Facebook has become one of the most popular social media platforms, with over 2 billion active users worldwide. While many find it useful for connecting with friends and family, others may wish to delete their Facebook profile for privacy or productivity reasons.
Why Would You Want to Delete Your Facebook Profile?
There are a few common reasons why someone may want to delete their Facebook profile:
- You’re concerned about privacy and want to limit how much personal data Facebook has access to
- You find yourself wasting too much time scrolling and want to be more productive
- You don’t use or enjoy Facebook anymore and want to permanently close your account
- You want a fresh start and to dissociate yourself from past posts and connections
- You disagree with Facebook’s policies and business practices
While deleting your profile is permanent and means losing connections, photos, events and more tied to your account, for some people it can be liberating and provide peace of mind.
How Do I Permanently Delete My Facebook Account?
If you are sure you want to permanently delete your Facebook profile, here is a step-by-step guide to do so:
- Log into your Facebook account and go to your profile
- Click on the account menu in the top right corner (the down arrow icon)
- Select “Settings & Privacy” from the menu
- Go to the “Settings” section and click “Your Facebook Information”
- Click on “Deactivation and Deletion”
- Choose “Permanently delete account” and click “Continue to account deletion”
- Select “Delete Account” to confirm
- Enter your password and click “Continue”
- Click “Delete Account” to fully delete your profile
Once you complete these steps, your profile and all associated data will be permanently removed from Facebook (it may take up to 90 days for the full deletion process). You cannot reactivate or retrieve anything from a deleted profile, so be certain before proceeding.
What Exactly Happens When You Delete a Facebook Profile?
Here’s an overview of what happens after you delete a Facebook profile:
- Your profile, photos, posts, videos, and everything else you’ve added is permanently removed
- You immediately lose access to your Facebook account
- Your Messenger conversations and contacts are deleted
- You are removed from all Facebook Groups you belong to
- Friends will no longer see you listed in their contacts or friends list
- Facebook begins a 90 day process of wiping all traces of your account from backups and servers
In effect, it will be like your Facebook account never existed in the first place. So if you want to save anything, make sure you download photos, contacts, or other data before deleting.
Will Deleted Facebook Profiles Still Show Up in Search Results?
When you search for someone who has deleted their Facebook profile, here is what you’ll see:
- Their profile will not show up in any Facebook searches
- Their past posts, photos or other profile information will not be accessible
- If you visit a direct URL link to their profile, it will show a “Sorry, this content isn’t available right now” message
- Over time their name will stop appearing in other Facebook users’ friends lists or contacts
In most cases, within a few weeks of deleting there will be little or no sign of that Facebook profile left. The more complete erasure happens in the background over the 90 days after deletion.
Can You Recover a Deleted Facebook Account?
No, when you delete your Facebook profile it is permanently gone. There is no way to retrieve or reactivate the account.
Facebook does not have an option to temporarily deactivate an account like some other social networks. The only way to leave and come back is to fully delete and start over with a brand new account.
What About Facebook Messenger When You Delete Your Profile?
When you delete your Facebook profile:
- Your Facebook Messenger account is also deleted
- You lose access to all Messenger conversations and contacts
- Friends will no longer see you as a contact in their Messenger app
There is no way to keep Messenger while deleting your Facebook profile. You can export your Messenger history before deleting your account if you want to save conversations.
Should You Notify Friends Before Deleting Facebook?
It’s a good idea to let close friends and family know that you are deleting your Facebook account. Here are some ways you can notify people:
- Post a status update saying you are deleting your account soon
- Use the Your Facebook Information tool to download your contacts, then email or message friends outside of Facebook
- Let key connections know individually before deleting your profile
This gives people a heads up that you are leaving and gives them another way to connect with you. Otherwise, friends may think you blocked them once your profile vanishes.
What Should You Do Before Deleting Your Account?
Before deleting your Facebook profile, it’s smart to:
- Download a copy of your Facebook data for your records
- Save photos, videos or other files you want to keep
- Make sure you have alternate contacts for friends/family you communicate with on Facebook
- Remove your Facebook Login from any third-party apps or services
- Say goodbye to close connections and let people know other ways to contact you
Taking these steps helps preserve anything important from your Facebook account before it’s gone for good.
Pros of Deleting Your Facebook Account
Some potential benefits of permanently deleting your Facebook profile include:
- Increased privacy and control over your personal data
- No more getting sucked into the Facebook newsfeed vortex
- More time back in your day for other activities
- Distance and perspective from any toxic connections or negative social comparison triggers
- A fresh start and freedom from your online history and past posts
For many people who deactivate, deleting can provide a sense of relief and freedom from Facebook’s grip.
Cons of Deleting Your Facebook Account
Some drawbacks to be aware of with deleting your profile:
- Losing all photos, memories, conversations, events and other data tied to your account
- Disconnecting from friends, family, groups and communities you engage with on Facebook
- Missing out on events, invitations, and information shared through Facebook
- Deactivated profiles from people who have passed away will be permanently deleted
It’s impossible to migrate your Facebook presence elsewhere, so know what you might be giving up.
What About Facebook Business Pages When You Delete Your Profile?
If you have a Facebook business page under your personal profile, when you delete your account here is what happens:
- You will automatically lose administrative access to your business page
- Your business page will remain live and online
- Other admins can still manage the page after you delete your profile
- If there are no other admins, your page becomes unmanned but still public
So be sure to either assign other admins or download data from your business page before deleting your personal profile.
Can You Sign Up For a New Facebook Account After Deleting?
Yes, it is possible to create a brand new Facebook account after deleting your previous profile. Your new account will start fresh with none of your old data.
However, Facebook may restrict your ability to create new accounts if you repeatedly delete and start over. Too many recent deletions and re-registrations could trigger security precautions.
Tips When Starting a New Facebook After Deleting Your Account
Here are some tips if you choose to make a new Facebook profile after deleting your previous one:
- Use a different email and phone number than your old account
- Do not re-add all your old friends at once, build your friend list slowly
- Modify your name or use a nickname if you want to be less searchable
- Review all privacy settings to keep your new profile more locked down
- Establish new profile photos and information to differentiate it from your deleted account
Taking precautions can help you maintain privacy if you want a completely fresh start.
Can You Temporarily Deactivate Instead of Deleting?
Rather than permanently deleting your account, Facebook does give the option to temporarily deactivate your profile.
When you deactivate:
- Your profile is hidden until you log back in
- You can reactivate at any time by logging into your account
- Friends will not see your profile or be able to search for you
- Your data, photos, posts, and account information are saved so you can restore them
Deactivating gives you a break from Facebook without losing your online presence for good.
Should You Download Your Facebook Data Before Deleting?
Yes, it’s highly recommended to download a copy of your Facebook data before deleting your account.
Here’s how downloading your info can be useful:
- Lets you see everything Facebook has collected about you for your records
- Gives you a backup of photos, posts, conversations and other important data
- Allows you to save connections’ contact details to stay in touch outside Facebook
- Provides records in case you ever need your Facebook data again
Downloading this info takes just a few minutes and gives you useful archives from your account.
How Do I Download My Facebook Data?
Downloading your Facebook information before deleting your account is easy:
- Go to your Facebook Settings
- Click “Your Facebook Information” in the left column
- Select “Download Your Information”
- Choose date range and type of data you want
- Click to request the download and you’ll get a file with your info
Be sure to download your data within the 90 day window before your account is permanently wiped from Facebook’s systems.
Can You Have a Facebook Messenger Without Facebook?
Unfortunately, you cannot use Facebook Messenger without having an active Facebook account. When you delete your Facebook profile, Messenger is deleted as well.
A few options after removing Facebook:
- Ask key contacts to connect via Phone, SMS, WhatsApp or other messaging apps
- Export your Messenger history before deleting so you have records
- Use Messenger for Web for limited functionality if you later deactivate instead of deleting
But Messenger and Facebook currently require an active Facebook account to fully function.
What About Instagram, WhatsApp and Other Facebook Apps?
What happens to your other Facebook-owned apps when you delete your Facebook account depends on whether you used your Facebook login or a separate account:
- If you log into Instagram, WhatsApp, Oculus etc. via Facebook, you will be logged out
- You can continue using them if you created separate accounts not tied to Facebook login
- It’s a good idea to remove any connected Facebook login access for other apps
Check your account settings to see if your Facebook profile deletion will lock you out of other services.
Beware of Facebook Deletion Scams
When searching for how to delete Facebook, beware of shady third-party services claiming they can fully delete your account. These are scams.
Remember:
- Facebook does not let any external site or service delete your account
- There are no legitimate paid Facebook delete services – it’s always free
- Beware any site asking for your login info to delete your account
Stick to the official Facebook deletion process within your account settings to ensure safety.
How to Delete Facebook Without Losing Messenger
Unfortunately there is no way currently to delete your Facebook profile while keeping Messenger intact. They are part of the same account system.
If you want to maintain your Messenger access, you will need to deactivate your Facebook account instead of deleting it. Here’s how:
- Go to your Facebook Settings and select “Manage Account”
- Click “Deactivate your account” at the bottom
- Select either “Pause account” or “Continue to deactivate”
This will hide your Facebook profile until you log back in, while still allowing Messenger functionality.
Can You Regain Access After Deleting Facebook?
No, once you permanently delete your Facebook account and profile, there is no way to recover or regain access.
Deleting is a permanent decision, so be 100% sure you want to proceed. Some things to consider:
- All your posts, photos, messages, and other data will be permanently gone
- You lose connections to all Facebook friends, family, groups, and pages
- You cannot ever reactivate the same account or username
If you have any doubts, consider deactivating first to give yourself more time to decide.
Conclusion
Deleting your Facebook profile is a permanent, irreversible decision. Be sure to download any data you want to keep, notify your connections, and remove any associated login access before proceeding.
While closing your Facebook account offers increased privacy and time back in your day, it also means losing access to friends, photos, and memories tied to your profile. Weigh the pros and cons closely to decide if deletion is right for you.