When you deactivate your Facebook account, your friends will no longer be able to see your profile or search for you on Facebook. However, some information may still be visible to your friends and the public depending on your privacy settings.
What happens when I deactivate my Facebook account?
When you deactivate your Facebook account, it goes into a disabled state where neither you nor anyone else can view your profile. Your profile, photos, posts, videos, and everything else you’ve added to your account is hidden but not deleted. You can reactivate your account at any time to gain access to your information again.
Some key things that happen when you deactivate your account include:
- Your profile is hidden from other users.
- Your name is removed from your friends’ friends lists.
- You cannot log in, view profiles, use Messenger, or interact with Facebook in any way.
- You stop showing up in searches on Facebook.
- Your Facebook timeline and information are saved so you can reactivate your account.
Overall, deactivating your account makes it seem like you no longer have a Facebook profile. You essentially “disappear” from the social network without deleting your information.
What information is still visible after deactivating?
Although most of your Facebook activity and information is hidden when your account is deactivated, some content may still be visible to others in certain situations:
- Public information: Your public information and posts could still show up in Google search results even after deactivating. This includes your public profile info, pages you’ve created, and anything you’ve shared with a public audience.
- Friends’ posts: Any photos, videos, or posts that friends have shared involving you will still be visible. For example, a group photo or a post they’ve tagged you in.
- Messages: Your messages remain in your friends’ inboxes and they can still reply to conversations you’ve had.
- Facebook events: If you were attending public events, your name will still show up on the event guest list.
- Facebook groups: You stay a member of any groups you’ve joined so people in those groups can still see your past posts.
Essentially, any content or info you’ve shared directly with friends or the public could still be accessible even though your profile is deactivated. Friends just won’t be able to search for you or view your main timeline page.
Does deactivating remove me from Messenger?
No, deactivating your Facebook account does not deactivate or remove your Messenger account. You can continue using Messenger normally to chat with friends after deactivating Facebook.
However, keep in mind:
- You won’t get Facebook notifications within Messenger when your account is deactivated.
- You can’t use Facebook features within Messenger like playing games or using certain apps.
- If you reactivate your Facebook, your Messenger activity will sync back with your profile.
So Messenger still works but lacks some Facebook integration until you reactivate your main account.
Will my friends get notified if I deactivate my account?
No, your friends will not receive any automatic notifications when you deactivate your Facebook account. The platform does not alert your friends list in any way. Therefore, it will appear to your friends that you simply stopped using Facebook.
The only way your Facebook friends would realize your account is deactivated is if they actively tried to search for your profile or view your timeline. When they do, it will seem like you deleted your account entirely.
Some signs that may tip off your friends include:
- Disappearing from their friends list.
- Your name no longer appearing in previous posts and photos.
- Messenger showing you as “Facebook User” instead of your name.
- You stop reacting and commenting on posts.
But Facebook does not proactively notify anyone, so many friends may not notice at all unless they try to view your profile or interact with you.
What happens if a friend tags me after I’ve deactivated?
If a friend tags you in a post or picture after you’ve deactivated your account, here is what happens:
- The tag will not apply. You will not be notified of or linked to the post in any way.
- The tag will be removed from the post or picture automatically.
- Your friend will get a notification saying the tag could not be added because the account is inactive.
So any attempts by friends to interact with your profile will fail once deactivated. Facebook’s systems will automatically remove any tag or link related to your account. This helps maintain the appearance that your account no longer exists.
Can I reactivate my account later?
Yes, you can easily reactivate your Facebook account at any time by logging back into your profile. Just visit Facebook and enter your email and password as if logging in normally. You will be prompted to reactivate your account.
When you do, everything on your profile will be restored to its original state. It will be as if you never left. You won’t lose any posts, photos, friends, or other information you had added.
You can deactivate and reactivate your Facebook as many times as you want. Just keep in mind you’ll need to keep your login credentials to recover your account.
What happens if I don’t eventually reactivate?
If you remain deactivated for a prolonged period, here is what will happen:
- After 30 days deactivated, your name will no longer appear in friends’ messages.
- Friends may start removing you from their friends lists.
- You’ll stop receiving emails from Facebook.
- After 1 year deactivated, your Messenger account could get disabled.
- After 2 years deactivated, your Facebook account may be permanently deleted.
So if you want to take an extended break from Facebook, be prepared that your account could eventually be removed entirely if left deactivated. Make sure to download any data you want to keep.
Should I deactivate or delete my Facebook account?
Deactivating your account is best if:
- You want a temporary break from Facebook.
- You might want to reactivate your account later.
- You still need Messenger access.
Permanently deleting is best if:
- You never intend to use Facebook again.
- You don’t care about losing your profile and posts forever.
- You want to ensure your info and data is erased.
Overall, deactivating gives you more options if you think you may return to Facebook. But deleting is permanent and removes your account entirely from the social network.
Conclusion
When you deactivate your Facebook account, your profile and posts essentially disappear from the platform. Friends won’t get notifications, but some of your information may still be visible in public areas or your friends’ posts.
Deactivating is ideal if you want a temporary Facebook break but don’t want to lose your profile. It buys you time before you decide to reactivate or delete entirely. Just be aware old posts, photos, and other public info could still be lingering even if your profile is hidden.