivated. Here is the process:
- Log into your deactivated account by entering your username and password when prompted.
- Go to the General Account Settings page and click on “Manage account.”
- Click on the link that says “Delete Account.”
- Select the reason you want to delete the account from the dropdown menu.
- Enter your password to confirm your identity.
- Click the button to permanently delete the account.
Once confirmed, Facebook will begin deleting all data from your account. This can take up to 90 days to fully complete. You will no longer be able to reactivate the account after deletion.
Can a deleted Facebook account be recovered?
Recovering a deleted Facebook account is very difficult, but it may be possible in some cases by taking these steps:
- Log into Facebook with any alternate email addresses or phone numbers that were associated with the deleted account.
- Go to the Help Center and search for “recover deleted account.”
- Fill out the form to report your account was improperly deleted.
- Select the option that you want to recover your account and all data.
- Provide as much verified contact information as possible – email, phone number, birthdate, etc.
- Explain clearly why and how your account was wrongfully deleted.
Facebook will investigate and determine if your account is recoverable based on the information provided. There is no guarantee a deleted account can be restored, however. The more quickly you act, the better your chances.
What happens when you deactivate Facebook?
Here is what happens when you deactivate your Facebook account:
- Your profile and photos will be hidden until the account is reactivated.
- Ad preferences and other account settings will be saved.
- You will not be searchable on Facebook by other users.
- Messages you sent will remain visible in other people’s inboxes.
- Your account can be reactivated by logging back in with your username and password.
- Facebook messages and notifications will stop while deactivated.
- Pages and groups you manage will remain active.
- After 30 days, your data from deactivated accounts gets deleted.
Deactivating your account disables your profile temporarily rather than deleting everything permanently. It is reversible any time by simply logging back in unless the account remains deactivated for over 30 days.
How long does it take to reactivate Facebook after deactivating?
It usually only takes a few minutes to reactivate your Facebook account after deactivating it. Just log back into Facebook using your email address and password. Your account should be immediately available again with all previous data intact.
In some cases, it can take up to 24 hours for a deactivated account to be fully restored. Facebook’s systems need time to process the reactivation request and make your profile and data viewable again.
As long as you reactivate within 30 days of deactivating your account, everything should be restored with no data loss. It remains deactivated but retrievable during this window.
After 30 days have passed, your data and content may start being deleted from deactivated accounts by Facebook. Reactivating after this point may lead to partial data loss.
Can someone else reactivate my Facebook if I deactivate?
No, someone else cannot reactivate your Facebook account if you have chosen to deactivate it. Reactivation requires entering the account’s login email and password, which only you as the account holder should have.
When you deactivate your account, it essentially puts your profile into a suspended state until you log back in. Only you can unlock it by providing valid credentials.
If anyone was able to access your email and password and log into your deactivated account, that would indicate a security issue due to password compromise or sharing credentials.
To prevent any unauthorized reactivations, be sure not to share your Facebook login information with others while your account is deactivated. Also enable two-factor authentication for added security.
Can Facebook automatically delete deactivated accounts?
Yes, Facebook will automatically delete deactivated accounts after an extended period of time, usually around 30 days. This is because deactivated accounts are intended to be only temporarily disabled.
To avoid losing your account data, be sure to log back into your Facebook within 30 days after deactivating. This grace period gives you a chance to reverse your deactivation decision.
If you remain logged out for over 30 consecutive days, Facebook’s automated systems will begin permanently deleting information from the deactivated profile.
Some data, like posts you made in Facebook groups, may still be retained after deletion. But most personal account data gets removed during the automatic cleanup processes.
Should I deactivate or delete Facebook?
Whether to deactivate or delete your Facebook account depends on your specific reasons and intention:
- Deactivate if you want a temporary break from Facebook with the option to restore your profile intact later.
- Delete if you have no intention of ever using Facebook again and want your data erased.
- Deactivate to easily come back if you change your mind within 30 days.
- Delete for a complete and permanent removal of your presence on Facebook.
Deactivation is best for short Facebook breaks. It’s quick to reverse by simply logging back in later. Deletion is permanent and more difficult to undo once fully completed.
What should I do before deactivating Facebook?
Here are some things you should do before deactivating your Facebook account:
- Download a copy of your Facebook data for your records.
- Notify any pages or groups you manage that you’ll be taking a break.
- Inform friends or family so they know you won’t be reachable on Messenger.
- Change passwords on any sites where you use Facebook Login.
- Remove Facebook app permissions to things you may not want to share.
- Cancel any paid subscriptions or scheduled Facebook ads if applicable.
- Adjust privacy settings to control what people see.
Taking these steps allows you to have backups, notify connections, and limit data access in preparation for the deactivated state. Your profile and information will still be retrievable if you reactivate within 30 days.
Can I temporarily reactivate Facebook?
Yes, it is possible to temporarily reactivate your Facebook account after deactivating it, use it for a bit, then deactivate again.
To do this:
- Log back into your deactivated account by entering your credentials.
- Use Facebook normally for as long as needed.
- Go to account settings and select “Deactivate Account” when ready.
- Log out and your account will be deactivated again.
As long as you reactivate and then deactivate your account within 30 days, you can keep flipping the deactivate switch on and off as desired without losing data.
Just be aware that you need to log back in and use Facebook at least once every 30 days. Otherwise your deactivated account could get deleted.
Conclusion
Trouble accessing Facebook can be caused by your own account being disabled or blocked, or by someone else deactivating their profile. Knowing the differences between deactivated, disabled and deleted accounts can help unravel the mystery.
With deactivated accounts you can easily reactivate and restore your online presence within 30 days. Disabled accounts require contacting Facebook support to potentially have it reversed. And deleted accounts are gone for good barring a very difficult recovery process.
By taking preventative measures like downloading data and adjusting settings, you can smoothly transition into and out of deactivated mode on Facebook when needed. Just be sure to log in every 30 days so your account doesn’t get automatically erased.