Facebook: Deactivating Your Facebook Account

Deactivating your Facebook account

If you decide that you no longer want to use Facebook, it's easy to deactivate your account. When you deactivate your account, you're hiding all of your information on Facebook. No one will be able to contact you on Facebook or view the things you've shared, including your Timeline, status updates, photos, and so on. If you decide that you'd like to return to Facebook, you'll still be able to reactivate your account and recover your old information.

To deactivate your account:

1. Click the drop-down arrow on the toolbar, then select Settings.
   
2. The settings page will appear. Select General > Manage Account, then click Deactivate.
3. Select a reason for deactivating the account. If you want, you can add more details in the text box below. When you're done, click Deactivate.
   
4. Select Deactivate Now.
   
5. Your account is now deactivated. You'll have the option to reactivate your account at any time by signing in to Facebook with your old account information.
   

Deleting your Facebook account

Deactivating your account does not fully delete it. When you deactivate your account, Facebook saves all of your settings, photos, and information in case you decide to reactivate your account. Your information isn't gone—it's just hidden. However, it is possible todelete your account permanently with no option for recovery.

You should only do this if you are absolutely sure you want to permanently delete your Facebook account.

To delete your Facebook account, follow this link to the Delete My Account page. Sign in to Facebook, then click Delete My Account.