How to remove facebook account temporarily

How to deactivate or delete your Facebook account

People worldwide use Facebook to connect with friends and family, and to engage in pointless debates with strangers over moderately amusing cat videos. But while some feel that the social media platform is an essential part of life, others find the data scandals and privacy issues disconcerting. For those who wish to take a break from Facebook either temporarily or permanently, instructions for deleting or deactivating your account are below.

Deleting your Facebook account

How to delete your Facebook account from a browser

Removing Facebook for good is easier than you think. Follow this link to the page that allows you to end your account permanently. Click Delete Account, enter your password, and your account is gone forever. But before you do, consider downloading a copy of the information you have stored on Facebook, including photos, videos, and more. Here is an official guide from Facebook that can help.

How to delete your Facebook account from the iPhone app

Start the Facebook app on your iPhone.
Tap the three-lined icon (hamburger menu).
Tap Settings & Privacy.
Tap Settings.
Tap Account Ownership and Control.
Tap Deactivation and Deletion.
Tap Delete Account.
Delete your Facebook app for good measure.

How to delete your Facebook account from the Android app

Start the Facebook app on your Android device.
Tap the three-lined icon (hamburger menu).
Tap Settings & Privacy.
Tap Settings.
Tap Account Ownership and Control.
Tap Deactivation and Deletion.
Tap Delete Account.
Delete your Facebook app for good measure.

The cons of deleting your Facebook account

Deleting your Facebook account can certainly feel liberating. You don’t have to worry about managing your privacy or consuming seemingly endless social media content. But rather than a permanent deletion, some people prefer to take a break from Facebook by deactivating their account for the following reasons:

You won't be able to access Facebook again unless you create a new account.
It’s impossible to use Messenger without a Facebook account.
Some accounts that you entered through Facebook Login may malfunction. You may need to contact those apps and websites or create new accounts.
You’ll permanently lose your data unless you download a copy.
You’ll lose your app purchases, achievements, and more related to your Facebook login on Oculus.

Can you undelete Facebook if you change your mind?

Facebook says that it needs up to 90 days from the start of the deletion request to remove everything you've posted permanently. It may even keep some data in backup storage for legal issues as part of its data policy. It also offers a 30-day grace period after you erase your account. Here is how to cancel your account deletion within 30 days:

Log in to your Facebook account.
Hit Cancel Deletion.

Deactivating your Facebook account

Deactivating your Facebook is a temporary measure. After you deactivate your account, your Facebook page, including your intro, photos, friends, and posts, is hidden. No one can send you friend requests either. However, your messages are still visible to their recipients. Here are some advantages of deactivating your Facebook instead of deleting it:

Your photos, videos, and posts are hidden but not permanently deleted.
Facebook Messenger is still fully accessible.
You can still access accounts through Facebook Login.
You can reactivate Facebook whenever you please by logging in.

How to deactivate your Facebook account from a browser

The same link that allows you to erase your account also allows you to deactivate your account. Hit Deactivate Account and then enter your password to lose access to Facebook temporarily. Alternatively, you can use the following steps:

Select Settings & Privacy from the drop-down menu on the top right.
Click Settings.
Click Your Facebook Information.
Click Deactivation and Deletion.
Select Deactivate Account and hit Continue to Account Deactivation.
Enter your password and deactivate your account.

How to deactivate your Facebook account from the iPhone app

Start the Facebook app on your iPhone.
Tap the three-lined icon (hamburger menu).
Tap Settings & Privacy.
Tap Settings.
Tap Account Ownership and Control.
Tap Deactivation and Deletion.
Tap Deactivate account.

How to deactivate your Facebook account from the Android app

Start the Facebook app on your Android device.
Tap the three-lined icon (hamburger menu).
Tap Settings & Privacy.
Tap Settings.
Tap Account Ownership and Control.
Tap Deactivation and Deletion.
Tap Deactivate Account.

Tips for using Facebook safely

We understand that some users don’t want to deactivate or delete Facebook, but still have safety concerns. There are steps you can take to better manage your privacy and security on Facebook. Here are some tips that may help:

Set a long, unique password for your Facebook account. You can use a trusted password manager to make the task easier.
Avoid oversharing information on Facebook. Threat actors can use it for social engineering.
Be careful when accepting friend requests. Limit posts to trusted friends and not the public.
Limit the audience of old posts on your Timeline by clicking General > Privacy > Your Activity > Limit Past Posts.
Stop Facebook from using your data to show you tailored ads by clicking General > Ads > Ad Settings.
Manage third-party apps that have access to your data by clicking General > Apps and Websites.
Beware of social media scams and be careful which links you click on Facebook or in Messenger.

How to Deactivate or Delete Facebook Messenger

Contents

Why you should delete Facebook Messenger
How to deactivate Messenger
Can I delete Messenger without deleting Facebook?
Can I deactivate Messenger without deactivating Facebook?
How to turn off Facebook Messenger
How to delete your Messenger account
Best Facebook Messenger alternatives

Why you should delete Facebook Messenger

Is Facebook Messenger private? Not really. Facebook Messenger holds exactly the same personal data as Facebook, and it can linger even after you’ve deactivated your Facebook account. Here are some more reasons why you should delete Facebook Messenger:

Facebook experienced massive data leaks and breaches in the past, so your data is clearly not safe with it;
Facebook profits from the harvesting of user data and the Cambridge Analytica scandal have crushed Facebook’s stock price and left users fearing for their privacy;
Facebook Messenger is not private. It ranks poorly in our secure messaging app list because it tracks your behavior, lacks a default encryption option, and doesn’t encrypt your past conversations. Moreover, it has access to your camera, microphone, and contacts;
Messenger’s source code is not open for independent review, and its security design is not properly documented;
There are also tons of more privacy-centric instant messaging apps available.

How to deactivate Messenger

Now we will explain how to deactivate Messenger. Deactivating Messenger is simple. However, if your Messenger account is connected to your Facebook account, you will have to deactivate your Facebook account first.

The following Messenger deactivation steps apply to both the iOS and Android platforms:

1. Open Messenger;

2. Click on your profile in the top left corner;

3. Tap Account Settings;

4. Choose Account Ownership and Control;

5. Tap Deactivation and deletion;

6. Choose Deactivate account, tap Continue to account deactivation and follow the instructions on your screen. Just keep in mind that this action will deactivate your Facebook account as you can't deactivate Messenger without deactivating your Facebook.

Now when you deactivated Facebook, let's learn how to deactivate Messenger:

1. Open Messenger;

2. Click on your profile in the top left corner;

3. Tap Legal & policies;

4. Tap Deactivate Messenger and follow the instructions on-screen.

To reactivate Facebook Messenger, log in with your username and password.

Deactivating your Facebook account will not automatically deactivate your Messenger account as the app is separate from Facebook.

So what happens when you deactivate Messenger? If you deactivate your Facebook Messenger, your profile won’t appear in its search results. However, your messages and comments will still be visible.

So, if you deactivate Facebook and Messenger, what happens to messages? Well, all the messages you sent will still be visible to others. If you want those messages to disappear after a certain time, you can turn on the vanish mode by swiping up while in conversation.

Can I delete Messenger without deleting Facebook?

No, it’s not possible if your Messenger is tied to your Facebook account.

If you’re using a stand-alone version of the app not tied to your Facebook account, you can deactivate your Messenger account by following the points listed above or simply delete the app.

In order to delete your Messenger account that is not tied to your Facebook account you should:

1. Tap your profile picture in the top left;

2. Tap Account Settings;

3. Scroll down and tap Delete Your Account and Information;

4. Enter your password and tap Submit.

Can I deactivate Messenger without deactivating Facebook?

If you wonder, why can’t you deactivate your Messenger, it’s most likely because you didn’t deactivate your Facebook account beforehand. You can’t deactivate Facebook’s Messenger and keep your Facebook account. The only solution would be to turn your chat off by hiding your status and disabling notifications.

How to turn off Facebook Messenger

Click on your profile picture in the top left.
Tap Active Status.
Use the toggle on top of the screen to turn your Active Status on or off.

You will now be shown as inactive. You can also disable notifications by:

Going to Notifications and Sounds.
Turn on Do Not Disturb status.

How to delete your Messenger account

Now that you've already learned how to deactivate Messenger, let's see how to delete your account. To delete you Facebook Messenger account completely on iPhone or Android do the following:

1. Tap your profile picture in the top left;

2. Tap Account Settings;

3. Choose Account Ownership and Control;

4. Tap Deactivation and deletion;

5. Pick Delete account, tap Continue to account deactivation and follow the instructions on screen. Just keep in mind that this action will delete your Facebook account too and will remove all your Facebook and Messenger content.

Once the deletion process begins, you won’t be able to reactivate your account or retrieve any of the content you’ve added to Facebook. However, before deleting your account you can download your photos and posts.

Choosing to delete Facebook Messenger is a great first step in securing your privacy on social media. However, if you use any other platforms, it's worth checking out our social media privacy tips to see how else you can secure your social life online and learn about other social media privacy issues.

Best Facebook Messenger alternatives

Signal is a great choice if you need strong privacy and good functionality. It offers SMS, video calls, groups calls, file-sharing, and disappearing messages options. Moreover, Signal uses strong encryption protocols, doesn’t store your data, and it is open-sourced, so the community constantly reviews its code;
Wickr is another secure messaging app. It automatically deletes your data, so you can be sure it’s not retained. Also, you don’t need your phone number or email address to register. It’s definitely way better solutions privacy-wise, although it is not as user-friendly as many other apps;
Telegram. While the app has some flaws, it’s still better than Messenger. It has disappearing messages, an easy-to-use interface and encryption. However, the latter is not a default, so make sure to enable it. Also, it’s not open-source, so its code is not available for public audit.

Whatever messaging app you use, we strongly recommend you use a VPN. It will encrypt your traffic, and you will communicate safely and privately all the time.

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How do I temporarily deactivate my Facebook account?

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Deactivate or delete your account

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If you delete or deactivate your account, all of its profiles will be deleted or deactivated along with it. Learn more about how to delete or deactivate an individual profile.

You can temporarily deactivate your account and restore it at any time.

To deactivate your account:

Click on your profile picture in the top right corner of the Facebook window.

Select Settings & Privacy and then Settings.

Click Privacy and then Your Facebook Information.

Click Deactivate and delete.

Select Deactivate account, click Proceed to deactivate account and follow the instructions to confirm the deactivation.

You can temporarily deactivate your account and restore it at any time.

To deactivate your account:

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

Scroll down and select Settings & Privacy and then Settings.

Select Personal and account information.

Click Account Management.

Click Deactivate and delete.

Select Deactivate account, click Proceed to deactivate account and follow the instructions to confirm the deactivation.

When your account is deactivated:

Your profile is hidden from other people.

Some information, such as messages you have sent to your friends, may still be available.

Friends can still see your name in their friends list (only your friends and only in the friends list).

Group admins can still see your posts and comments along with your name.

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.

If you do not choose to deactivate your Messenger account or are not logged into Messenger during the deactivation of your Facebook account, your Messenger account will remain active. Learn more about how to deactivate your Messenger account.

When your Facebook account is deactivated but you are still using Messenger:

You can still chat with your friends on Messenger.

Your Facebook profile photo will still be visible in Messenger conversations.

Other people may be looking for you to send a message.

Reactivating your account

You can restore a deactivated Facebook account at any time. To do this, sign in to Facebook or another site with your Facebook account. To complete the reactivation, you will need access to the email address or mobile phone number you use to sign in.

If you alone have full control of a deactivated Page, you can restore the Page after you reactivate your Facebook account.

Learn more about how to permanently delete an account.

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Help Center

Manage your account

Deactivate or delete your account

If you delete or deactivate your account, all of your account profiles will be deleted or deactivated along with it. Learn more about how to delete or deactivate an individual profile.

You can temporarily deactivate your account and restore it at any time.

To deactivate your account:

Click on your profile picture in the top right corner of the Facebook window.

Select Settings & Privacy and then Settings.

Click Privacy and then Your Facebook Information.

Click Deactivate and delete.

Select Deactivate account, click Proceed to deactivate account and follow the instructions to confirm the deactivation.

You can temporarily deactivate your account and restore it at any time.

To deactivate your account:

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

Scroll down and click Settings.

Select Personal and account information.

Click Account Management.

Click Deactivate and delete.

Select Deactivate account, click Continue and follow the instructions to confirm deactivation.

When your account is deactivated:

Your profile is hidden from other people.

Some information, such as messages you have sent to your friends, may still be available.

Friends can still see your name in their friends list (only your friends and only in the friends list).

Group admins can still see your posts and comments along with your name.

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

When your Facebook account is deactivated but you are still using Messenger:

You can still chat with your friends on Messenger.

Your Facebook profile photo will still be visible in Messenger conversations.

Other people may be looking for you to send a message.