How to delete a Facebook profile or temporarily deactivate a page - instructions

 how to completely delete your Facebook account and all the data it contains. Or deactivate for a while.
Desktop version

Sign in to your account. This can be done in two ways: by clicking on your avatar in the upper left corner of the screen or in the upper right, expanding the menu by clicking on the button in the form of an inverted triangle.

Then, by clicking on the "..." icon, a menu will open in which you need to select "Profile and marks settings".

You are taken to your Facebook profile settings. Go to the "Your information on Facebook" tab. Here you can download all your information from your account first (1) just in case, and then proceed to delete (2).

Before uploading your data, Facebook offers to choose what exactly you want to download: all data in general or just photos and videos, publications, correspondence, etc. By default, the option to download all data is offered. You can also set the desired quality level (the default is High) and the format (HTML or JSON).

Click "Create File". A copy of all your data will begin to be created. Be patient - you will notice this for a while.

When the process is over, Facebook will notify you with a pop-up message. You can download the archive here - in the "Available Copies" tab.

You can also import your photos and videos to one of the alternative services. This option is available in the "Transfer a copy of all your photos and videos" tab.

Among the service options are Dropbox, Google Photos and others.

When your data has already been uploaded and you are ready to delete your account, return to the "Your Facebook Information" tab in the settings and go to the "Deactivation and Deletion" menu at the bottom of the page (2).

Here you have only two options: temporarily deactivate your account or delete it permanently. Curiously, Facebook decided not to translate this page into Ukrainian.

In the first case, the account will be blocked - users will not be able to view your publications, photos and videos. Your name, information and profile photo will be hidden. In this case, you can continue to use Messenger (you need to deactivate the messenger separately).

You can deactivate your account only by entering the password for it. After that, you are taken to the deactivation page. You will be asked for a reason and take into account that the pages that you administer will be blocked along with your account. To avoid this, you need to appoint another admin.

If you want to continue to receive notifications from your contacts (marking you on their photos and posts, invitations to groups and events, etc.), check the "Email opt out" checkbox. Notifications will be sent to your email.

To deactivate your account, click on the "Deactivate" button in the lower left corner. A window will pop up in which you will be asked not to do stupid things, and instead of deactivation, simply log out of your account.

Click "close", then click the "Deactivate" button again. Finally, you will be asked to confirm your decision by clicking on the "Deactivate now" button.

You can then restore your account using your phone number and email. All data in it will be saved.

If your decision is final and you intend to leave Facebook permanently, your choice is “Delete account”. Then click on the blue "Continue to Account Deletion" button.

In the next window, Facebook will warn you that after deleting your account, you will no longer be able to use the messenger, and all your correspondence will be deleted. You will also not be able to access third-party services through Facebook Login, and the accounts associated with this registration method will not be available to you.

    The message says that once the process of deleting an account is started, it can no longer be canceled. All your data will also be destroyed. It will be impossible to reactivate your account.

    This is not entirely true. Facebook retains all account data for 30 days after you initiate the deletion in case you change your mind. To cancel the deletion of an account after its initiation, just log in and click the "Cancel deletion" button.

Moreover, your data will be stored on the social network for at least 90 days from the date of deletion. And a copy of the data - and after this period. Facebook needs this copy in case of legal proceedings or force majeure related to leaks and fraud. You can read more about this here.

If you're serious about it, just complete the uninstallation and don't sign in again.

mobile version

Hopefully, there is no need to remind you that simply uninstalling the application is not enough. To remove from Facebook from your mobile phone, you also need to log into your account, go to your profile and click on the button with three dots.

The settings menu will open. We select the option "Quick privacy settings".

After that, you need to patiently scroll down to the section "Your information on Facebook" and select the menu item "Delete account and information".

Here are the same options: deactivation or removal. Further, the process is practically no different from that described above. Push on the button "Continue with deleting the account", after which the social network, most likely, will inform you that the current session has expired and will force you to re-login. This will take you to the main page with a news feed. It already becomes clear here that Facebook is resisting the churn of users as much as possible.

Do not be lazy to re-enter the uninstall menu from the very beginning. Then click "Continue with account deletion" to the bitter end, ignoring all Facebook attempts to intimidate you that this is irrevocable and forever. After such persistent admonitions, a feeling of unease arises: as if life outside Facebook does not exist.

You can complete the process only by entering your password and thus confirming that the account is yours.

Fear not, there will be another one behind this step. Here you finally learn that "Facebook permanent deletion" is not all that irrevocable.

After clicking on the "Delete account" button, you will be taken to the main page. Here you are reminded that you still have 30 days to change your mind.

For users, your account now looks like this:

For you, it looks like this:

If it suddenly seems to you that you have forgotten something and need to return for a while, you just need to log into your account. Facebook will immediately offer you to understand, forgive and accept everything back. So that this time you definitely do not leave, at the top of the page on a red background you will be shown the date when the comeback will no longer be possible.

Just click "Exit" and don't take it to heart.