• Guide

How to #DeleteFacebook and deactivate your Facebook account

Here's how you can deactivate and delete your Facebook account.

Donovan Erskine

October 4, 2021 12:00 PM

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Facebook has been around for many years, and has seen quite the evolution over that time. The company has grown far beyond a simple social media platform for college students and young people; it’s now one of the biggest empires on the internet. Throw in the fact that the company has been heavily under fire for privacy and ethics concerns, and it’s fair to understand why many users may be looking to leave the platform for good. Let’s look at how you can deactivate your Facebook account.

How to deactivate your Facebook account

Here are the steps you need to take in order to deactivate your Facebook account:

• Go to Settings and Privacy
• Select Settings
• Select your account
• Select “Deactivation and Deletion”
• Select “Deactivate Account” and follow the instructions

This will temporarily deactivate your Facebook account. Your profile will be gone and no longer viewable, but you can still use Messenger to communicate with friends. You can also choose to reactivate your account at any time.

How to delete your Facebook account

• Go to Settings and Privacy
• Select Settings
• Select your account
• Select “Deactivation and Deletion”
• Select “Permanently Delete Account” and follow the instructions

Once you do this, there will be 30 days until your account is permanently deleted. Once the account is deleted, there will be no way to recover it or any of the information associated with it. This includes past posts, photos, and messages. If you have a change of heart during this 30 day window, you can choose to cancel the deletion.

That’s how you can both deactivate and delete your Facebook account. If the platform’s moderation failures or rampant spread of misinformation have you ready to call it quits for good, you have the steps you need to do so. Just to reiterate, make sure you have no intention to return to the platform before deleting, as the decision can not be reversed once it’s made final.

Donovan Erskine

News Editor

Donovan is a journalist from Maryland. His oldest gaming memory is playing Pajama Sam on his mom's desktop during weekends. Pokémon Emerald, Halo 2, and the original Star Wars Battlefront 2 were some of the most influential titles in awakening his love for video games. After interning for Shacknews throughout college, Donovan graduated from Bowie State University in 2020 with a major in broadcast journalism and joined the team full-time. He is a huge film fanatic and will talk with you about movies and games all day. You can follow him on twitter @Donimals_