How to delete Facebook account: A step-by-step guide

Do you wish to delete Facebook account or even just deactivate Facebook? You’re not alone. People delete their Facebook accounts all the time for different reasons.

It could be that you realize Facebook is taking too much of your productive time, you feel unsafe on Facebook, there are privacy concerns, or you just don’t want to use the platform anymore.

Whatever the reason, this guide will show you how delete Facebook account. It will also show you how to deactivate Facebook, whatever you need. 

Delete or deactivate: What’s the difference?

While you may have a clear reason for shutting down your Facebook account, it can be tricky to know whether you wish to delete or deactivate the account.

To delete Facebook account means to completely erase your account information with no trace on the platform. This means your information cannot be recovered and it’s as if you never had such an account.

On the other hand, to deactivate Facebook means to shut it down for some time. This can be for a week, a month, a year, or longer. The difference is that you can recover a deactivated account whenever you want, with your information and profile intact. 

Hopefully now you know exactly what you want, so let’s show you how to do it, starting with how to deactivate Facebook.

How to deactivate Facebook

So, how do you deactivate Facebook? You can do that by following the steps below.

1. Log into the Facebook account you wish to deactivate.
2. Proceed to Account on the top-right corner where your profile picture is positioned and click on it.
3. Click on Settings and privacy from the options.

4. Click on Settings in the open options again.
5. Proceed to Accounts Centre and click on Personal details.
6. Click on Personal details again from the options.

7. Now, proceed to Account ownership and control on the right side of the page.

8. Click on Deactivation or deletion.

9. Click on the account you wish to deactivate.

10. You’ll see Deactivate account highlighted by default, so simply click on Continue.

11. You’ll be prompted to enter your password and then the process is completed.

Your account will be deactivated and while no one will be able to see your profile or posts for the time when the account is deactivated, your information remains intact and can be recovered whenever you want.

How to delete Facebook account

In case what you want is to completely erase your information on Facebook, what you need is to delete the account. For this option, follow the steps below.

1. Go to Facebook and log into the account you wish to deactivate.
2. Click on Account on the top-right corner of the page.
3. Next, click on Settings and privacy from the options.

4. Click on Settings again among the options provided.
5. Go to Accounts Centre and click on Personal details.
6. Click on Personal details again from the options that open.

7. Go to Account ownership and control on the right side of the page.

8. Click on Deactivation or deletion.

9. Click on the account you wish to delete.

10. You’ll see Deactivate account highlighted by default, but you wish to delete the account so select Delete account instead and click Continue.

11. You’ll be prompted to provide a reason for deleting the account, choose one of the Options.
12. On the next page, click on Continue.

13. On the next page, review the information and see if you want to take any action, then scroll to the bottom to click on Continue.

14. You’ll then be prompted to enter your password. Enter it and click on Continue.

15. On the next page, click on Delete account, and it’s done. 

All your account information will be permanently erased from Facebook and the account cannot be recovered even if you want to.

Final thoughts

If you were looking for how to delete Facebook account or how to deactivate Facebook, hopefully this guide has helped you to do that successfully.

If you find the guide helpful, consider sharing with others who may need similar help so they can be guided too. By the way if you wish to delete or deactivate your Instagram account, here is a guide that will help with that too.

What do you think?