How to Delete Your Facebook Account in 2026 (Permanent & Temporary)

Whether you are leaving Facebook for good, taking a break from social media, or simply concerned about your privacy and data, this guide covers everything you need to know — step by step, on every device, in 2026.

Facebook now manages all account deletion and deactivation through Meta Accounts Center, which is shared with Instagram and other Meta products. The old direct deletion links no longer work. This guide reflects the current process.

Before You Do Anything: Read This First

Deleting your Facebook account is permanent and irreversible once the 30-day grace period passes. Everything disappears:

• Your profile, cover photo, and bio
• Every post, photo, and video you ever shared
• Your entire timeline and memories
• All your comments and reactions on other people's posts
• Your friend list and follower connections
• Your Facebook groups (if you are the sole admin, the group may also be deleted)
• Access to Facebook Messenger — your entire message history will be gone
• Any apps or websites where you used “Log in with Facebook”

There is no partial deletion. It is all or nothing.

One important nuance: if you log back into Facebook at any point during the 30-day window, the deletion is automatically cancelled and you have to start the process over.

If there is any chance you might return, deactivation keeps everything intact and lets you come back at any time simply by logging in.

Step 1: Download Your Facebook Data (Do Not Skip This)

Before deleting, save a copy of your data. This is especially important for photos, videos, and conversations you may want to keep.

On desktop:

1. Log into Facebook and click your profile picture in the top right
2. Click Settings & privacy → Settings
3. Click Accounts Center in the left sidebar
4. Click Your information and permissions
5. Click Download your information
6. Select Download or transfer information
7. Choose your Facebook profile
8. Select the data you want (or choose All to get everything)
9. Choose your format — HTML is easier to browse; JSON is better for data portability
10. Click Create files

Facebook will email you when your download is ready. Depending on how much data you have, this can take anywhere from a few minutes to several hours.

On mobile:

1. Tap the three lines (☰) menu
2. Tap Settings & privacy → Settings
3. Tap Accounts Center
4. Tap Your information and permissions → Download your information
5. Follow the same steps as above

Note: Once your account is deleted, you can no longer request a download. Do this before you begin the deletion process.

How to Permanently Delete Your Facebook Account in 2026

On Desktop (PC or Mac)

1. Go to facebook.com and log in
2. Click your profile picture in the top right corner
3. Click Settings & privacy → Settings
4. Click Accounts Center in the left sidebar
5. Click Personal details
6. Click Account ownership and control
7. Click Deactivation or deletion
8. Select your Facebook account from the list
9. Select Delete account
10. Click Continue to account deletion
11. Choose a reason from the dropdown (required)
12. Click Continue
13. Enter your password to verify your identity
14. Click Delete account to confirm

Your profile is hidden immediately. The account will be permanently deleted after 30 days.

On Mobile — iPhone (iOS)

1. Open the Facebook app and tap the three lines (☰) in the bottom right
2. Scroll down and tap Settings & privacy → Settings
3. Tap Accounts Center
4. Tap Personal details
5. Tap Account ownership and control
6. Tap Deactivation or deletion
7. Select your Facebook account
8. Choose Delete account
9. Tap Continue to account deletion
10. Select a reason and tap Continue
11. Enter your password
12. Tap Delete account to confirm

On Mobile — Android

The steps are identical to iOS:

1. Open Facebook and tap ☰ (bottom right on some versions, top right on others)
2. Tap Settings & privacy → Settings
3. Tap Accounts Center → Personal details
4. Tap Account ownership and control → Deactivation or deletion
5. Select your Facebook account, choose Delete account, and follow the prompts
6. Enter your password and confirm

On Mobile Browser (Without the App)

If you prefer not to use the app:

1. Open your browser (Chrome, Safari, etc.) and go to facebook.com
2. Log in and tap the profile icon or menu
3. Navigate to Settings & privacy → Settings → Accounts Center
4. Follow the same path: Personal details → Account ownership and control → Deactivation or deletion

The process is identical to desktop — all through Meta Accounts Center.

How to Temporarily Deactivate Your Facebook Account

Deactivation hides your profile, timeline, and photos from everyone. You can reactivate instantly by simply logging back in — everything will be exactly as you left it.

Key difference from deletion: Messenger continues to work even when your account is deactivated. Your friends can still message you and you can still reply.

On desktop:

1. Go to Settings → Accounts Center → Personal details → Account ownership and control → Deactivation or deletion
2. Select your Facebook account
3. Choose Deactivate account (not Delete)
4. Select a reason, enter your password, and confirm

On mobile: Same path through the app: ☰ → Settings & privacy → Settings → Accounts Center → Personal details → Account ownership and control → Deactivation or deletion → Deactivate account

Delete vs. Deactivate: Which One Is Right for You?

Choose deactivation if: you need a break, are feeling overwhelmed by social media, or are not 100% sure you want to leave permanently.

Choose deletion if: you have made a firm decision, want your data removed from Meta's servers, or no longer want any connection to the platform.

What Happens After You Delete Your Facebook Account?

Here is the full timeline:

Immediately after confirming deletion: Your profile vanishes. No one can search for you, view your timeline, tag you in posts, or see your comments. You are effectively invisible on the platform.

During the 30-day grace period: Your account exists in a suspended state. You can cancel deletion at any time by logging back in — Facebook will show you a prompt to cancel. If you log in accidentally during this period, deletion is cancelled automatically and you will need to restart the process.

After 30 days: Permanent deletion begins. Facebook starts removing your data from its active servers.

Up to 90 days after the 30-day period: Copies of your data in Facebook's backup systems are gradually erased. During this time, your content is not visible to anyone, but residual copies may still exist in backups. This is standard practice for large platforms and is covered in Meta's Data Policy.

What stays behind: Some data may be retained even after full deletion, including records Facebook is legally required to keep, data that has been shared with third parties (which Facebook cannot retrieve), and messages you sent to other people (these remain in their inboxes, shown as sent from a deleted account).

What Happens to Apps Connected to Your Facebook Account?

If you used “Log in with Facebook” to sign up for other apps or websites — Spotify, Airbnb, Tinder, and many others — those logins will stop working once your account is deleted.

Before deleting, you should:

1. Go to each app's settings and add a direct email/password login
2. Or transfer your account to a different login method

Otherwise you may lose access to accounts on other platforms entirely.

To see which apps are connected: Settings → Security and login → Apps and websites (on desktop).

What Happens to Facebook Groups You Admin?

If you are the sole admin of a Facebook group, deleting your account will leave the group without an administrator. Facebook may delete the group or leave it in a locked, unmanaged state depending on its size and activity.

Before deleting, you should:

• Promote another trusted member to admin
• Or manually delete the group yourself

If you are just a member or a non-sole admin of groups, your deletion simply removes you from those groups with no further impact.

What If You Forgot Your Password?

You need your password to complete deletion. If you have forgotten it:

1. Go to facebook.com or open the app
2. Click or tap Forgot password?
3. Enter your email address, phone number, or full name
4. Follow the reset instructions sent to your email or phone
5. Once you regain access, proceed with deletion

If you no longer have access to the email or phone number linked to your account, use Facebook's Identify and recover your account tool at facebook.com/help — you may be able to verify your identity through trusted contacts or official ID submission.

Deleting a Facebook Page (Not a Personal Account)

Deleting a Facebook Page is a separate process from deleting your personal account. Pages are managed through Meta Business Suite or directly through the page settings.

To delete a Page:

1. Go to the Page
2. Click Settings (gear icon)
3. Click General → Remove page → Delete [Page name]

Deleting a Page does not affect your personal Facebook account. Conversely, deleting your personal account will remove any Pages that you are the sole admin of.

Can You Delete Facebook Without the App?

Yes. The entire process works through any web browser at facebook.com. You do not need the Facebook app installed. Desktop or mobile browser both work — the path is the same through Meta Accounts Center.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I recover my Facebook account after deletion? Only within 30 days. Log back in before the window closes and click Cancel deletion. After 30 days, the account is permanently and irreversibly gone.

Will deleting Facebook delete my Instagram too? No. Facebook and Instagram are separate accounts managed through the same Meta Accounts Center, but deletion of one does not affect the other. You would need to delete each separately.

Does deleting Facebook remove my data from Meta permanently? Your account and content become invisible immediately. Full removal from Meta's servers and backups can take up to 90 days after the 30-day grace period. Some information — such as messages sent to others — may remain visible in their conversations indefinitely.

What happens to my Messenger after I delete Facebook? Once your Facebook account is deleted, you lose access to Messenger and your entire message history. Unlike deactivation (where Messenger keeps working), deletion is final for messages too.

I started the deletion process but changed my mind. What do I do? Log back into Facebook within 30 days of initiating the deletion. You will see a prompt asking if you want to cancel — click Cancel deletion and your account will be fully restored.

Can I delete Facebook if I manage a business account or ad account? You can, but proceed carefully. If your personal account is the only admin of a Business Manager, Ad Account, or Facebook Page, those assets may become inaccessible or permanently lost. Before deleting, either transfer admin rights to another person or close those accounts properly through Meta Business Suite.

Will my name still appear in other people's posts after I delete my account? Tags and mentions of your name in other people's posts may remain visible, but they will no longer link to your profile. Your comments on others' posts will typically be removed or show as posted by a deleted account.

How long does it take for Facebook to fully delete my data? Active deletion of your account takes 30 days. Removal from all backup systems can take up to 90 additional days. Some legally required records may be retained longer per Meta's Data Policy.

This guide reflects the Facebook account deletion process as of 2026 through Meta Accounts Center. Facebook's interface may be updated over time. If any steps described here differ from what you see on screen, visit facebook.com/help for the most current instructions.