Archiving your Facebook profile is a way to temporarily deactivate your account without deleting it. When you archive your profile, your profile is hidden from other users on Facebook and most of the information associated with your account is no longer accessible. However, some key information remains stored by Facebook even after archiving.
Why Would You Want to Archive Your Facebook Profile?
There are a few common reasons why someone may want to archive their Facebook profile:
- Take a break from Facebook – If you feel like you are spending too much time on Facebook or it’s becoming a distraction, archiving can give you a break without losing your account entirely.
- Privacy concerns – Archiving removes your profile and posts from public view, which can help address privacy worries.
- Prepare to delete – Some people archive their account first before deciding to permanently delete it.
- Temporary deactivation – If you need to temporarily disable your account due to travel, work, education, or other circumstances, archiving allows you to easily reactivate later.
How to Archive Your Facebook Profile
Archiving your Facebook profile is simple:
- Click on the downward arrow at the top right of any Facebook page and select “Settings”.
- On the General Account Settings page, click “Deactivation and Deletion”.
- Click on “Deactivate Account” and then “Continue to Account Deactivation”.
- Select “I would like to archive my account” when prompted.
Facebook will then walk you through the archiving process, during which you can choose to download your data archive if desired. Once your account is archived, your profile and posts will no longer be visible to other users.
What Happens When Your Facebook Profile is Archived?
Here’s an overview of what happens when you archive your Facebook account:
- Your profile, photos, posts, videos, and other account information is hidden from other Facebook users.
- You cannot log in to your account while it is archived.
- You will not receive notifications, messages, or emails from Facebook.
- Your friends will no longer be able to search for you or see your profile on Facebook.
- Your profile information, posts, photos, etc. are saved by Facebook and can be restored if you choose to reactivate your account.
- Your Facebook messages remain stored but you cannot access them until account reactivation.
What Stays Visible When Your Profile is Archived
Although most of your account information becomes private, some elements associated with your profile remain public even after archiving:
- Your profile picture and cover photo if they were visible to “Public” before archiving.
- Reviews, recommendations, and comments you’ve left on other profiles or Facebook Pages.
- Any Facebook Pages or Groups you managed remain active.
- Tagged posts by other users will still be visible but won’t include your name.
- Your Messenger account remains active for other users to see.
How Long Does Archiving Last?
When you archive your Facebook account, it will remain archived until you choose to reactivate it. There is no time limit on how long archiving lasts. Your account will stay archived until you decide to restore your profile by logging back in.
Can You Use Facebook Messenger While Archived?
No, you cannot use Facebook Messenger while your account is archived. Although your Messenger account remains active so friends can see your profile, you will not be able to access Messenger or send/receive messages until you reactivate your Facebook account.
How to Reactivate Your Archived Facebook Profile
To restore your archived Facebook profile:
- Go to Facebook.com and click “Log In”.
- Enter your Facebook email and password when prompted.
- Facebook will detect your account is archived and ask if you want to “Reactivate”. Click on “Reactivate”.
- You may need to respond to a confirmation email or SMS text to verify your identity.
Once these steps are complete, your profile will be fully restored with all previous data intact. You can then access your account like normal.
How Long Does It Take to Reactivate a Facebook Account?
Reactivating your Facebook account from an archived state usually only takes a few minutes. After clicking the “Reactivate” button, you just need to confirm your identity via email or text verification. In some cases, it could take up to 24 hours for your account to be fully restored.
What Happens if You Don’t Reactivate Your Archived Profile?
If you archive your Facebook account but then do not access it again, here is what will happen:
- Your account will remain in an archived state indefinitely.
- You will not be able to log in or use Facebook services.
- Your information and data will be retained by Facebook on their servers.
- After an extended period of inactivity, Facebook may delete your archived account entirely.
Facebook’s data policy states they can delete accounts that have been inactive for at least 2 years. However, there have been reports of Facebook deleting accounts after shorter periods of archiving. So if you want to keep your account, be sure to reactivate it within 12-24 months.
Can You Permanently Delete an Archived Facebook Profile?
Yes, it is possible to permanently delete your Facebook account even if it is currently archived. To do so:
- Reactivate your archived profile first and log in.
- Go to Settings > Deactivation and Deletion in your account.
- Click “Permanently Delete Account” and follow the steps shown.
Once permanently deleted, your Facebook profile and all associated data will be removed from Facebook’s servers and cannot be retrieved, even if you later change your mind.
Pros and Cons of Archiving Your Facebook Profile
Before archiving your Facebook account, it’s a good idea to consider the potential pros and cons:
Pros
- Take a break from Facebook without losing your profile
- Enhanced privacy as your info is no longer public
- Reduce distractions and wasted time on social media
- Temporary solution if needing to deactivate account
Cons
- Cannot access Facebook services while archived
- May miss out on events, messages, updates from friends
- Important info like birthdays may be forgotten while archived
- Need to remember to eventually reactivate account
Conclusion
Archiving gives you an option to essentially hide your Facebook profile temporarily without deleting it entirely. It can help address privacy concerns, reduce social media distractions, or serve as a stepping stone to permanent deletion. However, you cannot use Facebook services like Messenger while archived. Be sure to consider both the benefits and downsides before archiving your account. And if you do archive, be sure to set yourself a reminder to reactivate it within 6-12 months so that Facebook does not delete your account first.