How to close out your facebook account

Facebook’s reputation has taken a number of hits over the years with privacy and misinformation playing a big part. Whether you’ve lost trust in the site or you simply don’t find yourself logging in anymore, here’s how to delete your Facebook account. 

There are two options when it comes to shutting down your Facebook account – deleting and deactivating.

In this guide, we’ll take you through the process of permanently deleting your account. However, if you’re mostly just looking to take a short break, scroll down to the bottom of the page to learn more about deactivation.

It’s important to note that deleting your account will erase all of your posts, photos, videos and pages you control, along with any Oculus purchases and achievements. 

You also won’t be able to use Messenger anymore, and any apps you’ve been using with Facebook Login (such as Spotify or Pinterest) will need to be recovered with those websites. 

If you’ve come to terms with all of this, follow the steps below to delete your Facebook account permanently. 

What you’ll need: 

• A Facebook account you don’t want anymore 

The Short Version 

1. Open your Facebook Settings 
2. Go to Your Facebook Information 
3. Click Deactivation and Deletion 
4. Choose Delete Account 
5. Enter your password to confirm 

How to delete a Facebook account

1. Step
   1

   Go to your Facebook feed

   

   We’ll be using screenshots from the desktop browser version of Facebook, but you can also do this on your phone.

   

2. Step
   2

   Click the arrow in the top right corner

   

   This should show you a drop-down menu with your account settings.

   

3. Step
   3

   Select Settings & Privacy

   

   The icon will look like a cog.

   

4. Step
   4

   Select Settings

   

   Or click the cog icon again.

   

5. Step
   5

   Go to Your Facebook Information

   

   The tab will be on the left side of the page.

   

6. Step
   6

   Choose Deactivation And Deletion

   

   You can also download a copy of your data at this stage.

   

7. Step
   7

   Select Delete Account and Continue To Account Deletion

   

   Alternatively, you can choose to deactivate your account at this stage. Deactivating will disable your account temporarily, but you’ll still be able to use Messenger and recover the account later.

   

8. Step
   8

   Click Delete Account

   

   This is your last chance to download or transfer any of your account data.

   

9. Step
   9

   Enter your password and hit Continue

   

   That’s it! You’ve permanently deleted your Facebook account.

   

Troubleshooting

Can I delete my account temporarily?

If you’re mostly just looking to take a break from Facebook, or want to use Messenger but don’t want people to visit your profile, there is the option to deactivate your account. You’ll still be able to use Facebook Login to access apps like Spotify and Pinterest but you won’t be able to log into Oculus (now Meta) headsets anymore.

To temporarily deactivate your account, just choose Deactivate Account at step 7. You can then return whenever you feel like it.

What if I change my mind?

If you’ve deleted your account and change your mind within 30 days, you can cancel the process and recover your account. However, if 30 days have passed, you’re out of luck and will need to create a new account.

To cancel your account deletion, just log into Facebook and click Cancel Deletion.

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How do I permanently delete my Facebook account?

What happens when I deactivate my Facebook account?