How do I close my Facebook account online?

With over 2 billion monthly active users, Facebook is one of the most popular social media platforms in the world. However, some users eventually decide they want to delete their Facebook accounts permanently. There are a few reasons why someone may want to close their Facebook account.

Perhaps you feel like you spend too much time on the platform and want to take a break from social media. Maybe you’re concerned about privacy issues or want to limit the amount of personal data Facebook has access to. Some users want to start fresh with a new account. Others are leaving Facebook altogether in favor of different platforms.

Whatever the reason may be, deleting your Facebook account can be done entirely online through the Facebook website. Here’s a step-by-step guide to closing your Facebook account permanently.

Step 1: Back Up Your Data

Before closing your account, it’s wise to back up your data from Facebook. This includes photos, videos, posts, and any other personal content you may have uploaded over the years. Here are some things to back up:

Download a copy of your Facebook data: Go to Settings > Your Facebook Information > Download Your Information. Select the data ranges you want to download.
Save photos and videos: Download your photos and videos individually or in bulk to your computer or external hard drive.

Screenshot or copy/paste important posts and information you want to save.

Your Facebook data archive can take a few minutes up to a few days to prepare depending on how much data needs to be compiled. Back up anything important because once your account is gone, it’s gone for good.

Step 2: Delete Your Account

Once you’ve backed up anything important, it’s time to start the account deletion process. Here are the steps:

Click on the account menu (top right corner) and select Settings & Privacy > Settings.
On the General Account Settings page, click on Manage Account in the left sidebar.
Scroll down and click on Deactivation and Deletion.

Select Delete Account, then Continue to Account Deletion.
Note: If you only want to temporarily deactivate your account, choose Deactivate Account instead.
Facebook will now show you some reminders to double check you want to proceed. Click Continue to Account Deletion to confirm.

Enter your password to confirm your identity.
Click Delete Account.

It may take up to 90 days for Facebook to fully delete all of your data from their systems. You cannot reactivate or retrieve your account once the deletion process begins.

Step 3: Remove Facebook From Linked Apps and Sites

Many apps and websites allow signing in through Facebook for convenience. However, you may not want these third-party services to still have access to your Facebook data once your account is deleted. Here are some things to do:

Go through any apps connected to your Facebook account and remove them.
Update your account settings on any websites you use Facebook to log into. Remove or change the login method.

Change the email and password associated with these accounts if they are the same as your Facebook credentials.

This ensures you make a clean break when leaving Facebook behind. Take the time to audit apps and sites linked to your Facebook account.

What Happens When You Delete a Facebook Account

Here’s an overview of what happens after you delete your Facebook account:

Your profile, photos, posts, videos, and all other data is deleted from Facebook.
You immediately lose access to your account and Facebook services.
Your Facebook Messenger account associated with your profile is also deleted.

Friends and followers will no longer be able to search for or view your account.
Your name and data is permanently removed from Facebook’s databases in about 90 days.
Webpages and links directing to your Facebook profile will return errors once deleted.

You can never reactivate the deleted account in the future. You would have to create an entirely new account.

In summary, your account and all personal information is permanently removed from Facebook. It’s as if the account never existed in the first place.

What Happens to Your Facebook Page If You Deleted Your Personal Account

If you administered a Facebook Page connected to your personal account, here is what happens when you delete your account:

You automatically lose administrator privileges and control of any associated Facebook Pages.
The Pages remain active unless you specifically requested them to be deleted or there are no other admins.
Other Page admins can continue managing the Pages normally.

You cannot retrieve access to those Pages ever again through your deleted account.

To avoid losing your hard work on an important Facebook Page, add another administrator before closing your personal account. Or specifically request Pages to be deleted as part of the account deletion process if you want them gone for good.

Should You Disable or Deactivate Account Instead?

Permanently deleting your Facebook account is not the only option for taking a break from the platform. You also have these options:

Deactivate account – Temporarily disables your account but doesn’t delete any data. You can easily reactivate your account later.
Disable account – Limits access to your public profile and stops notifications without deactivating the account.

Deactivating your account is better if you think you may eventually want to use Facebook again with your profile intact. It avoids the hassle of trying to recreate your profile and reconnect with friends from scratch.

Disabling your account removes your public presence on Facebook without deleting the account. Use this if you need a social media break but still want private access to Messenger or Groups.

Should You Consider Deleting Facebook Permanently?

Here are some pros and cons to weigh when deciding if fully deleting your account is right for you:

Pros

You take a definitive stand against aspects of Facebook you disagree with.

It forces you to break free of a social media addiction or bad habits.
You regain privacy as Facebook no longer stores your data.
Deleting social media accounts can be liberating and improve mental health.

Cons

Permanently losing connection with friends and family on the platform.
Missing out on events, news, and updates posted to Facebook.
Loss of digital memories and records stored on your account.

Inconvenience of starting over from scratch if you return to Facebook.

Take time to reflect honestly on your personal reasons for deleting Facebook. Weigh the pros and cons before making a permanent decision either way.

Other Options Besides Account Deletion

Permanently deleting your account is not the only way to distance yourself from Facebook. Here are a few other options to consider first:

Take a temporary break – Deactivate your account for a while instead of deleting it entirely.
Limit notifications – Mute distracting notifications so Facebook is less invasive.
Unfollow friends or Pages – Keep your account but unfollow friends who post too much.

Restrict data access – Adjust privacy settings to limit how much info Facebook can use.
Spend less time on Facebook – Delete the app from your phone and set limits.

Tweaking your Facebook habits, notifications, privacy settings and more can potentially give you the distance you need without completely deleting your profile and connections.

How to Rejoin Facebook After Deleting an Account

If you regret deleting your Facebook account, unfortunately there is no way to retrieve or reactivate a deleted account. However, here is how to get back on Facebook:

Create an entirely new Facebook account from scratch.
Add your friends on your new profile. You’ll have to send new friend requests.

Build up your profile information, photos, etc. again over time.
Rejoin any Facebook Groups you were part of. Admins have to approve your new membership.
Create new Facebook Pages if you had any for business or personal use.

The process won’t be quick or seamless. But creating a new profile is the only way to return to Facebook after deletion. Make sure you are fully committed to leaving Facebook for good before you delete your account.

Conclusion

Deleting your Facebook account is permanent. Back up your data and carefully consider the pros and cons first. If you do decide to close your account, the deletion process is straightforward and can be done in a few steps through the Facebook website.

Removing your profile eliminates all of your Facebook data and severs connections you have through the platform. There is no going back after account deletion. However, creating a brand new profile from scratch is an option if you later change your mind.

Overall, the decision to delete Facebook is a personal one based on your individual reasons and priorities. Make sure you are fully on board with leaving social media behind for good before you decide to close your Facebook account permanently.