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A guide to quitting FB & deleting your Facebook profile
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Do you spend too much time scrolling through Facebook and want to quit? Deleting or deactivating your Facebook account will prevent you from logging in so you can stop spending so much time on the platform. This guide will teach you how to quit Facebook, either temporarily or for good. We'll also explain what happens when you leave Facebook and whether you can still use Messenger.
Quick Steps
- Click your profile icon on Facebook.
- Click Settings & privacy > Settings .
- Click See more in Accounts Center .
- Click Personal details > Account ownership and control .
- Click Deactivation or deletion .
- Select the account and click Delete .
- Follow the on-screen instructions to confirm.
Steps
Section 1 of 4:
Deleting or Deactivating in Accounts Center
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Click or tap your profile icon on Facebook and select Settings & privacy . You'll see your profile icon in the top right corner of the web browser.- You can follow these steps on your computer or using the Facebook mobile app on your smartphone or tablet.
- Once you delete your account, you can delete or uninstall the mobile apps from iPhone and Android .
- Facebook is updating Accounts Center all the time, so words and positioning of buttons may vary slightly. [1] X Research source
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Click or tap Settings . It's next to a gear icon.Advertisement -
Click or tap See more in Accounts Center . It's in the top left corner. This might say "Accounts Center" instead.- If you don't see "Accounts Center", use Settings instead.
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Click or tap Personal details . You'll see this in the left menu under "Account settings."- If this option is at the bottom of the menu, you'll need to delete your account using Facebook settings instead.
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Click or tap Account ownership and control . It's the last item under "Personal details." -
Click or tap Deactivation or deletion . Another window will appear with your connected accounts. -
Select the account you want to delete. You can read if you want to "Deactivate account" or "Delete account."- Deactivate account
is a temporary action and means your account will be hidden until it's reactivated in Accounts Center. You can also reactivate the account by logging in. None of your data will be deleted.
- Use this option if you want to quit Facebook without deleting it.
- Delete account is a permanent action. Your comments, profile, photos, videos, and likes will be permanently removed. You cannot recover an account that has been deleted.
- Deactivate account
is a temporary action and means your account will be hidden until it's reactivated in Accounts Center. You can also reactivate the account by logging in. None of your data will be deleted.
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Select "Delete account" and click or tap Continue . Follow the on-screen instructions to delete your account, such as entering your account password. [2] X Research source
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Section 2 of 4:
Deleting or Deactivating in Facebook Settings
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-
Click or tap your profile icon on Facebook and select Settings & privacy . You'll see your profile icon in the top right corner of the web browser.- You can follow these steps on your computer or using the Facebook mobile app on your smartphone or tablet.
-
Click or tap Settings . It's next to a gear icon. -
Click or tap Profile Acess and Control . It's in the menu on the left side of the page.- If you don't see this menu option, you'll have to delete your account using Accounts Center .
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Click or tap Deactivation or deletion . Another window will appear with your connected accounts. -
Select the account you want to delete. You can read if you want to "Deactivate account" or "Delete account."- Deactivate account
is a temporary action and means your account will be hidden until it's reactivated in Accounts Center. You can also reactivate the account by logging in. None of your data will be deleted.
- Use this option if you want to quit Facebook without deleting it.
- Delete account is a permanent action. Your comments, profile, photos, videos, and likes will be permanently removed. You cannot recover an account that has been deleted.
- Deactivate account
is a temporary action and means your account will be hidden until it's reactivated in Accounts Center. You can also reactivate the account by logging in. None of your data will be deleted.
-
Select "Delete account" and click or tap Continue . Follow the on-screen instructions to delete your account, such as entering your account password. [3] X Research source
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Community Q&A
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QuestionHow do I know what else there is that makes it worthwhile to quit Facebook?Community AnswerIf you find yourself spending, say, 10 hours a week on Facebook, make a list of all the other things you could accomplish in that time. Seeing this number of hours written down can make you feel the harsh reality that you're wasting your life away on Facebook. Here are some things you could do instead: Pick up a part-time job and save up (or even invest) that money. Teach your kid (or kid sibling) how to throw a football. Get fit. Spend time socializing with people in your real life. Clean your room. Volunteer. Read a book. Teach yourself a new language. Make a Papasan chair cushion. Listen to music and make it a routine. An album per day or so. Find a new hobby or activity to do. There is plenty else...
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QuestionDo I need to remove my profile picture when quitting Facebook?Community AnswerNo. Once you deactivate your account, everything related to your account will disappear.
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QuestionCan I deactivate or even delete my Facebook page but stay in a group I still want to be connected to?Community AnswerNo. Once you get rid of your Facebook, you will be removed from any Facebook groups you're a member of. However, if that group is open to public view, you can bookmark it and view it as you please from that link.
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Tips
- Delete posts that you don't want online. While deleting your Facebook account will eventually remove all of your information from online (this can take up to 90 days), delete any sensitive or personal posts you don't want Google (or other search engines) to archive. Archived posts are searchable after you deactivate your account, and can take several weeks to disappear from search engines. [5] X Research sourceThanks
- Once you delete your Facebook account, you have 30 days to change your mind. If you do change your mind, simply log back into Facebook using your email address (or phone number) and password, then click Cancel Deletion when prompted.Thanks
Tips from our Readers
The advice in this section is based on the lived experiences of wikiHow readers like you. If you have a helpful tip you’d like to share on wikiHow, please submit it in the field below.
- Keep a to-do list to fill the time so you aren't bored and automatically go for Facebook. When you're bored, go through your list and pick things out of it like knitting or bicycling
- Remember to delete your other accounts like Instagram.
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Warnings
- Once your Facebook account has been deleted, you cannot get it back.Thanks
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References
- ↑ https://www.facebook.com/help/250563911970368
- ↑ https://www.facebook.com/help/224562897555674?cms_platform=android-app&helpref=platform_switcher
- ↑ https://www.facebook.com/help/224562897555674?cms_platform=android-app&helpref=platform_switcher
- ↑ https://www.facebook.com/help/messenger-app/931186400288334
- ↑ https://www.facebook.com/help/154908788002686
About This Article
Thanks to all authors for creating a page that has been read 2,370,295 times.
Reader Success Stories
- "Kind of hard. Mostly I used Facebook to keep my self up-to-date with the games I play. But even then Facebook is a social media, and I rarely use it to chat with anyone else. I've deleted my Facebook account, so I hope I can be better by doing this!" ..." more
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"Kind of hard. Mostly I used Facebook to keep my self up-to-date with the games I play. But even then Facebook is a social media, and I rarely use it to chat with anyone else. I've deleted my Facebook account, so I hope I can be better by doing this!"
..."
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"Been contemplating not looking at Facebook and deleting it. I feel family pressure to stay on. But I don't like Facebook. Thanks for the article. great help."
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