Deciding to delete your Facebook account is a big step for many users. Facebook has become such an integral part of daily life for so many people that the idea of permanent deletion can be daunting. However, for some users, deleting their Facebook account provides a sense of relief and control over their online privacy. Before taking this major step, it’s important to understand exactly how Facebook’s account deletion process works and how long it takes for an account to be permanently erased from Facebook’s servers.
How does account deletion work on Facebook?
When you initiate the account deletion process through your account settings, Facebook does not immediately delete your account. Instead, it enters a temporary deactivated state that can last up to 30 days. During this grace period, your profile and data are hidden from other users. You also cannot log back into your account once you’ve started the deletion process.
The reason for this waiting period is to give you an opportunity to change your mind and cancel the deletion. If at any point during the 30 days you log back into your deactivated account, it will be fully restored with all data intact.
However, if the 30 day deactivated period expires without you logging back in, Facebook will then permanently delete the account. This includes all posts, photos, messages and personal information associated with the account.
What happens when my account is permanently deleted?
Once your Facebook account reaches the permanent deletion state, here’s what happens:
- Your profile is completely removed and no longer viewable by other users.
- All photos, posts, videos and other data are erased from Facebook’s servers.
- Your Facebook Messenger conversations and message history will be deleted.
- You lose access to your Facebook purchases and paid content.
- Your friends will no longer be able to search for you or view any shared content.
- Facebook removes you from the friend lists of other users.
- Your login email and associated data are permanently purged from Facebook’s systems.
In essence, it will be as if you never had a Facebook account in the first place. There will be no record or trail of your prior existence on the platform from Facebook’s perspective.
Can I ever reopen my account after permanent deletion?
No, once your account reaches the permanent deleted status after 30 days, there is no way to reactivate or reinstate it. You would have to sign up for a brand new account using a different email address.
None of your old data or friends would carry over either. You would essentially be starting fresh as a new user.
How long does it take for Facebook to permanently delete an account?
In most cases, it takes right around 30 days from the initial deactivation before Facebook permanently deletes an account. However, there are some variables that can slightly lengthen or shorten this timeframe.
Factors that may speed up permanent deletion:
- Not logging in during the deactivation period – Logging back into a deactivated account resets the deletion timeframe back to zero days.
- Removing Facebook app from mobile devices – This severs an active connection point to your account.
- Not using Facebook Login anywhere – Similarly, this cuts off an access point that could reactivate the account.
- Checking the “Delete my account permanently” box – This unequivocally confirms your intent to delete with no chance for canceling.
Factors that may delay permanent deletion:
- Extended account activity prior to deactivation – If you’ve been highly active on Facebook for years, it may take more time to fully purge your data.
- High volume of photos and videos – Similarly, larger amounts of multimedia can slightly prolong the deletion process.
- Connecting your account to many third-party apps – The more outside apps connected via Facebook Login, the longer it may take to complete the severing process.
- Not checking the “Delete my account permanently” box – This leaves the door open for canceling the deletion during the 30-day window.
However, in most straightforward cases with average account activity, you can expect the permanent deletion to fully complete in right around 30 days after initially deactivating your account.
How to download your Facebook data before deleting your account
Before completing the account deletion process, you may want to download an archive of your Facebook data for your records. This allows you to retain copies of photos, posts and other personal content that will otherwise be erased.
Here are the steps to download your Facebook data before deletion:
- Go to Settings & Privacy > Settings
- Click on Your Facebook Information in the left menu
- Select View next to Download Your Information
- Click on Create File under the Download Your Information header
- Select JSON as the format and Medium or High media quality
- Click Create File to initiate the data download process
Facebook will compile all your account data into a downloadable file that may take up to several hours to process depending on the amount of data. You’ll receive a notification when it’s ready to download through a link that remains valid for a few days.
Types of personal data included in your Facebook download file
The information contained in your pre-deletion download archive typically includes:
- Profile info – Name, bio, profile/cover photos, etc.
- Friends list – Names of your Facebook friends.
- Followed pages – Pages and public figures you’ve liked or followed.
- Posts and photos – Your posts, shared content and uploaded photos.
- Messages – Private messages with your Facebook Messenger contacts.
- Groups – Any Facebook groups you are a member of.
- Events – Events you’ve created or been invited to.
- Search history – Record of your searches conducted on Facebook.
- Location history – Location data if you had location services enabled.
- Advert interests – Ad profile based on your Facebook activity.
Saving this detailed record can be reassuring if you later decide you want access to certain portions of your Facebook history and data.
How to download your Facebook photos before account deletion
Downloading just your Facebook photos may be preferable if you don’t need your full account archive. Here are the steps to save your Facebook pictures before deletion:
- Go to your Facebook profile and click on Photos in the left menu
- In the left column, click Albums to expand the list of your photo albums
- Select any album you want to download by clicking on the album cover
- Click on the 3 dots in the top right corner of the album and select Download Album
- Choose either Download in High Quality or Download in Standard Quality
- Repeat steps 3-5 for any other albums you want to save
This will allow you to selectively download only your most important photo albums instead of your entire account archive if you prefer.
How to back up your Facebook videos before deleting
To save copies of videos you’ve posted or been tagged in on Facebook before your account deletion:
- Go to your Facebook profile and click on Videos in the left menu
- Scroll through your uploaded videos and click on the 3 dots icon next to any you want to download
- Select Download Video from the menu
- Choose the video quality and click Download
- Repeat for any other videos you want to save
These downloaded copies will allow you to preserve special videos from your Facebook account even after deletion.
How to save Facebook Messenger conversations before deleting
Here are the steps to export and back up your Messenger conversation history before deleting your Facebook account:
- Open the Messenger app and tap your profile photo
- Go to Account Settings > Data Management
- Tap Request Download next to Conversation History
- Choose JSON or HTML format and tap Request Download again
- When the download file is ready, open Messenger > tap your profile > Account Settings > Data Management to access the Conversation History download link
This will export your conversations as either a JSON file or HTML document that you can store locally or in the cloud.
What happens to my Facebook business pages if I delete my account?
If your Facebook account manages any business pages, they will not be automatically deleted when your personal account is deactivated. However, you will obviously lose administrative access to those pages.
To ensure continuity for your business pages, you should:
- Assign other admins to your Facebook business pages before deleting your account
- Update the primary contact email, phone number and address on your Facebook business pages
- Notify your other page admins that you are deleting your personal Facebook account
As long as your business pages have other admins assigned, they can continue to manage and post to those pages even after your personal profile is gone.
What happens to my Facebook groups if I delete my account?
Like pages, any Facebook groups you administer will remain active after your account deletion. But you will be removed as the admin.
Before deleting your profile, it’s best practice to:
- Assign another group member or two as a new group admin
- Announce to the group members that you will be leaving Facebook and handing over admin rights
This ensures a smooth transition in the administration of your groups once your account is deleted.
Should I delete or deactivate my Facebook account?
Deciding whether to permanently delete your Facebook account or temporarily deactivate it depends on your specific reasons and intentions.
Reasons to deactivate instead of delete:
- You want the option to reactivate your account in the future
- You manage business pages or groups that require admin access
- You feel you may eventually want to return to Facebook
- You just need a temporary social media break
Reasons to permanently delete your Facebook account:
- You want to permanently leave Facebook behind for good
- Privacy concerns and complete data removal are your priority
- Facebook is having a negative impact on your mental health or productivity
- Your account was hacked or compromised
- You no longer have any use for Facebook in your life
Overall, deactivation gives you more flexibility if you think you may want to come back to Facebook. But permanent deletion ensures your complete removal if you are certain you never intend to return.
Conclusion
Deleting your Facebook account results in the eventual permanent erasure of your profile and all associated data after an initial 30 day deactivated period. However, it’s wise to download any important photos, videos or other content prior to deletion through Facebook’s data export tools for future reference. Understanding the entire deletion process and timeline allows you to leave Facebook gracefully while preserving your valuable digital memories.