How to Delete a Facebook Account: Full Guide

To delete a Facebook account, open Settings → Accounts Center → "Your information and permissions" → Deactivation and deletion and choose "Delete account." But first it's worth understanding the difference: deactivation temporarily hides your profile, while deletion permanently removes your account and data. Below we'll walk through both options step by step.

Deactivation vs deletion: what's the difference

These are two distinct actions that are easy to confuse:

• Deactivation (temporary) — your profile, photos and posts are hidden from others, but your data is preserved. You can come back any time simply by logging in again. Messenger often keeps working, and friends can still see your conversations.
• Deletion (permanent) — your account and the data tied to it are erased for good. After you request it, there's a grace period of about 30 days during which you can cancel the deletion by logging back in. After that, the data can no longer be recovered.

If you're just tired of the feed or want a break, choose deactivation. If you want to leave for good, choose deletion.

Download your information first

Before deleting, download a copy of your data, because once the grace period ends you won't be able to get your photos, videos and messages back.

1. Open Settings → Accounts Center → "Your information and permissions".
2. Choose "Download your information."
3. Select what you want to save (photos, posts, messages) and pick a format.
4. Wait for Facebook to prepare the archive, then download it. This can take anywhere from a few minutes to a few hours.

How to deactivate your account (temporary)

1. Go to Settings and open Accounts Center.
2. Navigate to "Your information and permissions" → "Deactivation and deletion."
3. Select the profile you want and choose "Deactivate account."
4. Confirm with your password and add a reason if you wish.

To return, just log in again and your profile will be restored automatically.

How to delete your account permanently

1. Open Settings → Accounts Center → "Your information and permissions" → "Deactivation and deletion."
2. Choose "Delete account."
3. Read the warning about the consequences and confirm with your password.
4. Don't log in for about 30 days — otherwise the deletion will be cancelled.

The exact menu wording may vary depending on your app or browser version, so follow the "Deactivation and deletion" logic rather than the precise labels.

What happens to Messenger, Instagram and Pages

Deletion affects more than just your profile:

• Messenger — it may keep working separately during deactivation, but once the account is fully deleted, your conversations disappear.
• Instagram — if the accounts are linked in Accounts Center, logging in through Facebook will no longer work; check your other sign-in options in advance.
• Pages where you are the only admin may be removed along with your account. Assign another admin first if you want to keep the Page.

If you're deleting your profile because a business Page has gone quiet, it may be worth trying to revive it first. You can lift base metrics through options like Facebook promotion services — that's just one way to give a small starting push, and it doesn't replace quality content or guarantee results. Whatever provider you consider, read up on how to choose a reliable SMM service and whether it's safe to buy followers so you can weigh the risks to your account. And never enter your Facebook login and password into third-party "deletion services": unauthorized apps violate Facebook's terms and can lead to your account being restricted or blocked, as well as to credential and account theft. Don't reuse others' content or breach copyright and the platform's rules — that's a separate risk of penalties.

In short

If your goal is fast growth, check out Facebook followers on SMM Hub: safe, no password, with gradual delivery.

Deactivation hides your profile temporarily; deletion erases the account permanently after a grace period of about 30 days. Download your information first, then go to Accounts Center → "Deactivation and deletion" and pick the action you need. Keep in mind the impact on Messenger, a linked Instagram account, and any Pages you manage.