Are you thinking about deleting your Facebook Account?
We don’t blame you! Facebook’s long been known to take, store, and sell your data, which raises alarm bells when it comes to your privacy.
If you’re serious about deleting your Facebook account, then rest assured, we’ve got you covered.
It used to be a long-drawn-out process, but that’s all changed, and it’s now easier than ever to delete your account.
We’ve put together a guide showing you how to delete your Facebook account or deactivate it if you’d prefer to put it on ice for a while and mull it over.
So, whether you want to take a break from Facebook, or permanently delete your account once and for all, here’s how.
Let’s get started!
Page Contents
How to Delete Your Facebook Account
This how-to guide and figures mentioned below have been compiled from various sources around the web, such as Facebook & Wikipedia.
Here’s how to delete your Facebook account:
Before you Delete Your Facebook Account
Download and Archive Your Data
Before you go ahead and permanently delete your Facebook account, it would be wise to back up your content from Facebook’s servers, just in case you want to use it in the future.
Luckily, Facebook makes this process easy and recommends that you make a copy of your data before deleting your account.
All you have to do is:
Revoke App Permissions
It’s also a good idea to revoke any app permissions that you’ve linked to your account.
To do this, you’ll need to:
Once complete, you’re ready to delete your Facebook account permanently. However, should you still have any doubts, try deactivating it for a while instead.
Deactivating vs. Deleting Facebook? – What’s the Difference?
If you’re not 100% ready to delete your Facebook account yet, but you’d like to take some time off the social media platform instead, deactivating your account is the better option.
Once you deactivate your account, all of your information will still be stored in Facebook’s database, ready to reactivate at any point. All you’d have to do is log into your account with the same username, email address, phone number, and password, and you’ll be good to go.
According to Facebook, if you deactivate your account, “People can’t see your timeline or search for you,” and “You can reactivate whenever you want.”
Whereas if you choose to delete your account permanently, Facebook erases your data, meaning you’ll have to create a brand new account to use the platform again, and Facebook makes it clear that “You can’t regain access once it’s deleted.”
So, if your still not sure about permanently deleting your Facebook account, follow the steps below to deactivate it instead:
How to Deactivate Your Facebook Account
1. Go to Facebook
Load Facebook in your browser, click the small drop-down arrow in the top right-hand corner, and select “settings” from the list.
2. Click “Your Facebook Information”
Click on “Your Facebook Information” from the pane on the left-hand side of the page.
Once the page loads, select “Deactivation and Deletion” from the list of options.
3. Select “Deactivate Account”
You’ll see a small radio button next to “Deactivate Account,” select it and click “Continue to Account Deactivation” to continue.
4. Provide a Reason
On the next page, you’ll be asked to provide a reason why you’d like to deactivate your account. Choose from the list of options and decide if you want to keep using Messenger. If not, you’ll have to disable it separately, as mentioned above.
Click “Deactivate” to proceed.
5. Click “Deactivate Now”
Facebook will ask you to provide your password to confirm deactivation and prompt you with one final warning message.
Read the warning message and click “Deactivate Now” when you’re ready to proceed. Facebook will then sign you out, and you’ll return to the “Log into Facebook” page.
How to Permanently Delete Your Facebook Account
1. Go to Facebook
Log into your Facebook account and navigate to your “Settings” page, located in the drop-down menu that appears when you click the drop-down arrow in the top right-hand corner of the page.
2. Click “Your Facebook Information”
Click on “Your Facebook Information” from the pane on the left-hand side of the page.
Once the page loads, select “Deactivation and Deletion” from the list of options.
3. Select “Permanently Delete Account”
You’ll see a small radio button next to “Permanently Delete Account,” select it and click “Continue to Account Deactivation” to continue.
4. Click “Delete Account”
At this stage, Facebook will prompt you with a warning that details the ramifications of permanently deleting your account.
Make sure to read the warning and click the “Delete Account” button if you’re 100% sure it’s the right choice.
5. Enter Password & Continue
The final step in the process is to enter your password and click continue. Once done, your Facebook account will be permanently deleted.
How to leave other Facebook-owned services
The chances are that if you’ve got a Facebook account, then you’ve also got Instagram and WhatsApp accounts.
So, if you really want to clear your data from the Social Media behemoth that is Facebook, then you’ll also want to consider deleting these accounts as well as Facebook owns them.
Summary
We hope our how to delete your Facebook account guide was helpful?!
Having a Facebook account does have its benefits, both personally and professionally.
However, the more our lives move into the digital age, the more data protection and privacy become essential. With that in mind, companies like Facebook need to make sure that they’re keeping their users safe, or more people will continue to delete their accounts.
Here’s a quick recap of how to permanently delete your Facebook account:
