How many days can you reactivate your Facebook account?

If your Facebook account has been disabled or deactivated, you may be wondering how long you have to reactivate it before it is deleted permanently. Facebook gives users a limited window of time to log back in and reactive their accounts before they are gone for good. Read on to learn more about how the Facebook account deactivation and deletion process works, and how many days you actually have to rescue your account.

Why Would Facebook Deactivate an Account?

There are a few main reasons why Facebook may deactivate someone’s account:

The user specifically requested to have their account deactivated.

The account was inactive for an extended period of time (at least 6 months).
The user violated Facebook’s Terms of Service or Community Standards.
The account exhibited suspicious or fraudulent activity.

In most cases, except for Terms of Service violations, Facebook will notify the user by email prior to deactivating their account and allow them to log in to confirm they want to keep it active. If the user does not log in within the given timeframe, usually around 14-30 days, Facebook will then proceed with deactivating the account.

What Happens When an Account is Deactivated?

When an account is deactivated, most of the account’s profile, photos, posts, videos, and information are hidden but not deleted. The user’s name and profile picture will no longer appear on their friends’ Timelines either. Essentially, the account disappears from view to other Facebook users.

However, all of the account’s information can still be restored if the user logs back in during the reactivation period. They just need to enter their email and password to reactivate their account and restore all of their prior posts and connections.

How Many Days Do You Have to Reactivate?

If your Facebook account has been deactivated, you typically have 30 days to log back in and reactivate it before it is subject to permanent deletion.

Here is a breakdown of the timeframe:

0-14 days deactivated: Login normally with your email and password to restore account.

15-30 days deactivated: Account can still be restored but user may need to verify identity or reset password first.
After 30 days deactivated: Account is scheduled for deletion and can no longer be reactivated.

Therefore, be sure to log back in within 30 days if you want to resurrect your deactivated Facebook account and retain all of your information.

What Happens at 30 Days After Deactivation?

After an account has been deactivated for 30 full days without the user logging back in, Facebook will permanently delete the account and all associated data.

This means:

Profile, photos, posts, videos, and all personal info is erased.

Friends/followers connections are removed.
Access to Facebook services like Messenger and Instagram is terminated.
Account cannot ever be restored – even with original email/password.

Essentially, a Facebook account that crosses the 30-day deactivation threshold is gone for good. There is no way to retrieve it or the data after deletion.

How to Download Account Data Before 30 Days

If your deactivated Facebook account is approaching the 30-day deletion mark, you may want to consider downloading a copy of your account data before it’s gone permanently.

Here are the steps to download your Facebook data before 30 days after deactivation:

Login to your deactivated Facebook account before it hits 30 days.
Go to Settings > General Account Settings.
Click “Download your Information” at the bottom.

Select date range for data to download.
Choose format: HTML or JSON.
Enter email to get download link when ready.

Check email and download archive within a few days.

This will allow you to salvage your photos, posts, messages, and other account info before it’s gone for good. You can also use this data to reactivate your account within 30 days if you choose.

What if You Need More Than 30 Days?

Thirty days is typically the maximum amount of time Facebook allows for reactivating a disabled account. However, in some exceptional cases, it is possible to get a short extension beyond 30 days:

Military personnel: Those deployed on duty may request additional time if they cannot access Facebook to reactivate within 30 days.
Medical reasons: An extended hospital stay or serious illness may warrant more time in some cases with proper documentation.
Legal matters: Facebook may allow more time if accounts were disabled due to legal requests or proceedings.

To pursue an extension for your deactivated account, you’ll need to contact Facebook directly and provide documentation supporting your unique circumstances.

Can You Recover a Deleted Facebook Account?

If your Facebook account has already been permanently deleted after 30 days of deactivation, there is unfortunately no way to recover or reactivate it.

Once an account crosses that 30-day threshold, the deletion is final and cannot be reversed. Facebook does not have the ability to restore accounts after they have been scheduled for and processed through permanent deletion protocols.

In some rare cases, users have been able to regain access to deleted accounts through legal requests and proceedings. However, average users have no recourse once the account is deleted by Facebook.

How to Prevent Accidental Deactivation

To avoid having your Facebook account deactivated accidentally, be sure to:

Respond to any email warnings about deactivation.
Maintain an up-to-date email on your Facebook account.
Stay aware of any violations that could risk deactivation.

Download your data periodically as a backup.

Actively using your Facebook and keeping info current is the best way to prevent accidental deactivation or deletion.

Creating a New Facebook Account

If your account has already been deleted beyond 30 days, creating a brand new account is your only option for accessing Facebook again. However, be aware of a couple considerations:

You’ll have to start fresh and rebuild your network/connections.
Facebook may restrict accounts for people who continually create new ones.
You need a new email since deactivated emails cannot be reused.

Take some time to consider if creating a whole new Facebook account is worthwhile after losing your previous one for good.

Conclusion

To summarize the key points:

Facebook provides 30 days to reactivate a deactivated account.

After 30 days, accounts are permanently deleted.
You can download your data for 30 days after deactivation.
Extensions beyond 30 days are very limited.

Once deleted, accounts cannot be recovered.

Be sure to log back in within 30 days if you wish to reactivate your deactivated Facebook account. Otherwise, be prepared to start fresh with a new account. Avoid the deactivation situation completely by staying active and maintaining your account in good standing.