Thinking about leaving Facebook behind? While the platform boasts billions of users, some may find themselves wanting to disconnect completely.
While leaving Facebook might seem like a simple click away, it’s far from it. Facebook buries the account deletion process deep within settings, making it a confusing and complex experience for users who want to permanently remove their profiles and data from the platform. This lack of transparency can leave users frustrated and unsure if they’ve truly disconnected from the social media giant.
Many users mistakenly deactivate their Facebook account when aiming for a permanent exit. Deactivation simply hides your profile and activity; your data remains stored on Facebook’s servers. To truly sever ties with the platform, permanent deletion is the action you need to do it.
Here’s where things get a little tricky. Facebook doesn’t make account deletion readily apparent. You’ll need to navigate through menus and follow specific steps:
- Log in to your Facebook account and access your settings. This you will find by clicking the downward arrow in the top right corner and selecting “Settings & Privacy.”
- Within settings, look for a section titled “Your Facebook Information” or “Your Account Information.”
- Within this section, locate the option for “Deactivation and Deletion.”
- Select the option to “Delete Account” and confirm your decision.
Note that while Facebook initiates the deletion process upon confirmation, it can take up to 90 days for your data to be completely removed from their servers. During this period, your account remains inaccessible but not fully deleted. If you wish to keep some Facebook data, like photos or messages, you can download a copy before initiating deletion. Facebook offers a tool for this purpose within the “Your Facebook Information” section.
For those who don’t want to completely sever ties with Facebook, they can consider to take a break from Facebook while keeping your data readily available for reactivation later.