What happens when you delete your Facebook account?
When you delete your Facebook account, it should deactivate and then be permanently deleted after a set period of time. However, sometimes a deleted account may still show up in certain places, which can be confusing and concerning. Here’s an explanation of what’s going on when this happens:
Your profile and timeline are hidden once you delete your account. Immediately after deleting your account, your profile, photos, posts, and other personal timeline information are no longer visible to other users on Facebook. Other users will not be able to search for you or view your profile.
It takes up to 90 days for Facebook to fully delete all data after account deletion. Facebook states it can take up to 90 days to complete the account deletion process. During this time, some data may still remain on their servers before being permanently erased.
Your name may still appear in friends’ posts and messages. If you were tagged by friends in posts, messages, or photos before deleting your account, your name and profile picture will remain on those posts even after you delete your account. Your name will appear but your profile and timeline will not be accessible.
You may still appear in Facebook user search suggestions. For a period of time after deleting your account, your name may still pop up as a suggested search result when friends are searching for users. This is due to caching, which takes some time to clear fully.
Your data may persist in downloaded files. If any of your friends downloaded or saved photos or files you shared on Facebook, these will still exist on their devices and storage even after you delete your account.
You may still receive email notifications. If you have opted in to receiving notifications from Facebook via email, it can take up to 2 weeks for these automated emails to cease delivery after deleting.
Facebook may retain some data for legal reasons. Facebook states it may retain certain information for mandatory record-keeping, legal claims, criminal investigations, or other permitted uses under the law.
Why does my deleted Facebook account still show up in some places?
If your previously deleted Facebook account seems to still exist in some form, appearing in search results or your name still visible on friends’ pages, there are several reasons this can happen:
Data takes time to remove fully. The main reason is that clearing out all your data and traces from Facebook’s massive servers takes time. Up to 90 days according to their policies. So remnants may persist temporarily.
Things you shared can’t be deleted. Anything you posted or shared to your friends cannot be deleted or removed completely, since it still exists on their accounts and devices.
Cached and residual data remains. Bits of your data remain in cached and archived storage even after deletion. This cached user data takes time to fully clear from Facebook’s systems.
Account deactivation delay. In some cases there may be a lag between when you delete your account and when Facebook finishes disabling it on their end, which can leave remnants visible.
Your friends may not be ready to let go! Let’s face it, some of your Facebook friends probably aren’t quite ready to forget you. Old tags and mentions can persist if friends don’t remove them.
Facebook’s complex systems have delays. There are likely complex technical issues in fully purging an account on Facebook’s enormous global platform immediately upon deletion.
How long does it take for a deleted Facebook account to be removed completely?
Facebook states that it can take up to 90 days to fully delete all of the data associated with a deleted account from their systems. Here is more detail on the timeline:
Instantly: The account is deactivated and the user profile and timeline are hidden.
Within 1-3 days: The deactivated account typically disappears from view. It will no longer show up in searches or friend suggestions.
Within 2 weeks: Facebook’s systems usually stop sending any email notifications related to the deactivated account.
Within 1 month: Most data from a deleted account is removed from active view and storage systems.
Within 90 days: All content, data, and traces should be fully purged from Facebook’s databases and servers.
However, some date may remain in long-term backup storage that Facebook keeps for legal compliance or investigative purposes. They may also keep your data for legal reasons if there is an open investigation or pending lawful request.
So for full removal of all traces of your account, expect 90 days at a minimum, with some data trails possibly persisting in archives.
What can you do if your deleted Facebook account still appears?
If you are bothered that deleted Facebook account details like your name still crop up now and then, here are some steps you can take:
Wait it out. Be patient as Facebook’s systems work to scrub your account. Data caches take time to clear.
Report any sightings. Use Facebook’s tools to report seeing your old account name or profile photo appear.
Submit deletion requests. Request friends untag you from old posts and delete any lingering traces under their control.
Open a support ticket. Contact Facebook support to investigate any account remnants not getting purged after deletion.
Delete other social media. Scrub accounts on Instagram, WhatsApp or other Facebook services to limit exposure.
Renew privacy. Check your privacy settings across all accounts and update as needed.
Remove tagged photos. Ask friends to delete any tagged photos of you they have saved or reuploaded.
Clean up Google results. Use Google’s removal tools if your Facebook account appears in searches.
Let time pass. Be patient and understand that total online deletion takes time. Stay vigilant.
While frustrating, try to remember that these leftovers from your Facebook account will eventually fade away. Be proactive in speeding up the process when possible via privacy tools.
Can someone reactivate your Facebook account after you delete it?
No, when you choose to permanently delete your Facebook account, no one else – including Facebook itself – should be able to reactivate or reinstate it without your consent and participation. Here are some key points on reactivating a deleted Facebook account:
– Facebook does not have an option or process for others to restore a deleted account for you. Account recovery is initiated and completed by the original account holder.
– For 30 days after deactivation, you can cancel deletion and reactivate your account simply by logging back in. After that window, the deletion is permanent.
– If you regret deleting your account after 30 days, the only option is to open a brand new account. You cannot retrieve the old one unless you contact support within the 30 day period.
– Friends contacting Facebook support cannot recover or reactive your account on your behalf without your express permission.
– Hacking a deleted account to reactivate it would be extremely difficult and is illegal. Facebook deploys strong security safeguards.
– Facebook sometimes may restore accounts that were accidentally or wrongfully deleted, but has strict criteria before taking such action.
So rest assured once you complete the Facebook deletion process, no one else should have the ability to sign you back up or restore your old account without your knowledge and consent. Permanent deletion means permanent, so consider it carefully!
Can a deleted Facebook account be viewed by the public?
No, a Facebook account that has been deleted should not be viewable or accessible to anyone else using the platform. Here is what happens when viewing a deleted Facebook account:
– Your profile, posts, photos, timeline, and other account details will no longer be visible or searchable to other Facebook users.
– Your profile will not appear in public search directory results or friend recommendations after deletion.
– Friends will no longer be able to tag you or view your profile even if they visit a direct profile URL.
– Any attempt to visit your profile by others will result in an error message that the content is not available.
– Facebook immediately blocks access to deactivated profiles during the deletion period before permanent removal.
The public, including people you know or strangers, have no way to view or interact with a Facebook account that has begun the deletion process. Complete privacy and inaccessibility are the expected results of account removal. Facebook aims to completely scrub deleted accounts from public visibility instantly and for good.
Should you delete or deactivate your Facebook account?
If you no longer wish to use Facebook, you have two main options – deactivating or deleting your account:
Deactivating simply hides your profile until you log back in, while retaining all data for easy reactivation.
Deleting permanently erases your account, profile, info, and is irreversible after 30 days.
Here are some key differences to consider:
| Deactivate account | Delete account |
| – Reversible | – Irreversible after 30 days |
| – Data saved | – Data erased |
| – Temporary option | – Permanent option |
| – Easy to reactivate | – Must open new account |
| – No timeline for removal | – 90 days for full data deletion |
In most cases, deactivating your account is preferable if you think you may return to Facebook someday. However, permanently deleting your account ensures complete data removal and privacy in the long run.
Conclusion
Having a deleted Facebook account still seem to linger can be annoying if you are seeking a clean break from the platform. However, allow time for Facebook’s systems to fully catch up and purge cached data. Be proactive in speeding up remnants by reporting them or submitting removal requests. While rarely ideal, some data trails will inevitably persist, so remain vigilant if you want to fully disappear from Facebook indefinitely.