How to Delete Your Facebook Account: Complete Guide

Facebook is one of the best places to be when it comes to surfing the net and having a pretty good time but the downside is that it can be very addictive and can have a bad effect on your mental health.

It can hinder you from meeting up with your goals as you may likely be scrolling through your feed until 4 am without getting any sleep.

Are you thinking of taking a little break from Facebook to enable you to overcome this addiction? This article shows you how to delete your Facebook account permanently through your browser, android, or iPhone.

How to Delete Your Facebook Account from A Browser

Before proceeding to delete your Facebook account, ensure you have copied your information to a safe place. Where you can access them whenever needed so you do not lose your data alongside your Facebook account. Below are steps to follow when deleting your Facebook account using a browser.

Step 1:

Log into your Facebook account.

Step 2:

Navigate your way to the drop-down icon.

Step 3:

The drop-down icon is like an arrow facing down.

Step 4:

It is just by the right corner of the notification icon.

Step 5:

When you click on the drop-down icon you will be shown a series of options.

Step 6:

Select settings and privacy and click on it.

Step 7:

Options will also appear, select and click on settings.

Step 8:

From the options given, click on security and login.

Step 9:

Options will appear, select and click on deactivation and deletion.

Step 10:

From the two options given, click on Delete the account.

Step 11:

To confirm if you are sure of your decision, you will be shown cancel or continue to account deletion.

Step 12:

To proceed, tap on Continue to account deletion.

Congratulations! You have succeeded in deleting your Facebook account from your browser

How to Delete Your Facebook Account from Your Android and iPhones

Deleting your Facebook account from Android or iPhone takes the same process. Before deleting your account, ensure you have copied your information to somewhere safe where you can easily access them so you will not lose your data alongside your Facebook account. Below are the steps to follow when deleting your Facebook account from your mobile phone.

Step 1:

Log into your Facebook account.

Step 2:

Click on the menu on the right-hand side of the taskbar.

Step 3:

You will be shown several options.

Step 4:

Scroll down to settings and privacy.

Step 5:

Navigate to the account section.

Step 6:

Click on personal account information.

Step 7:

Three options will appear.

Step 8:

Choose the last one which is account ownership and control.

Step 9:

From the options shown, click on deactivation and deletion.

Step 10:

To proceed, select Deactivation and Deletion.

Step 11:

Click on Delete account.

Step 12:

To confirm, click on Continue to account deletion.

Step 13:

Congratulations, you have successfully deleted your Facebook account.

Facts About Deleting Your Account

There are certain things to keep in mind when deleting your account, here are some significant ones below:

Facebook gives you a grace of 30 days to restore your account after deleting it, that is, after 30 days you can no longer have access to the account, especially as Facebook has given you several chances to be sure of your decision to delete.
Some of your data may remain in Facebook’s database after deleting your account, such as log records, but they will no longer be connected to you.
The pages you control will be deleted as well but if you want any of your pages to remain active after deleting your account then transfer the control to someone else before you delete your account.
If you use Facebook to log into other apps like Spotify or pin-interest once you delete your account, you will not be able to access such apps anymore.
Your friends can still see the old messages you sent after you delete your account, but they won’t be able to send you any other messages.
Facebook holds on to your data 90 days after deletion because it takes them time to delete it from their servers. But you can only activate recovery within 30 days of deletion.
It is advisable to download every important data on your Facebook account before deleting it.
When you delete your Facebook account, your updates in photos, videos, and text posts will be deleted, but any posts that weren’t originally yours will remain that is posts about you or not posted by someone else.
You will no longer be able to use Messenger when you delete your Facebook account

What to Expect After Deleting Your Account

Deleting your Facebook account can come with mixed feelings, some times you feel a sense of loss, and other times you feel liberated like you are finally free. You no longer need to worry about managing your privacy to avoid prying eyes and stalkers.

However, you can feel free from the fear of hackers and scammers who are constantly trying to steal the account of others. You also don’t have to worry about the endless social media content that consumes data. You should also expect the following after deleting your account.

If you want to access Facebook again, you have to create a new account, otherwise, you can no longer access Facebook.
It is not possible to use Facebook Messenger without a Facebook account.
Some websites you enter through Facebook login may not function anymore. You may need to contact them or create new accounts.
If you forget to move your data from Facebook before deleting it, you will end up losing them all.
Whatever achievements and purchases related to your Facebook login will automatically be lost.

How is Deleting Facebook different from deactivating Facebook?

Deleting your account means you can no longer access your account and data while any other account like Messenger that accompanies it will also be disconnected.

Deactivating your account just makes it inactive while you have access to your data as well as third-party apps like Messenger.

How Long Does It Take to Delete Your Facebook Account?

It takes Facebook approximately 120 days to thoroughly delete your account and everything that is associated with your account.

During the first 30 days you can get back your account and the remaining 90 days is Facebook deleting your data one step at a time.

During this time of the deletion process, other Facebook users cannot see or access your account anymore.

Can Facebook Deletion be Canceled?

Yes, it can. It can be canceled during the first 30 days of the deletion process. After 30 days, Facebook begins the deletion process properly and at this point, you can no longer get your data or your account back.

Can I Delete My Facebook Account Without Password?

You can delete your Facebook account without your password by going through the Facebook help center which they will help you delete the account or by reporting the account as fake as this can make Facebook help you delete the account.

Is it a Good Idea to Delete Facebook?

Deleting your Facebook account is not a decision to be taken rashly or hastily, as Facebook also has a lot of advantages, one of them is connecting with long-lost friends, you never know who may be searching for you on Facebook.

Another advantage is that Facebook helps you keep memories, are you sure you want to throw away such memories? If you delete your account, make sure you wish to do so, before committing to such decisions.

What do I do Before Deleting my Facebook Account?

The first thing to do is to download your data from Facebook, that is your photos and videos.

If you have used your Facebook logins to access third-party files like Spotify and others, ensure you change your login details before deleting your account or you will lose access to these accounts.

You can also choose to announce to your friends that you are leaving Facebook so your family and friends will not be left wondering when you leave without a trace.

Can I get my Facebook Account back after Deleting it?

Yes, you can get your Facebook account back but it can only happen within 30 days this is because it takes Facebook some time to delete all you have posted permanently. According to their data policy, they keep some data in their backup storage. This is how you cancel your account deletion within 30 days.

Log in to your Facebook account once again.
Click on cancel Deletion.

Once you have done the above, you will be able to get back your account, your profile, and your data to the exact way it was before.

What is the Difference Between Deactivating Your Facebook Account and Deleting Your Facebook Account?

Before deciding to delete your account permanently, you should be aware that there is an option for deactivating your account. Deactivating it just lets you disable it for a while until when you decide to reactivate it. Below are things you should know if you decide to delete or deactivate your Facebook account.

Deactivating Your Account: Think of it like pausing your Facebook for a while, when you do this, this happens.

Your profile will not be seen by other people on Facebook
Your name and photo will not be seen in posts you previously shared.
You can still access Facebook Messenger with your Facebook login
Your account can be reactivated anytime, all you have to do is log back into your account.

Deleting Your Account: when you delete your account, this is what happens.

Your profile will be permanently deleted.
Your data will also be permanently deleted.
You can no longer access Facebook Messenger.
You can no longer access any other app like Spotify, Pinterest, or website connected to your Facebook login.
It will take Facebook 90 days to delete everything about your account.
You have no more than 30 days to cancel the deletion request, anything more than that, and your Facebook account is gone permanently.

Will my Facebook Friends be Notified When I Delete or Deactivate my Account?

Not really, they will simply not be able to find you anymore. As soon as you deactivate your account, Facebook removes all access to your account. Anyone who uses the search feature to search for your account will not be able to find you.

Every comment you made on people’s posts will remain but your name will no longer be. Every other link to your profile will be converted to the main text. It will seem like you never existed on Facebook.

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