Facebook offers users the ability to temporarily disable or permanently delete their accounts. Disabling an account is different from deleting it, and has implications for how long the account remains on Facebook’s servers.
What happens when you disable a Facebook account?
When you disable your Facebook account, it is hidden from view for other users. Your profile, photos, posts, and all other account information are no longer visible to anyone else while your account is disabled. However, all of that information remains stored on Facebook’s servers.
Disabling an account is meant to be a temporary break from Facebook. The company holds your account information with the expectation that you may want to reactivate your account in the future. Some key things to know about disabled Facebook accounts:
- You can reactivate a disabled account at any time by logging back in with your email and password.
- Facebook maintains disabled accounts indefinitely. There is no set time limit for how long an account can remain disabled before being deleted.
- Other users cannot search for or view a disabled account.
- Facebook does not send notifications or emails to a disabled account.
- You cannot make any updates to a disabled account, like changing settings or posting content.
In summary, disabling an account pauses your Facebook presence and access without actually removing any data. It is like putting your account on hold.
What happens when you permanently delete a Facebook account?
Permanently deleting a Facebook account is more straightforward than disabling it. When you delete your account, Facebook removes all of your information from its servers. This includes:
- Your profile information
- Photos and videos you posted
- Your posts and timeline information
- Messages you sent and received
- Your friend list and follower list
- Group memberships
- All other account data
Facebook states that it may take up to 90 days for all of this information to be deleted from backups and logs. But once the deletion is complete, your account is removed entirely and cannot be recovered.
Data that may remain after account deletion
While most of your account information is removed when you delete your account, Facebook acknowledges some data may continue to exist in certain scenarios:
- If your posts were shared by others, that data remains.
- Messages you sent to friends may remain in their inboxes.
- Your name may appear in Facebook’s data analytics tools.
- Copies of data may exist in Facebook’s backups and logs after deletion.
So you cannot guarantee that every single bit of your data will be erased. But overall, permanent deletion removes the vast majority of your information from Facebook.
How long does Facebook keep disabled accounts?
Facebook does not delete or remove disabled accounts. The accounts continue existing in a disabled state indefinitely unless the user chooses to either reactive or delete the account.
There have been some reports of Facebook deleting accounts that have been inactive for very long periods of time, such as several years. However, these do not seem to be widespread or confirmed policies.
In general, you can expect a disabled Facebook account to remain on the platform with all associated data intact for as long as need be. Some users may disable an account temporarily for just a few days or weeks. Others may disable and never reactivate their accounts again.
Why Facebook maintains disabled accounts
There are a few reasons why Facebook chooses to preserve disabled accounts rather than deleting them automatically:
- In case the user wants to reactivate their account. This allows them to easily pick up where they left off.
- To maintain data integrity. Deleting accounts would start removing data points that may be connected to other users.
- To keep metrics accurate. Disabled accounts are excluded from monthly active user statistics.
- To avoid content loss. Users who shared content to others could lose access if accounts were deleted.
Disabled accounts end up functioning similarly to deactivated email addresses. The account still technically exists and has associated information, but is marked inactive so it does not show up in searches or tallies. This approach provides users with an option besides permanent deletion.
How to delete a disabled Facebook account
If you have a disabled Facebook account that you are now sure you want to permanently delete, you can still do so through the Facebook platform.
Here are the steps to delete a disabled account:
- Have an administrator or trusted friend log into Facebook from their own account.
- Go to the “Memorialization Request” page: https://www.facebook.com/help/contact/228813257197480
- Enter the name and email address associated with the disabled account.
- Facebook will send a message confirming if the account can be deleted. Follow any additional prompts.
- The disabled account will then be permanently deleted.
This process allows you to entirely delete a disabled account through a friend or admin. The direct account owner cannot log into a disabled profile.
Other options to remove disabled accounts
If you cannot get a friend to request deletion for your disabled account, there are some other options:
- Use the account deletion form with the email on your disabled account. Facebook may send a confirmation link to reactivate and delete.
- Submit a request via Facebook’s General Requests Form asking to delete your disabled account.
- File a GDPR data erasure request if you live in the EU and cannot delete the account.
With persistence, you can usually get Facebook to honor a request to remove a disabled profile permanently. But it may take following up multiple times on a request.
Can someone hack into a disabled Facebook account?
It is unlikely someone could hack into your disabled Facebook account. When you disable an account, you automatically log out of all active sessions. Your password also still protects the account from access.
However, hackers or malicious actors could still attempt to break into the account using methods like:
- Guessing or resetting your password.
- Hacking your email account associated with Facebook.
- Using credential stuffing to try logged in sessions.
- Exploiting a vulnerability in Facebook’s platform.
To maximize security on a disabled account:
- Use a strong, unique password that you don’t reuse anywhere else.
- Enable two-factor authentication.
- Watch for suspicious emails about your Facebook account.
- Don’t use a compromised email provider.
As long as you practice good security hygiene, your disabled account information should remain protected from malicious access. Make sure friends also know not to engage with anyone claiming to be you on your disabled profile.
Can you tell if someone is logging into a disabled Facebook account?
When an account is disabled, the owner cannot log into it on Facebook. So any successful logins indicate someone else accessing the profile. However, Facebook does not directly notify disabled account holders of login attempts.
There are a few signs that may indicate unauthorized access attempts to a disabled account:
- Getting a reset password email for the account.
- Notifications about suspicious logins from Facebook’s automated security systems.
- Friends reporting seeing your disabled profile active.
- The reactivation of your disabled account without your doing.
To directly monitor login attempts on a disabled Facebook account, you can use a security tool like Dashlane or LastPass. These tools notify you of logins to websites associated with your saved passwords.
Turning on Facebook’s Login Approvals security feature would also notify you via text or a third-party app of logins if someone attempts accessing your disabled account. However, this is only possible if reactivating the account.
Can you recover a disabled Facebook account?
If your Facebook account has been disabled, you can recover and reactive it through the following methods:
- Login via Facebook’s website or mobile app with your email and password. Facebook will recognize the account as disabled and prompt to restore it.
- Go to Facebook’s account recovery page and request a login code or reset link for your account email. Use the code or reset password to login.
- Submit valid proof of identity to Facebook such as a photo ID. Facebook can manually review and restore disabled accounts.
- Have Facebook review your account for signs of unauthorized access or hacking. They may then restore your access.
The easiest recovery method is simply logging in with your old credentials, which initiates the reactivation process. But if you can no longer access the login email or forget the password, you still have options to recover a disabled account.
Recovering deleted Facebook accounts
If your Facebook account was permanently deleted rather than disabled, the recovery options are more limited. Specifically:
- You can submit a request via the Facebook Help Center to potentially recover the account if recently deleted.
- Facebook may be able to restore very recently deleted accounts that were accidentally removed.
- Recovery is impossible after an account has been permanently deleted for more than 90 days.
Preventing permanent deletion is why it can be useful to disable an account first rather than deleting immediately. Disabled accounts have much better recovery prospects.
Should you disable or delete your Facebook account?
Deciding whether to disable or delete your Facebook account depends on several factors:
- Temporary break vs permanent removal – Disabling is for short breaks, deletion for leaving forever.
- Data preservation – Disabling preserves your data, deletion erases it.
- Access by others – Friends can still see disabled profiles if previously connected.
- Reactivation difficulty – Disabled accounts can be easily reactivated.
In general, disabling your account is best if you think you may want to return to Facebook again one day. But if you are certain you want to permanently remove yourself from Facebook, account deletion is better.
Here is a comparison table of Facebook account disabling versus deletion:
| Factor | Disabled Account | Deleted Account |
|---|---|---|
| Visibility to others | Hidden from other users | Completely removed |
| Account access | Can reactivate anytime | Permanently inaccessible |
| Data remains? | All data intact | Data deleted over time |
| Recoverability | Easy to recover account | Very difficult to recover |
This comparison highlights that disabling an account provides more flexibility if you ever change your mind. But deletion gives more certainty that your account will be removed.
Conclusion
Facebook gives users the option to disable accounts for temporary deactivation or delete accounts for permanent removal. Disabled accounts remain in Facebook’s system indefinitely unless the owner requests to delete it. This allows users to take a break while preserving their profile and data.
Deleted accounts go through a 90 day removal process before the account and most associated data is fully erased. However, some account artifacts may persist if content was shared with others. Permanent deletion makes it much harder to ever recover or reactivate an account.
In most cases, disabling is preferable to deletion for those who think they may use Facebook again one day. But users certain they want to leave Facebook forever should request full account removal. Be aware disabled accounts can be vulnerable to intrusion and reactivated without consent.