Facebook gives you two choices: deactivation or deletion, and they work very differently

Deactivation hides your profile temporarily. Your name disappears from search, your posts vanish from the feed, and people cannot message you. But Facebook keeps all your data — photos, messages, friend lists — in case you change your mind and log back in. You can reactivate anytime by logging in again.

Deletion is permanent. Facebook removes your profile, posts, photos, and messages from public view. The company says it takes up to 90 days to fully delete everything from their servers, and some data tied to other people's accounts (like when they tagged you in a photo) may remain. You cannot reactivate a deleted account — if you want Facebook again later, you have to start completely fresh.

Most people who want "out" should choose deletion. Deactivation is useful only if you think you might return within a few months.

Key Takeaways

  • Deactivation hides your profile but keeps your data; deletion removes your account permanently after 90 days.
  • You can reactivate a deactivated account by logging in, but you cannot undo a deletion.
  • Download your photos and messages before you delete if you want to keep copies.
  • Deletion takes up to 90 days to complete, so your account may still appear in some places briefly.
  • Messenger stays active after Facebook deletion unless you delete it separately.

How to delete your Facebook account in five steps

Go to Settings & Privacy in the menu (the three horizontal lines in the bottom right on mobile, or the downward arrow in the top right on desktop). Tap or click Settings & Privacy, then Settings.

Scroll down to Account Ownership and Control. You will see two options: Deactivation or Deletion. Click that option.

Choose Delete Account. Facebook will ask you to confirm your password and may ask you to enter a security code sent to your email or phone.

Read the information about what happens when you delete. Facebook lists what will be removed and what will stay (like messages you sent to others, which remain in their inboxes). Click Delete Account again to confirm.

Your account is now scheduled for deletion. You have 30 days to change your mind — if you log back in during this window, the deletion cancels and your account reactivates. After 30 days, deletion becomes permanent and takes another 60 days to fully process.

Download your data before you delete

Once your account is gone, you cannot recover your photos, messages, or other content. If you want to keep copies, download them first.

Go to Settings & Privacy > Settings > Your Information and Permissions > Download Your Information. Choose what you want to download (photos, videos, posts, messages, friend lists). Select the date range and file format (HTML or JSON). Facebook will prepare a file and email it to you — this usually takes a few hours, sometimes longer if you have years of content.

Save this file somewhere safe before you delete your account. After deletion, there is no way to get this data back from Facebook.

What happens to Messenger when you delete Facebook

Deleting your Facebook account does not automatically delete Messenger. Your Messenger account stays active, and people can still message you — you just will not see notifications unless you open the app.

If you want to delete Messenger too, you have to do it separately. Open Messenger, go to your profile (your photo in the top left), tap Legal & Policies, then Delete Account. Follow the same confirmation process. Note that deleting Messenger is separate from deleting Facebook, so you can keep one and delete the other if you want.

What stays visible after you delete

Your profile and posts disappear from Facebook's main site. But some traces remain for a while. Messages you sent to other people stay in their inboxes. Comments you left on public pages may still show your name (though your profile will not be clickable). Photos you were tagged in by others will still appear in their albums, though your name will be removed from the tag.

Search engines like Google may still show cached versions of your public posts for weeks or months after deletion. You cannot control this — it is how search engines work. If you want to speed this up, you can ask Google to remove your pages from their search results using Google Search Console, but this is optional and takes time.

If you want to deactivate instead of delete

Go to Settings & Privacy > Settings > Account Ownership and Control > Deactivation or Deletion. Choose Deactivate Account. Facebook will ask why you are leaving (this is optional to answer). Confirm your password and click Deactivate.

Your profile hides immediately. You can reactivate anytime by logging in with your email and password. During deactivation, your messages stay in other people's inboxes, but they cannot see your profile or send you new messages. If you reactivate, everything comes back exactly as it was.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I delete my account on mobile?

Yes. Open the app, tap the three lines (menu), go to Settings & Privacy > Settings, scroll to Account Ownership and Control, and choose Delete Account. The process is the same as on desktop.

What if I change my mind during the 30-day waiting period?

Log in to your account before the 30 days are up. Your account will reactivate immediately and deletion will cancel. After 30 days, you cannot undo it.

Will deleting Facebook delete my Instagram or WhatsApp accounts?

No. Facebook, Instagram, and WhatsApp are separate accounts. Deleting one does not affect the others, even though Meta owns all three. You have to delete each one separately if you want them gone.

How long does it really take to delete everything?

Your profile disappears within minutes. But Facebook says it takes up to 90 days to remove all your data from their servers. During this time, some information may still be recoverable by Facebook staff, though it will not be visible to other users.

Can I delete just my photos or posts instead of my whole account?

Yes. You do not have to delete your account to remove individual content. Go to your profile, find the post or photo, click the three dots, and choose Delete. You can also use the Activity Log to delete many posts at once. This keeps your account active.