When you deactivate your Facebook account, it goes into a disabled state where your profile and info are no longer visible to other users. Your Messenger account is also disabled when you deactivate Facebook. Here’s an overview of what happens to your Messenger account when deactivated:
You appear offline
Once your account is deactivated, you will appear offline in Messenger to all your contacts. They will no longer see your profile photo, status, or when you were last active on Messenger. You essentially disappear from the app.
You can’t send or receive messages
While your account is deactivated, you won’t be able to send or receive any messages in Messenger. Any messages sent to you will not be delivered. If you try to send a message, it will fail to send and show an error.
Your message history is hidden
Your entire Messenger message history is hidden while deactivated. You won’t be able to view past conversations, and neither will your contacts. If you reactivate your account, your message history will reappear.
You don’t get notifications
Since you can’t receive messages during deactivation, you also won’t get any notifications from Messenger on your phone. No message alerts, no calls, no group notifications – your Messenger app will be silent.
Your profile info disappears
In addition to your messages, your Messenger profile info will be temporarily deleted. Your profile photo, nickname, about info, and any other customizations will be removed while deactivated.
You can’t make calls or video chats
Messenger’s calling and video chat features will be disabled for your account during deactivation. You won’t be able to make or receive any calls or video chats.
You’re removed from group chats
When you deactivate, you are essentially removed from any Messenger group chats you were a part of. You won’t get group chat messages and others won’t see your past messages.
Your contact list is hidden
Your Messenger contacts list is temporarily hidden when deactivated. Other users will no longer see you in their contacts list either. Your contacts are restored when you reactivate your account.
You can still reactivate your account
Even in the deactivated state, you can still reactivate your Facebook and Messenger account at any time. Just log back in and your account will be restored with all data intact. The deactivation is meant to be temporary.
Deactivation vs. deletion
It’s important to note the difference between deactivating and deleting your Facebook account:
| Deactivation | Deletion |
|---|---|
| Temporary disable account | Permanently delete account |
| Reversible – can reactivate anytime | Irreversible – cannot recover data |
| Data is saved and restored on reactivation | All data is erased from Facebook |
| Can keep using Messenger | Messenger account is deleted |
As you can see, deactivation is meant to temporarily disable your account while deletion permanently erases it. With deactivation, your Messenger account goes dormant but all your data stays intact for when you are ready to reactivate.
What it looks like from your contacts’ perspective
For your Messenger contacts, it will seem like you suddenly disappeared from the app. Here’s exactly what your account deactivation looks like from their end:
Your profile photo disappears
Where your profile pic used to be, contacts will now see a generic gray avatar icon. Your photo vanishes from the chat lists and conversations.
Your chat goes offline
The chat header will now say “Facebook User” instead of your name. And your online status shows “Offline” in gray text instead of a green dot.
They can still open your chat
While deactivated, your contacts can still open your chat window and view past messages. But they won’t see any new messages.
Their messages won’t deliver
When your contacts try to message you, it will remain stuck on “Sent” and never change to “Delivered.” Their messages aren’t going through.
You disappear from group chats
In any Messenger group chats, your name is removed from the participants list. Past messages still show your name, but new ones won’t.
They can’t call or video chat
If your contacts try calling or video chatting with you on Messenger, it will fail instantly. They’ll get an error that you can’t be reached.
What happens when you reactivate
If you log back into your Facebook account and reactivate it from deactivated status, here’s what happens in Messenger:
Your profile photo reappears
Your account profile photo will return in all your Messenger chats so contacts see it’s you again.
You appear online again
Your online status turns green again when you’re actively using Messenger after reactivating.
Your message history is restored
You regain access to your full Messenger message history with all conversations intact.
You rejoin group chats
You will automatically be added back into any Messenger group chats you were part of previously.
You can send/receive messages
Messaging works normally again – you can send and get messages as usual after reactivating.
Calling/video chat work again
You’ll be able to make and receive Messenger calls and video chats again after your account is reactivated.
How long account stays deactivated
There is no set time limit for how long your Facebook account can remain deactivated. It will stay deactivated until you log back in and reactivate your account. Some key points:
- Accounts deactivate immediately when you hit “Deactivate” in settings.
- You can reactivate at any time by simply logging back in.
- After 2 years deactivated, Facebook may delete your account.
- You can request deletion immediately instead of deactivation.
So your account can potentially stay deactivated for up to 2 years before Facebook does a clean-up. But you have full control to reactivate whenever you want.
Permanently deleting account
If you don’t want to ever reactivate your Facebook account, you can request to have it permanently deleted. Here is the process:
Step 1: Deactivate account
First, you’ll need to deactivate your Facebook account via the settings. This prepares it for deletion.
Step 2: Request deletion
Go to Facebook’s deletion page and click “Request Account Deletion.” Confirm by entering your password.
Step 3: Wait 1 month
Facebook delays deletion by 1 month after request. This gives you a chance to cancel if you change your mind.
Step 4: Account deleted
After 1 month, Facebook will permanently delete all your data from their servers. Your account will no longer exist.
Step 5: Messenger deleted too
With your Facebook account deleted, your Messenger account and all associated data also gets permanently erased.
Important: Deletion can’t be undone
Once your Facebook account is deleted, there is no way to retrieve it or your data. The deletion cannot be reversed. Make sure you really want to delete before requesting it.
Conclusion
In summary, deactivating your Facebook account temporarily disables your Messenger profile and messaging ability. Your info and conversations stay stored for whenever you are ready to reactivate. Permanent deletion erases your Messenger account and data completely. Be sure you understand the difference before choosing either option.