Having too many Facebook friends can make your news feed cluttered and overwhelming. If some of your Facebook friends have deactivated their accounts, you may want to remove them from your friends list to declutter your news feed. Here are some tips on how to remove Facebook friends who have deactivated their accounts.
Check Your Friends List for Deactivated Accounts
The first step is to review your friends list and look for accounts that are deactivated. Deactivated accounts will still appear in your friends list, but the name will be grayed out. Hover over the grayed out name and it will say “Facebook User” instead of the person’s name if the account is deactivated.
You can also try searching for the person’s name in the Facebook search bar. If it doesn’t show their name or account, that likely means they have deactivated their profile.
Remove Deactivated Friends from Your Friends List
Once you’ve identified the deactivated accounts you want to remove, go to their profile page. Click on the “Friends” button below their name. This will open up a dropdown menu.
Select “Unfriend” to remove them from your friends list. Once you confirm you want to remove them as a friend, they will no longer appear in your friends list or news feed.
Remove Friends Using Facebook’s Contacts List
You can also remove deactivated friends from your contacts list:
- Go to your Facebook profile and click on “Friends” in the left sidebar
- Click on “All Contacts” at the top of your friends list
- This will open your full contacts list. Scroll through and look for any contacts with “Facebook User” instead of a name.
- Hover over the name, click the three dots that appear, and select “Remove Contact”
This will immediately remove them from your contacts list.
How to Remove Deactivated Friends in Bulk
If you have a lot of deactivated friends you want to remove, you can use Facebook’s Bulk Friend Remover app to speed up the process.
To use the Bulk Friend Remover:
- Go to the Bulk Friend Remover page: https://www.facebook.com/bulkfriendremover/
- Click “Log in with Facebook” and log into your account
- The app will scan your friends list and show you any deactivated accounts
- Check the boxes next to the deactivated friends you want to remove
- Click “Remove Checked Friends” to remove them all at once
This app makes it easy to clean up your Facebook friends list in just a few clicks.
Why Remove Deactivated Friends?
Here are some reasons you may want to remove deactivated accounts from your Facebook friends list:
- Clean up your news feed – Seeing updates from active friends only makes your news feed more relevant
- Maintain privacy – Deactivated accounts still show your posts to “Friends”
- Regain storage space – Facebook friends take up storage space for photos/videos
- Improve search results – Having too many inactive friends can clutter search results
In most cases there’s no reason to stay Facebook friends with someone who has deactivated their account. Removing them can improve your everyday Facebook experience.
What Happens When You Remove a Deactivated Friend?
Here’s what happens when you remove someone who has deactivated their Facebook account:
- They are completely removed from your friends list and can no longer see your posts or interact with your profile
- Any future posts you make will no longer show up in their news feed if they reactivate their account
- You will no longer see their name or any old posts on your news feed
- They will not be notified that you removed them as a friend
Essentially, it will be like you were never Facebook friends to begin with. Removing the friend link will permanently disconnect your profiles until you become friends again.
Should You Pre-Emptively Remove Friends Who Will Deactivate?
You may have friends who you expect will deactivate their Facebook accounts soon. Should you remove them pre-emptively?
There are a few factors to consider:
- If you only connect with them on Facebook, you may want to keep them as friends until they actually deactivate
- If you follow each other on other social networks, you can safely remove them
- Consider downloading photos/videos you want to save before they deactivate
- You can always re-add them later if they reactivate their account
In most cases, it makes sense to wait until they actually deactivate before removing them as friends. This avoids unfollowing active accounts accidentally.
Should You Tell Friends You’re Removing Them?
Do you need to let your Facebook friends know when you are removing them from your account? Here are some things to consider:
- If they have already deactivated, they will not be notified if you remove them
- For active accounts, they will get an auto-generated message from Facebook saying you unfriended them
- No need to unfriend in bulk – remove inactive friends gradually over time
- Prioritize removing deactivated accounts and those you no longer interact with
- No need to explain or discuss, changing Facebook friends is common
In most cases, there is no need to proactively tell friends you plan to remove them. Follow Facebook’s lead and let their system notify active accounts automatically as needed.
How to Re-Add a Deactivated Friend
If someone you removed later decides to reactivate their Facebook account, you can send them a new friend request to connect again. Here’s how:
- Search for their name in the Facebook search bar
- Go to their returned profile
- Click “Add Friend” on their profile
- This will send them a new friend request notification
- If they accept, you will be re-added as Facebook friends
The process is the same as sending a friend request to someone new. Re-connecting with old friends is easy on Facebook.
Mistakes to Avoid When Removing Deactivated Friends
When removing deactivated Facebook friends, be careful to avoid these common mistakes:
- Removing active friends by accident – Double check names before removing
- Removing friends in bulk without reviewing – Check each inactive account
- Forgetting to download old photos you want to keep – Save them before unfriending
- Removing coworkers/family you should stay connected to – Focus on removing distant friends
- Making hurtful “unfriending” posts or calls – No need to announce or discuss
Take your time and be cautious when removing deactivated accounts from Facebook. Avoid quick bulk removals that can mistake active friends for inactive ones.
What if a Deactivated Account Reactivates?
If you remove a deactivated account that later reactivates, here is what will happen:
- Your removed friend will not get any notification you unfriended them
- You will remain unconnected on Facebook unless you re-add them
- You will not see any of their new posts or updates
- They will not get any notifications about your new posts or updates
- Essentially, you will remain disconnected as if you had never been Facebook friends
Removing a deactivated account permanently severs your Facebook friendship. Even if they later reactivate, your profiles remain disconnected unless you take action to re-add them.
Deactivating Your Own Facebook Account
If you no longer want to use Facebook, you always have the option to deactivate your own account. Here is an overview of how deactivating your account works:
- Your profile is hidden until you log back in
- Friends cannot search for your account or see any info
- You lose access to your profile, posts, photos, events, etc.
- You can reactivate at any time by logging back in
- If not reactivated within 30 days, your account may be permanently disabled
Deactivating gives you a chance to take a break from Facebook and re-evaluate later. Just know it is not as easy to recover old posts and photos if your account gets permanently disabled.
How to Deactivate Your Facebook Account
Follow these steps to deactivate your Facebook profile:
- Click on the arrow in the top right and select “Settings”
- Go to “Your Facebook Information” in the left column
- Click on “Deactivation and Deletion”
- Choose “Deactivate Account” and follow the on-screen instructions
Your account will then be deactivated within a few minutes. Remember you can still reactivate anytime by logging back in.
Conclusion
Removing deactivated friends is an easy way to clean up your Facebook account and declutter your news feed. Take the time to periodically review your friends list and remove accounts that are no longer active. Just be cautious not to remove active friends by mistake. With a few simple clicks, you can remove deactivated accounts and enjoy Facebook with your real-life active connections.