How to Close a Facebook Account

You can close your Facebook account in two ways: deactivate it (reversible, hides your profile) or delete it (permanent, wipes your data after 30 days). Both run through Meta’s Accounts Center, which now controls Facebook, Instagram, and Threads from one place.

Pick the option that matches what you want:

Deactivate — your profile, photos, and posts are hidden from everyone else. You can reactivate any time by logging back in. You can keep using Messenger on its own.
Delete — your account and data are queued for permanent removal. You have 30 days to change your mind. After that, it’s gone for good.

How to Deactivate a Facebook Account

On the Facebook mobile app (iPhone or Android)

Open the Facebook app and tap the menu icon (three horizontal lines). On iPhone it’s at the bottom right; on Android it’s at the top right.
Scroll down and tap Settings & Privacy, then Settings.
Tap Accounts Center at the top of the menu.
Under Account settings, tap Personal details.
Tap Account ownership and control, then Deactivation or deletion.
Choose your Facebook account, then select Deactivate account.
Enter your password, pick a reason, and tap Continue to confirm.

On a web browser

Log in at facebook.com.
Click your profile picture in the top right, then Settings & Privacy → Settings.
In the left sidebar, click Accounts Center.
Click Personal details → Account ownership and control.
Click Deactivation or deletion, choose your Facebook account, then Deactivate account.
Enter your password and confirm.

After deactivation your name disappears from friends’ lists, your timeline is hidden, and you stop showing up in search. Friends can still see old messages you sent them. To come back, just log in again with your email and password.

How to Permanently Delete a Facebook Account

Step 1: Download your data first

You can’t recover anything once deletion finalizes, so save what you want to keep:

Go to Settings & Privacy → Settings → Accounts Center.
Tap Your information and permissions.
Tap Download your information.
Pick the data categories you want (posts, photos, messages, friends list), choose a date range and format (HTML or JSON), then tap Create files.
Facebook emails you when the archive is ready, usually within a few hours.

Step 2: Submit the deletion request

Open Accounts Center from Settings (mobile or browser, same path as above).
Tap Personal details → Account ownership and control → Deactivation or deletion.
Select your Facebook account.
Choose Delete account instead of Deactivate.
Tap Continue, enter your password, and confirm.

You can also start the request directly at facebook.com/help/delete_account.

Step 3: Stay logged out for 30 days

Meta keeps your account in a 30-day grace period after you submit the request. If you log into Facebook or Messenger during that window, the deletion is cancelled and your account is restored. Don’t tap “Cancel Deletion” if you want it gone — and avoid logging in to any app that uses Facebook Login (Spotify, Pinterest, games) with that account.

After 30 days the deletion is locked in. Meta says full removal of your data from its servers takes up to 90 days. Backup copies may persist for limited legal and security purposes.

What Happens When You Permanently Delete Your Facebook Account

Your profile, photos, posts, videos, and reactions are wiped.
You lose access to Facebook Messenger.
Apps you signed into using “Continue with Facebook” (Spotify, Pinterest, dating apps) will stop working — contact each one to switch to email login before you delete.
If your Facebook account is linked to Meta Quest, your purchased apps, store credit, and achievements go with it.
Messages you sent to friends remain visible in their inboxes — Meta only deletes your side of the conversation.
Pages, groups, and ads accounts you solely admin will also be deleted unless you transfer ownership first.

Deactivate or Delete — Which Should You Pick?

Question	Pick Deactivate	Pick Delete
Want a break but might come back?	✓
Done with Facebook for good?		✓
Still want to use Messenger?	✓
Want all your data wiped from Meta?		✓
Use Facebook Login on other apps?	✓ (keeps working)	✗ (breaks logins)
Privacy concerns the main reason?		✓

Can You Recover a Deleted Facebook Account?

Only inside the 30-day grace period. Log back in to facebook.com, and Facebook prompts you with a “Cancel Deletion” button. Click it and your account snaps back exactly as it was.

After day 30, no. Meta cannot restore an account once the grace period closes — not by phone, email, or in-person request.

Deactivation, by contrast, has no time limit. Your account stays paused until you log back in, whether that’s a week or five years later.

Common Issues When Closing a Facebook Account

“Accounts Center” option missing in Facebook Lite — Use a browser instead, or open the full Facebook app.
Forgot your password — Reset it at facebook.com/login/identify before starting deletion.
Account hacked — Recover it first at facebook.com/hacked, then delete.
Linked Instagram or Threads account — Deleting Facebook does not automatically delete linked Instagram. You delete each in Accounts Center separately.