How can i delete my other facebook account

How to Delete an Old Facebook Account When You Can’t Log In

by Josh Kirschner on July 17, 2018
in Tips & How-Tos, Facebook, Privacy :: 414 comments

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Do you have an old Facebook account that you’re no longer using with posts or pictures from your younger days that you don’t want people to see? It’s easy to delete your account if you still have access to it. But what if you can’t remember the login information?

Here are the two steps you can take to try and recover account access so you can delete your account – and the associated unwanted former memories – permanently.

1. Try to recover your Facebook password

Go to https://www.facebook.com/login/identify to search for your account. You can search by the email or phone number you used to set up the account, or just by name (the search screen doesn’t mention that option but it works, too).

If you go the name route, your account may or may not show up, depending on your privacy settings. If you don’t see it, click “I’m not on this list” and you’ll be prompted to enter the name of a friend and search again.

Once you find your old account, you’ll be able to send a reset code to any of the email addresses or phone numbers you associated with your account. If you’re not sure which email address you used, Facebook will show you a redacted version (e.g., j*******[email protected]) that should spark your memory in case it’s an old email that you don’t log into anymore.

If you don’t have access to that email address or phone number anymore, try hard to regain access to that old email account. Because it gets far bleaker from here…

2. Use Facebook’s Trusted Friends feature

If you can’t access the email address or phone number on your account, your only other hope is Facebook’s Trusted Friends feature. Launched in 2013, Trusted Friends lets you regain access to your account in case of forgotten credentials by asking three “trusted friends” to supply a reset code. The big problem with Trusted Friends is that you had to have set it up in advance for your account, which very few people have done, according to a quick check I did of my friends and other random accounts.

(To set it up for an account you still have access to: 1. Go to Settings (down arrow). 2. Go to your Security and Login Settings. 3. Scroll down to Choose 3 to 5 friends to contact if you get locked out and click Edit. 43. Click Choose friends and follow the on-screen instructions.)

If you fall into the category of one of the lucky few who set this up, when you tell Facebook that you “No longer have access to these?” on the email and phone recovery page you’ll be provided with an option to enter a new email or phone number and continue with the process.

Click “Reveal My Trusted Contacts” and type the full name of one of your trusted contacts. Facebook will then give you a special URL that each of your three friends need to access. The URL contains a recovery code to reset your account, which your friends need to provide back to you. You will need to contact your friends and provide them the URL – Facebook will not do this for you. If you can’t contact one of your trusted friends for whatever reason, you’re out of luck.

As I mentioned above, if you didn’t already set up Trusted Contacts, it’s too late now. When you tell Facebook you can’t access the email account, you won’t have the option to provide a new email address or phone number, you’ll just be told to try logging in again (in other words, you’re outta luck).

3. Report your old account as fake

While Facebook makes deleting an old account difficult, thanks to the proliferation of Facebook account spoofing, deleting a fake account is far easier. So one of our clever readers told us in the comments he reported his old account as fake and it was quickly deleted. Another reader also had success going this route.

To report your old account as fake:

Go to the profile of your old account
Click the three little dots on the bottom right of the cover photo and select "Give feedback or report this profile"
Click on "Pretending to Be Someone" and then click "Me"

Let us know in the comments if this method works for you, too.

4. There is no option four (at least no easy one)

I reached out to Facebook and they have confirmed that, for security reasons, they will only allow you to delete your account if you can access it through one of the two official methods above (or our "unofficial" workaround). Those photos of your ex-relationships, nights of drunken bacchanalia and really, really bad choices of hairstyle are going to live on forever in the Facebook universe.

However, you may be able to pursue avenues outside Facebook’s standard deletion policies. For example, if you reside in the EU, the GDPR provides the right for consumers to demand companies delete their personal information on request. And if Facebook isn’t responding to a request, you may be able to take the issue up with your country’s privacy officer.

According to Facebook’s Privacy Policy, disputes can be resolved through a third-party company called TrustArc. However, at the time of publishing this article, Facebook is blocking its own link to the TrustArc feedback form as malicious (irony noted). Instead, you can use Facebook’s Data Policy Help Center Contact form or send a snail mail letter to:

Facebook, Inc.
ATTN: Privacy Operations
1601 Willow Road
Menlo Park, CA 94025

Since these aren't officially sanctioned means of getting your account deleted, we don't know what your likelihood of success will be. If you go this route, let us know how you fare in the comments below.

EDITOR'S NOTE: Please do not put requests to have your Facebook account deleted in the comments. We cannot delete your account – you must follow the steps with Facebook we outlined above.

[Image credit: Facebook login via BigStockPhoto]

Delete or Deactivate – What to do with your old accounts (updated for 2020)

When you stop using a social networking profile or website, it is a good idea to deactivate or delete your account. This will mean that your content is no longer visible online and should not be searchable online. It will also remove the risk of these accounts being used by others or hacked without you knowing.

This blog gives site specific guidance about how to deactivate or delete your accounts, and what these options mean.

Facebook

On Facebook you have the options of either

deactivating and deleting your account.

If you deactivate your account:

You can reactivate it whenever you want. This will mean you can access your photos, videos, friends and groups again.
People can’t see your timeline or find your account in a search unless you reactivate the account.
Some things may remain visible (for example: private messages you have sent).
You can reactivate your account at any time by logging back into Facebook or by using your Facebook account to log in somewhere else. You’ll need to have access to the email or mobile number you use to log in to complete the reactivation.

To deactivate your account:

Click in the top right of Facebook.
Select Settings & Privacy > Settings.
Click Your Facebook Information in the left column.
Click Deactivation and Deletion.
5. Choose Deactivate Account, then Continue to Account Deactivation and follow the instructions to confirm.

When Your Facebook account is deactivated, but you still have Messenger:

You can still chat with friends on Messenger.
Your Facebook profile picture will still be visible in your conversations on Messenger.
Other people can search for you to send you a message within Messanger.

If you delete your account:

You won’t be able to reactivate your account.
You will have 30 days to cancel your account deletion, after this you won’t be able to access your account or retrieve any information from it.
Your profile, photos, videos and everything else you’ve added will be permanently deleted.
You’ll no longer be able to use Facebook Messenger.
You won’t be able to use your Facebook login for other apps you may have signed up for with your Facebook account, like Spotify or Instagram. You may need to contact the apps and websites to recover those accounts.
Some information, like messages you sent to friends, may still be visible to them after you delete your account. Copies of messages you have sent are stored in your friends’ inboxes.

To delete your account:

Click in the top right of Facebook.
Select Settings & Privacy > Settings.
Click Your Facebook Information in the left column.
Click Deactivation and Deletion.
Choose Permanently Delete Account then click Continue to Account Deletion.
Click Delete Account, enter your password and then click Continue.

Instagram

You can either temporarily disable your account or permanently delete it.

If you temporarily disable your account:

Your profile, photos, comments and likes will be hidden.
You can reactivate your account by logging back in.

To temporarily disable your account:

Log into instagram.com from a mobile browser or computer. You can’t temporarily disable your account from within the Instagram app.
Tap or click your profile picture in the top right and select Profile, then select Edit Profile.
Scroll down, then tap or click Temporarily disable my account in the bottom right.
Select an option from the drop-down menu next to Why are you disabling your account? and re-enter your password. The option to disable your account will only appear after you’ve selected a reason from the menu and entered your password.
Tap or click Temporarily Disable Account.

If you delete your account:

Your account, profile, photos, videos, comments, likes and followers will be permanently removed.
You can’t sign up again with the same username or add that username to another account.
Deleted accounts cannot be reactivated.

To delete your account:

Go to the Delete Your Account page from a mobile browser or computer. If you’re not logged into Instagram on the web, you’ll be asked to log in first (you cannot delete your account from within the Instagram app).
Select an option from the drop-down menu next to Why are you deleting your account? and re-enter your password. The option to permanently delete your account will only appear after you’ve selected a reason from the menu.
Click or tap Permanently delete my account.

Twitter

On Twitter, you deactivate your account and it deletes permanently after 30 days. During this time your account is deactivated. Deactivation is not available on mobile devices and must be done by accessing twitter.com on the web.

Before you deactivate your account, you should know:

You may reactivate your account at any time during these 30 days by logging in to it. If you don’t log in/reactivate for 30 days, your account will be permanently deleted.
You do not need to deactivate your account to change your username or email address; you can change these at any time in your account settings.
If you want to use the same username or email address to make a new account, you need to do so before deactivating. For how to do this, follow the steps on: How to make your username or email address available for re-use before deactivating your account.

To deactivate:

Sign in to twitter.com on the web.
Click on Settings and privacy from the drop-down menu under your profile icon.
From the Account tab, click on Deactivate your account at the bottom of the page.
Read the account deactivation information, then click Deactivate @username.
Enter your password when prompted and confirm that you want to proceed by clicking the Deactivate account button.

Snapchat

You are only able to permanently delete your account on Snapchat. It takes 30 days for the deletion to take place, in which time your account will be deactivated.

During these 30 days, your friends will not be able to contact or interact with you on Snapchat. After 30 days, your account will be permanently deleted, including your friends, Snaps, Chats and Stories. Your username will no longer be available.

To delete your account:

Visit this page from any browser. It won’t work from the Snapchat App.
Fill in the username and password for the account you want to delete.
Select Login and enter the same information again.
Select Delete my Account at the bottom.

If you change your mind in the 30 days after deleting your account you can log back into Snapchat like you normally would using your username and password. This will reactivate your account and stop your account being deleted.

TikTok

You are only able to permanently delete your account on TikTok. This is permanent and irreversible. A deleted account can’t be recovered at any point.

If you delete your account:

You can’t use the account to log in to TikTok.
You’ll lose access to the videos you’ve posted.
You’ll lose access to purchased items and won’t be able to receive a refund.
Shared information, such as chat messages, may still be visible to others.

To delete your account:

Go to your Profile tab.
Tap the Settings icon in the top right corner.
Tap Manage my Account > Delete Account.
Follow the steps in the app to delete your account.

Further resources

Our Social Media Checklists provide all the information you need to know about deactivating or deleting accounts and you can download copies here.

How to permanently delete a Facebook account?

What happens if you delete your Facebook account permanently?

You will not be able to reactivate your account.

Your profile, photos, posts, videos and other content will be permanently deleted.

You will no longer be able to use Facebook Messenger.

You won't be able to use Facebook Login with other apps and websites, such as Spotify and Pinterest. To recover your accounts, you may need to contact support for those apps and websites.

Some information, such as messages you send to your friends, may still be available even after you delete your account. Copies of the messages you send are stored in your friends' inbox.

If you use a Facebook account to sign in to your Oculus device, deleting your Oculus device will also delete information related to the Oculus platform, including your in-app purchases and achievements. In addition, you will no longer be able to return apps and will lose all Oculus store coupons.

Pages that only you manage will also be deleted. If you want to keep the Page, give someone else full control over it. This will only delete your account.

What if I want to stop using Facebook for a while without deleting all my content?

If you want to take a break from Facebook, you can temporarily deactivate your account. However:

People will not be able to see or open your Facebook profile.

Your photos, posts and videos will not be deleted.

You will not lose your ability to use Facebook Messenger. In conversations, your profile photo will be visible, and people who want to start a conversation with you will be able to find you by name. Your Facebook friends will still be able to send you messages.

You will not be able to use your Facebook account to access Oculus Products and view information related to the Oculus platform.

Pages that only you manage will also be deactivated. Other people will not be able to see or find deactivated Pages. If you want to keep the Page, give someone else full control over it. This will only deactivate your account.

You can return to Facebook at any time.

Learn more about how to temporarily deactivate an account.

How do I permanently delete an account?

Before deleting your account, we recommend that you sign in to your account and download a copy of your information (such as your photos and posts) from Facebook, as well as a copy of information related to the Oculus platform if you use a Facebook account to sign in to your Oculus device. Once you delete your account, you won't be able to restore the content it contains.

To permanently delete an account:

Classic Mobile Browser

Click the icon in the upper right corner of the Facebook window.

Scroll down and click Settings.

Scroll down to the ‎Your Facebook Information‎ section and select Manage Account.

Click Deactivate and delete and then click Delete account.

Select Continue with account deletion and select Delete account.

New version for mobile browser

Click the icon in the upper right corner of the Facebook window.

Scroll down and click Settings.

Scroll down to Your Facebook Information and select Manage Account.

Click Open.

Click Deactivate and delete and then click Delete account.

Select Continue with account deletion and select Delete account.

Can I cancel the account deletion?

You can restore your account within 30 days after deletion. After that, it and all information associated with it will be deleted without the possibility of recovery.

It may take up to 90 days for your content to be completely removed. While we delete this information, it will not be available to anyone on Facebook.

After this period, a copy of your information may be stored in backup storage, which we use to recover data lost in the event of a natural disaster, software error, etc. We may also retain your information to resolve legal issues, in case of violation of the terms use or for purposes intended to prevent harm. Learn more about the Privacy Policy.

To undo account deletion:

Click Cancel Delete.

Account deactivation and deletion | Facebook Help Center

What happens if I permanently delete my Facebook account?

You will not be able to reactivate your account.

Your profile, photos, posts, videos and other content will be permanently deleted.

You will no longer be able to use Facebook Messenger.

You won't be able to use Facebook Login with other apps and websites, such as Spotify and Pinterest. To recover your accounts, you may need to contact support for those apps and websites.

Some information, such as messages you send to your friends, may still be available even after you delete your account. Copies of the messages you send are stored in your friends' inbox.

Pages that only you manage will also be deleted. If you want to keep the Page, give someone else full control over it. This will only delete your account.

What if I want to stop using Facebook for a while without deleting all my content?

If you want to take a break from Facebook, you can temporarily deactivate your account. However:

People will not be able to see or open your Facebook profile.

Your photos, posts and videos will not be deleted.

You will not be able to use your Facebook account to access Oculus Products and view information related to the Oculus platform.

You can return to Facebook at any time.

Learn more about how to temporarily deactivate an account.

How do I permanently delete an account?

To permanently delete an account:

Classic Mobile Browser

Click the icon in the upper right corner of the Facebook window.

Scroll down and click Settings.

Scroll down to the ‎Your Facebook Information‎ section and select Manage Account.

Click Deactivate and delete and then click Delete account.

Select Continue with account deletion and select Delete account.

New version for mobile browser

Click the icon in the upper right corner of the Facebook window.

Scroll down and click Settings.

Scroll down to Your Facebook Information and select Manage Account.

Click Open.

Click Deactivate and delete and then click Delete account.

Select Continue with account deletion and select Delete account.

Can I cancel the account deletion?

You can restore your account within 30 days after deletion. After that, it and all information associated with it will be deleted without the possibility of recovery.

It may take up to 90 days for your content to be completely removed.