How to delete your Facebook account, and what does deactivation mean?

How to delete your Facebook account, and what does deactivation mean?: Finally ready to kick the habit? Here's how to get rid of your account - and how to back up your Facebook history


HIDING from a boss? Scared of fake news and Facebook data scandals? Or simply fed up of baby pictures? Whatever your reason for ditching Facebook, we're here to help.

See:

Whether you want to delete your account permanently, or deactivate for the time being, here is a step by step guide on how to do both.

How to delete Facebook – a step-by-step guide to permanently deactivating your account


Fed up with Facebook stalking, or fancy an online cleanse? Here's how to ditch the habit
Deactivating vs deleting Facebook – what's the difference?


Deactivation is generally the way to go if you're looking for a temporary break from Facebook.

Maybe you've got an important job interview coming up, or you're just looking for a social media detox.


The important thing is that you can get back into your account if you eventually change your mind.

According to Facebook's official guidance, deactivation means:
You can reactivate your account whenever you like
People won't be able to see your timeline, or search for your profile
Some info will remain visible, like messages you've sent to other users

Deletion is a much more serious process, and will permanently scrub your entire Facebook existence from the company's servers.

It may be what you're looking for if the latest Facebook data breach has left you worried about the safety of your info.


When you delete your account, it means:
You can't regain access once the account is deleted
Deletion is delayed for a few days after the request. Your deletion request will be cancelled if you log back in during this time.


It can take up to 90 days for Facebook to delete your data stored in backup systems. Your info won't be accessible on Facebook during this time
Some things aren't stored in your account. This means some friends might have messages from you, even after your account is deleted, Some materials (like Facebook's own log records) may be retained in Facebook's databases, but they'll be disassociated from personal identifiers (like your name)

Once your account is deleted, it's gone forever – so have a long, hard think about it before you close your Facebook profile for good.




Deactivating your account and permanently deleting it are very different

See also:

How to deactivate your Facebook account


Deactivating your account is really easy – and you can log back in at any time to undo it:
Follow this link

Choose "Manage your account" and then scroll down to click "Deactivate your account"

How to permanently delete your Facebook account


Facebook has a special page for account deletion, which you can find below:
Click here for deletion page

It's worth noting that you can also download a copy of your information from Facebook as a back-up:
  • Click the down arrow at the top right of any Facebook page and select Settings
  • Click "Download a copy of your Facebook data" at the bottom of the General Account Settings
  • Click Start My Archive

Your archive will probably be very large, as it includes posts, comments, photos, messages, and more.

Because this download includes all of your profile information, it's important to keep it secure, as it could potentially be used by fraudsters if it fell into the wrong hands.

You can find a full list of the information available to download on Facebook's FAQ page.
How to delete your Facebook account, and what does deactivation mean? How to delete your Facebook account, and what does deactivation mean? Reviewed by Ed F8 on 17:15 Rating: 5

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