Tried to deactivate or delete your Facebook but due to it being hidden somewhere deep in the settings it was placed in the ‘too hard’ basket and you just never bothered to look again? Fear not, here’s where you can find the hard-to-find delete and deactivate buttons.
Unfortunately, Meta (the company that owns Facebook) hasn’t made this process as easy as hitting a big red button that says “delete my Facebook account and all of my data”, but if you know where to look, it’s actually a pretty easy process.
How to deactivate (not delete) Facebook
On desktop
On a desktop, and logged into your Facebook account:
- Click on your profile photo on the far right of your screen
- Select Settings & privacy
- Then Settings
- Click Your Facebook information (on the left side of the screen)
- And scroll down to Deactivation and deletion
- Hit View
- Select Deactivate account
- Hit Continue to Account Deactivation
- Select why you want to leave (you can opt to add more context if you like, but I don’t think Mark Zuckerberg is going to read why you don’t want to play Facebook anymore)
- Check to opt out of receiving emails from Facebook
- And if you wish to keep using Messenger, check that box too
- You will be prompted to confirm you want to deactivate
- Hit Deactivate now if you do
Deactivate Facebook on an iPhone/iPad
- Open the Facebook app on your iPhone or iPad
- On the bottom right of your screen, tap the Menu icon (three horizontal lines)
- Scroll down to Settings & Privacy and expand
- Hit Settings
- Under Account, select Personal and account information
- Tap Account ownership and control
- Select Deactivation and deletion
- Then Continue to account deactivation
- Select why you want to leave (you can opt to add more context if you like)
- Check to opt out of receiving emails from Facebook
- And if you wish to keep using Messenger, check that box, too
Deactivate Facebook on an Android device
- Open the Facebook app on your Android device (please note these instructions were made on a Google Pixel 7 Pro, so your version of Android may differ slightly)
- Up the top right, underneath the Messenger icon, tap the three horizontal lines icon
- Scroll down to Settings & Privacy
- Tap Settings
- Under Account, select Personal and Account Information
- Tap Account Ownership and Control
- Select Deactivation and deletion
- Check Deactivate account
- Then Continue to account deactivation
- Select why you want to leave (you can opt to add more context if you like)
- Check to opt out of receiving emails from Facebook
- And if you wish to keep using Messenger, check that box, too
While your Facebook account will then be deactivated, it still exists and isn’t deleted. Friends cannot see your profile and you are essentially logged out, but without your Facebook being active in your absence. As soon as you log in, however, your account is automatically re-activated.
How do I delete (not deactivate) Facebook?
Deleting your Facebook account requires many of the same steps as deactivation, but the big difference is that this option completely wipes your account out. You can’t bring it back after this.
On desktop
On a desktop, and logged into your Facebook account:
- Select the right triangle on the far right of your screen
- Click Settings & privacy
- Then Settings
- You’ll want to then select Your Facebook information
- Scroll down to Deactivation and deletion
- Hit View
- Select Delete account
- Hit continue to account deletion
- Unlike with deactivation, you can’t keep your Messenger account if you delete your profile
- Hit Delete Account
- You’ll need to confirm your password
- Then select Delete Account
- Your account is then scheduled for permanent deletion
Delete Facebook on an iPhone/iPad
- Open the Facebook app on your iPhone or iPad
- On the bottom right of your screen, tap the Menu icon
- Scroll down to Settings & Privacy and expand
- Hit Settings
- Under Account, select Personal and account information
- Tap Account ownership and control
- Select Deactivation and deletion
- Hit Delete account
- Then Continue to account deletion
- You’ll need to confirm your password
- Then select Delete Account
- Your account is then scheduled for permanent deletion
Delete Facebook on an Android device
- Open the Facebook app on your Android device (please note these instructions were made on a Google Pixel 6 Pro, so your version of Android may differ slightly)
- Up the top right, underneath the Messenger icon, tap the three lines
- Scroll down to Settings & Privacy
- Tap Settings
- Under Account, select Personal and account information
- Tap Account Ownership and Control
- Select Deactivation and deletion
- Check Delete account
- Then Continue to account deletion
- You’ll need to confirm your password
- Then select Delete Account
- Your account is then scheduled for permanent deletion
Once you’ve submitted your account for deletion, you have 30 days to reactivate your account and cancel the deletion. After 30 days, the deletion process will begin, and you won’t be able to retrieve any of the content or information you’ve added. This will completely delete your Facebook, which is why they offer the suggestion to just deactivate it.
Au revoir, Facebook.