Facebook gives you two choices: deactivation or permanent deletion

Permanent deletion removes your account, profile, photos, and posts from Facebook's servers completely. This is different from deactivation, which hides your profile but keeps your data on Facebook's systems. Once you start the permanent deletion process, Facebook gives you 30 days to change your mind. After 30 days, your account and all its contents are gone for good.

The permanent deletion process takes a few minutes to start, but the actual removal from Facebook's systems happens over those 30 days in the background. During this waiting period, most people cannot see your profile, but some cached data may still appear in search results or on other websites that saved your information.

Key Takeaways

  • Permanent deletion takes 30 days to complete, and you can cancel it anytime during those 30 days by logging back in.
  • You must use a web browser on a computer or phone — the Facebook app does not have a permanent deletion option.
  • Facebook will ask you to confirm your password and may ask you to enter a security code sent to your email or phone number.
  • After the 30-day waiting period ends, your account cannot be recovered, so download your photos and messages first if you want to keep them.
  • Some information you shared with other people (like messages they received from you) may remain on their accounts even after your deletion is complete.

Download your information before you delete

Before you start the deletion process, download a copy of your photos, videos, posts, and messages. Once your account is permanently deleted, you cannot get this information back from Facebook. This step takes 10 to 30 minutes depending on how much content you have.

Go to Settings & Privacy in the top right corner of Facebook, then click Settings. On the left side, click Your Information and Permissions, then Download Your Information. Choose the date range and content types you want (photos, posts, messages), select a file format, and click Request a Download. Facebook will email you a link to download your data, usually within a few hours.

Start the permanent deletion process on a web browser

Open Facebook on a computer or phone web browser — not the mobile app. Log in to your account if you are not already logged in. Go to Settings & Privacy in the top right corner, then click Settings.

On the left side of the page, scroll down and click Deactivation and Deletion. You will see two options: "Deactivate Account" and "Delete Account". Click Delete Account. Facebook will ask you to confirm that you want to delete your account permanently. Read the information on this screen — it explains what happens to your data and messages.

Click the Delete Account button to continue. Facebook will ask you to enter your password to confirm the deletion. Type your password and click Continue.

Complete the security verification

After you enter your password, Facebook may ask you to verify your identity using a security code. This code is sent to the email address or phone number linked to your account. Check your email inbox or text messages for a message from Facebook with a six-digit code.

Enter this code into the box on Facebook's screen and click Continue. If you do not receive a code within a few minutes, click Didn't Get a Code? and Facebook will send another one or offer an alternative verification method. Once you enter the correct code, your account deletion will begin.

What happens during the 30-day waiting period

After you complete the deletion steps, your account enters a 30-day waiting period. During this time, your profile will not be visible to other people, and you cannot log in to your account. However, your data still exists on Facebook's servers during these 30 days.

If you change your mind, you can cancel the deletion by logging back into your account with your username and password anytime during the 30 days. Once you log in, the deletion will stop and your account will return to normal. After the 30-day period ends, cancellation is no longer possible.

After the 30 days: what is permanently gone

Once the 30-day waiting period ends, Facebook permanently removes your account from its servers. Your profile, photos, posts, and friend list are deleted. Messages you sent to other people are also deleted from your inbox, though the people who received your messages may still see them in their own inboxes.

Some information may take longer to disappear completely. Search engines like Google may still show your old profile in search results for a while, and other websites that saved or shared your content may still have copies. You can ask Google to remove your profile from its search results by using Google's removal tool, but this is separate from Facebook's deletion process.

Troubleshooting: what to do if deletion does not work

If you click Delete Account but the page does not move forward, clear your browser's cache and cookies, then try again. Close all other Facebook tabs and windows, log out completely, and log back in before attempting deletion again.

If Facebook asks you to verify your identity but you do not receive a security code, check your spam or junk email folder. Make sure the email address and phone number on your account are correct by going to Settings and clicking Personal Information. If your phone number or email has changed, update it first, then try the deletion process again.

If you see an error message saying your account cannot be deleted, you may have a pending payment, an active dispute, or an administrative hold on your account. Contact Facebook's support team through the Help Center to find out why deletion is blocked.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I delete my Facebook account from the mobile app?

No. The Facebook mobile app does not have a permanent deletion option. You must use a web browser on a computer or mobile phone. Open Facebook in Safari, Chrome, Firefox, or another browser, log in, and follow the deletion steps from there.

What happens to my Facebook Messenger account when I delete Facebook?

Your Messenger account is tied to your Facebook account. When you permanently delete Facebook, your Messenger account is also deleted. People will no longer be able to message you, and you will lose access to your message history.

Can someone else see my profile during the 30-day waiting period?

No. Once you start the deletion process, your profile becomes invisible to other users immediately. They cannot find your profile by searching, and they cannot see your posts or photos. However, your data still exists on Facebook's servers during these 30 days.

Will my friends know I deleted my account?

Your friends will notice your profile is gone, but Facebook does not send them a notification that you deleted your account. They may see that you are no longer in their friend list, or they may try to search for you and not find you.

What if I want to delete my account but keep my Instagram account?

Instagram and Facebook are owned by the same company, but they are separate accounts. Deleting your Facebook account does not automatically delete your Instagram account. You can delete Facebook and keep Instagram, or delete them separately. However, if you used your Facebook login to create your Instagram account, you may need to set up a new password for Instagram before deleting Facebook.