How to Delete Your Facebook Account Permanently
Ready to leave Facebook for good? Deleting your Facebook account permanently removes your profile, timeline, photos, posts, friend lists, and all other data associated with your account. This guide walks you through every step to delete or deactivate your Facebook account in 2026.
Before You Delete: Download Your Data
Before permanently deleting your account, download a copy of your Facebook data so you don’t lose important photos and memories. Go to Settings & Privacy > Settings > Accounts Center > Your information and permissions > Download your information. Select Download or transfer information, choose your Facebook profile, and select the data you want. Choose your preferred format (HTML is easier to browse, JSON is better for data portability) and click Create files. Facebook will notify you when your download is ready.
How to Delete Facebook on Desktop
Log into Facebook at facebook.com. Click your profile picture in the top right and select Settings & Privacy > Settings. Click Accounts Center in the left menu. Go to Personal details > Account ownership and control > Deactivation or deletion. Select your Facebook account. Choose Delete account and click Continue. Enter your password and click Continue again. Click Delete account to confirm. Your account enters a 30-day grace period. If you log back in during this period, you can cancel the deletion.
How to Delete Facebook on iPhone or Android
Open the Facebook app and tap the menu icon (three lines). Scroll down and tap Settings & Privacy > Settings. Tap Accounts Center > Personal details > Account ownership and control > Deactivation or deletion. Select your Facebook account. Choose Delete account and follow the prompts. Enter your password and confirm. The 30-day grace period begins immediately.
How to Deactivate Facebook Temporarily
Deactivation keeps your data intact but hides your profile from everyone. Go to Settings > Accounts Center > Personal details > Account ownership and control > Deactivation or deletion. Select your Facebook account and choose Deactivate account. Select a reason for leaving and confirm with your password. To reactivate, simply log back in — everything will be restored exactly as you left it. Note that Messenger still works even when your Facebook is deactivated.
What Gets Deleted vs. What Stays
Permanently deleted: Your profile, photos, posts, videos, friend list, likes, comments, events you created, and Groups you created (if you’re the sole admin). NOT deleted: Messages you sent to friends (they keep their copy), content others have shared or screenshot, your name may still appear in friends’ friend lists briefly. Facebook states it may take up to 90 days after the 30-day grace period to fully delete all backup copies of your data from their servers.
Delete Facebook Without Knowing Your Password
Go to facebook.com and click Forgot password? on the login page. Enter your email, phone number, or name to find your account. Facebook will send a recovery code via email or SMS. Enter the code, create a new password, and log in. Then follow the deletion steps above.
Important Considerations Before Deleting
If you use Facebook Login for other apps and websites (like Spotify, Airbnb, etc.), you’ll lose access to those accounts unless you set up separate login credentials first. Check your apps that use Facebook Login before deleting. If you’re an admin of Facebook Pages or Groups, transfer ownership to someone else first, or those Pages/Groups may be deleted or become inaccessible. If you use Meta Business Suite or Facebook Ads, handle your business accounts and any active campaigns before deletion.
Frequently Asked Questions
How long does it take to permanently delete Facebook? 30 days after you initiate deletion, plus up to 90 days for Facebook to remove all backup copies from their servers.
Can I recover my Facebook account after deletion? Only within the 30-day grace period by logging back in. After that, deletion is permanent.
Does deleting Facebook delete Instagram? No. They are separate accounts managed through Meta Accounts Center. You must delete each one individually.
Will my Messenger conversations disappear? Your copy of conversations will be deleted, but the people you messaged will still have their copies.
Can I keep Messenger without Facebook? Yes, you can deactivate Facebook while keeping Messenger active. However, full account deletion removes Messenger access too.
