- Deactivating hides your profile and is reversible anytime. Deleting is permanent after a 30-day grace period.
- To delete: Settings → Accounts Center → Personal details → Account ownership and control → Deactivation or deletion → pick your profile → Delete account.
- You have 30 days to change your mind — just log back in and cancel. Deleting also ends your Messenger access.
There are two ways to leave Facebook, and Facebook deliberately makes them easy to confuse. Deactivating is a pause; deleting is permanent. This guide explains the difference, shows the exact steps to delete your account, and covers how to back up your data first.
Deactivate vs. delete: the important difference
These are not the same thing, and choosing wrong is the most common mistake people make here.
- Deactivate — your profile is hidden from others, but nothing is erased. You can reactivate anytime by logging back in, and you can keep using Messenger. Choose this if you just need a break.
- Delete — your profile, photos, posts, videos, and friend list are scheduled for permanent removal. After the grace period, none of it can be recovered. Choose this if you want out for good.
How to permanently delete your Facebook account
On desktop
- Log in at Facebook.com and open Settings & Privacy → Settings.
- Click Accounts Center (top-left), then Personal details.
- Click Account ownership and control, then Deactivation or deletion.
- Select your Facebook profile, choose Delete account, and click Continue.
- Read the warnings, enter your password, and click the final Delete account button.
In the mobile app
- Tap the menu (three lines), then Settings & Privacy → Settings.
- Tap Accounts Center → Personal details → Account ownership and control → Deactivation or deletion.
- Select your Facebook account, tap Delete account, and follow the prompts.
- Enter your password and confirm.
What happens after you hit delete
- Your account enters a 30-day grace period. Log in at any point during those 30 days and choose Cancel deletion to stop it.
- After 30 days, deletion begins. It can take up to 90 days to remove everything you’ve posted from Facebook’s systems.
- You lose access to Messenger and to any app or website you signed into using “Log in with Facebook.”
- Messages you sent stay in other people’s inboxes — Facebook can’t delete your words from someone else’s copy.
Frequently asked questions
Can I recover a deleted account?
Only within the 30-day grace period, by logging in and cancelling. After that, recovery is not possible. If you think you’ve simply been locked out rather than deleted, see our Facebook account recovery guide.
Will deleting Facebook delete my Instagram?
No. Instagram is a separate account, even if it’s linked in your Accounts Center. You’d delete Instagram separately.
I just want a break — what should I do?
Deactivate instead of delete. It hides your profile, keeps everything intact, and you can come back whenever you want with no waiting period.
Verified against the Facebook website and mobile app as of July 2026. Menu labels may shift slightly between app versions, but the Accounts Center path holds.