How to Quit Facebook: Deactivate or Permanently Delete Your Account

Maybe you're tired of the arguments, the ads or the time it eats. Maybe you're worried about privacy, or you simply don't use it anymore. Whatever the reason, quitting Facebook is easier than many people think, but there are a few decisions to make first, and one important thing to do before you press the button: save what you want to keep.

Deactivate or delete?

Facebook offers two ways to leave.

Deactivate if you want a break, aren't sure, or still want Messenger. Delete if you're sure you want to leave for good.

Before you go: a short checklist

1. Download your information

Facebook lets you download a copy of your photos, videos, posts, messages, friends list and more.

1. Go to Settings & privacy, then Settings, then Accounts Center.
2. Choose Your information and permissions.
3. Select Download your information (sometimes labeled export your information).
4. Pick your Facebook account, the categories and date range you want, and a format. HTML is easiest to browse; JSON is better if you plan to import into another service.
5. Submit the request. Facebook notifies you when the file is ready to download.

Large accounts can take a while to prepare, so do this a few days before you delete. Our guide to saving a copy of your Facebook data explains the options in more detail.

2. Check what you sign in to with Facebook

Games, shopping sites and apps that use "Continue with Facebook" may lock you out once your account is gone. Go to Apps and websites in Settings and switch each important service to an email-and-password login first. Our guide to Facebook app privacy shows where to find this list.

3. Hand over Pages and groups

If you're the only admin of a Facebook Page or group, such as a school club, sports team or neighborhood group, add another admin before you leave, or it may become orphaned.

4. Tell people how to reach you

Post a goodbye with your preferred contact method, or message close contacts directly.

5. Save photos others posted of you

Downloads include your own uploads, not photos friends posted. If there are pictures you want, ask friends to send them.

How to deactivate your Facebook account

1. Open Settings & privacy, then Settings.
2. Go to Accounts Center.
3. Choose Personal details, then Account ownership and control.
4. Select Deactivation or deletion and choose your Facebook account.
5. Select Deactivate account, then follow the prompts. You'll be asked why you're leaving and whether you want to keep using Messenger.

To reactivate, just log back in.

How to permanently delete your Facebook account

1. Follow steps 1 through 4 above.
2. Select Delete account, then Continue.
3. Facebook may offer to deactivate instead, or to download your information. Continue when you're ready.
4. Enter your password to confirm.

Facebook then starts a 30-day waiting period. During that time your account is hidden, and logging in gives you the option to cancel the deletion. After 30 days, deletion begins and can't be undone. Facebook says it can take up to 90 days to remove everything from its systems, though your information isn't accessible to others on Facebook during that time.

What stays behind

Even after deletion, some things may remain:

• Messages you sent stay in the recipients' inboxes.
• Photos and posts others shared that include you remain on their accounts, though tags to your profile are removed.
• Copies in backups may linger for a limited time.
• Instagram, Threads and other Meta accounts are separate and aren't deleted with Facebook.

If you're quitting for your family

Some parents quit or step back from Facebook to model healthier habits, or because they no longer want to share their children's lives online. If that's you:

• Go through photos of your children before you delete, and download the ones you want.
• Think about other places those photos live, like shared albums or relatives' accounts, and ask relatives what they're comfortable posting.
• If your teen is on Facebook, deleting your own account doesn't affect theirs, but supervision you've set up for them from your own account through Meta's Family Center will likely end. Our guide to kids on Facebook covers supervision options.

Not ready to quit?

If what bothers you is the noise rather than Facebook itself, you might prefer to tighten things up first: limit your audience, turn off most notifications, unfollow people and pages, or take a break with deactivation. Our 5-minute Facebook Privacy Checkup is a good place to start.

Quitting checklist

• Download your information and check the file opens.
• Switch important apps from Facebook Login to email and password.
• Add another admin to any Pages or groups you run.
• Share how people can reach you.
• Decide: deactivate (reversible) or delete (permanent after 30 days).
• Delete Instagram or other Meta accounts separately if you want to leave those too.