How to delete Facebook account or remove Facebook People worldwide use Facebook to connect with friends and family, and to engage in pointless debates with strangers over moderately amusing cat videos. But while some feel that the social media platform is an essential part of life, others find the data scandals and privacy issues disconcerting. For those who wish to take a break from Facebook either temporarily or permanently, instructions for deleting or deactivating your account are below. Facebook gives you two options: deactivate or delete.
How to delete Facebook account from a browser
Removing Facebook for good is easier than you think. Follow this link to the page that allows you to end your account permanently. Click Delete Account, enter your password, and your account is gone forever. But before you do, consider downloading a copy of the information you have stored on Facebook, including photos, videos, and more. Here is an official guide from Facebook that can help.
How to delete your Facebook account from the iPhone app
- Start the Facebook app on your iPhone.
- Tap the three-lined icon (hamburger menu).
- Tap Settings & Privacy.
- Tap Settings.
- Tap Account Ownership and Control.
- Tap Deactivation and Deletion.
- Tap Delete Account.
- Delete your Facebook app for good measure.
How to delete your Facebook account from the Android app
- Start the Facebook app on your Android device.
- Tap the three-lined icon (hamburger menu).
- Tap Settings & Privacy.
- Tap Settings.
- Tap Account Ownership and Control.
- Tap Deactivation and Deletion.
- Tap Delete Account.
- Delete your Facebook app for good measure.
What happens if I permanently delete my Facebook account?
- You won’t be able to reactivate your account
- Your profile, photos, posts, videos and everything else you’ve added will be permanently deleted. You won’t be able to retrieve anything you’ve added.
- You’ll no longer be able to use Facebook Messenger.
- You won’t be able to use Facebook Login for other apps that you may have signed up for with your Facebook account, such as Spotify or Pinterest. You may need to contact the apps and websites to recover those accounts.
- Some information, such as messages you sent to friends, may still be visible to them after you’ve deleted your account. Copies of messages that you’ve sent are stored in your friends’ inboxes.
- If you use your Facebook account to log in to Oculus, deleting your Facebook account will also delete your Oculus information. This includes your app purchases and your achievements. You will no longer be able to return any apps and will lose any existing store credits.
- Pages that only you control will also be deleted. If you don’t want your Page to be deleted, you can give someone else full control of your Page. You’ll then be able to delete your account without deleting the Page.
Can I cancel my account deletion?
If it’s been less than 30 days since you initiated the deletion, you can cancel your account deletion. After 30 days, your account and all of your information will be permanently deleted, and you won’t be able to retrieve your information.
It may take up to 90 days from the beginning of the deletion process to delete all the things you’ve posted. While Facebook deleting this information, it’s not accessible to other people using Facebook.
Copies of your information may remain after the 90 days in backup storage that Facebook use to recover in the event of a disaster, software error or other data loss event. Facebook may also keep your information for things such as legal issues, terms violations or harm prevention efforts. Learn more about Facebook Privacy Policy.
To cancel your account deletion:
- Log in to your Facebook account within 30 days of deleting your account.
- Click Cancel Deletion.
Tips for using Facebook safely
We understand that some users don’t want to deactivate or delete Facebook, but still have safety concerns. There are steps you can take to better manage your privacy and security on Facebook. Here are some tips that may help:
- Set a long, unique password for your Facebook account. You can use a trusted password manager to make the task easier.
- Avoid oversharing information on Facebook. Threat actors can use it for social engineering.
- Be careful when accepting friend requests. Limit posts to trusted friends and not the public.
- Limit the audience of old posts on your Timeline by clicking General > Privacy > Your Activity > Limit Past Posts.
- Stop Facebook from using your data to show you tailored ads by clicking General > Ads > Ad Settings.
- Manage third-party apps that have access to your data by clicking General > Apps and Websites.
- Beware of social media scams and be careful which links you click on Facebook or in Messenger.