How to Close or Deactivate Your Facebook Account for Good

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A guide to getting off Facebook and deleting your profile

Written by Hannah Dillon

Last Updated: February 23, 2025 Fact Checked

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Deleting or Deactivating in Accounts Center

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Deleting or Deactivating in Facebook Settings

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Frequently Asked Questions

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Q&A

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Tips

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Warnings

Do you spend too much time scrolling through Facebook and want to quit? Deleting or deactivating your Facebook account will prevent you from logging in so you can stop spending so much time on the platform. This guide will teach you how to quit Facebook, either temporarily or for good. We'll also explain what happens when you leave Facebook and whether you can still use Messenger.

Quick Steps

Click your profile icon on Facebook.
Click Settings & privacy > Settings.
Click See more in Accounts Center.
Click Personal details > Account ownership and control.
Click Deactivation or deletion.
Select the account and click Delete.
Follow the on-screen instructions to confirm.

Section 1 of 3:

Deleting or Deactivating in Accounts Center

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1
Click or tap your profile icon on Facebook and select Settings & privacy. You'll see your profile icon in the top right corner of the web browser.
- You can follow these steps on your computer or using the Facebook mobile app on your smartphone or tablet.
- Once you delete your account, you can delete or uninstall the mobile apps from iPhone and Android.
- Facebook is updating Accounts Center all the time, so words and positioning of buttons may vary slightly.^{[1]
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It's next to a gear icon.

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Click or tap See more in Accounts Center. It's in the top left corner. This might say "Accounts Center" instead.
- If you don't see "Accounts Center", use Settings instead.
4
Click or tap Personal details. You'll see this in the left menu under "Account settings."
- If this option is at the bottom of the menu, you'll need to delete your account using Facebook settings instead.
It's the last item under "Personal details."
Another window will appear with your connected accounts.
If you have an Instagram account as well as a Facebook account, you'll see them both here. Choose your Facebook account to proceed.
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Choose whether to deactivate or delete. The differences between deleting and deactivating are below:^{[2]
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- Deactivate account is a temporary action and means your account will be hidden until it's reactivated in Accounts Center. You can also reactivate the account by logging in. None of your data will be deleted.
  - Use this option if you want to quit Facebook without deleting it.
- Delete account is a permanent action. Your comments, profile, photos, videos, and likes will be permanently removed. You cannot recover an account that has been deleted.
When deleting (or deactivating) your Facebook account, Facebook will walk you through the steps. You may have to enter your password to be able to complete the deletion process.

Section 2 of 3:

Deleting or Deactivating in Facebook Settings

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1
Click or tap your profile icon on Facebook and select Settings & privacy. You'll see your profile icon in the top right corner of the web browser.
- You can follow these steps on your computer or using the Facebook mobile app on your smartphone or tablet.
It's next to a gear icon.
3
Click or tap Profile Access and Control. It's in the menu on the left side of the page.
- If you don't see this menu option, you'll have to delete your account using Accounts Center.
Another window will appear with your connected accounts.
5
Select the account you want to delete. You can read if you want to "Deactivate account" or "Delete account."
- Deactivate account is a temporary action and means your account will be hidden until it's reactivated in Accounts Center. You can also reactivate the account by logging in. None of your data will be deleted.
  - Use this option if you want to quit Facebook without deleting it.
- Delete account is a permanent action. Your comments, profile, photos, videos, and likes will be permanently removed. You cannot recover an account that has been deleted.
Follow the on-screen instructions to delete your account, such as entering your account password.^{[3]
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Section 3 of 3:

Frequently Asked Questions

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1
Does deleting my Facebook account delete all my data? Deleting your Facebook account will delete all the data that you have personally uploaded to the site, such as photos and posts. However, Facebook will retain logs that contain a record of what users do on the site (such as log in, visit a page, post a comment, etc.). These logs are kept forever, but your personal data is not attached to these logs.^{[4]
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- Data about you that was added to Facebook by someone other than you, however, will remain on Facebook as long as that user is on the platform. This includes photos posted of you and messages to a friend.
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Can I still use Messenger without Facebook? You can still use Messenger without a Facebook account. Facebook Messenger is a separate mobile app you can continue using even after you quit Facebook. If you decide that you want to delete your Messenger account as well, do the following after deleting your Facebook account on an iPhone or Android:^{[5]
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- Open the Facebook Messenger app.
- Tap the three-line button to open the menu.
- Tap the cogwheel button.
- Tap these menu items in order: Accounts Center > Personal details > Account ownership and control > Deactivation or deletion > Continue to Facebook account deactivation and deletion > Continue to account deactivation.
- Enter your password.
- Tap Continue to finalize the deletion.
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What happens after I delete my Facebook account? All connected Meta Quest information is also deleted. If you use Facebook to log into Meta Quest, that data, such as your purchases and achievements, will also be deleted from your FB account. You won't be able to return any apps and will lose store credits if you have any.
- You won't be able to use Facebook login information for other apps. Apps like Spotify and Uber give you the option of signing in with your Facebook account rather than with an email address. If you selected this option when signing up for a service, make sure you change the preferred login to an email address or a phone number.
- Most of these services will also allow you to log in with a phone number, so you should be fine if you have one on record.

Community Q&A

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Question

What are some worthwhile benefits or alternative activities I could pursue if I quit Facebook?

Community Answer

Quitting Facebook frees up significant time you can redirect towards personal growth and real-world engagement. Consider how you might pursue financial goals, invest in relationships, prioritize physical health, strengthen real-world connections, or explore new hobbies and community involvement.

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Do I need to remove my profile picture when quitting Facebook?

Community Answer

No. Once you deactivate your account, everything related to your account will disappear.

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Can I deactivate or delete my Facebook account and still remain a member of a group?

Community Answer

No, if you deactivate or delete your Facebook account, you will be removed from all groups you are a member of. However, if a group is public, you can still view its content by bookmarking the group's link.

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Tips

Delete posts that you don't want online. While deleting your Facebook account will eventually remove all of your information from online (this can take up to 90 days), delete any sensitive or personal posts you don't want Google (or other search engines) to archive. Archived posts are searchable after you deactivate your account, and can take several weeks to disappear from search engines.^{[6]
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Once you delete your Facebook account, you have 30 days to change your mind. If you do change your mind, simply log back into Facebook using your email address (or phone number) and password, then click Cancel Deletion when prompted.

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Tips from our Readers

The advice in this section is based on the lived experiences of wikiHow readers like you. If you have a helpful tip you’d like to share on wikiHow, please submit it in the field below.

Keep a to-do list to fill the time so you aren't bored and automatically go for Facebook. When you're bored, go through your list and pick things out of it like knitting or bicycling
Remember to delete your other accounts like Instagram.

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